THIS is why I use only Kadee couplers, now. The coupler in the upper photo came on my Proto 2000 GP38-2. The lower coupler is a Kadee #5. As you can see in the upper photo, the little strip of plastic that keeps the knuckle closed has a gap between it and the knuckle. This allows unintended and unexpected uncoupling. From now on, ALL my new stock gets Kadee couplers of some kind.
Yep… I did this with my “Gulf Breeze & Holley” Rail Road… I changed scales after many, many years of doing N scale. Now on my new Ho layout as I’ve added rolling stock I’ve made it a point to put Kadee on every piece I’ve put on the layout… and guess what… Kadee works. I’ve had some of the others run on the layout… they just don’t work as well. My Kadee couplers work every time.
I agree wholeheartedly.
There’s also the fact that the plastic couplers flex a lot more easily under load.
Mine have all been changed after having a couple of plastic ones come undone. The worst one’s I ever saw were the ones on MTH rolling stock.
Every coupler on every car that I own, as well as on all my engines, is a Kadee coupler.
protos now come with the metal proto-max couplers, the plastic turds are giong away.
My new paragon 2 Y6B also has metal “Kadee Compatible” couplers. I’ll probably switch them.
I think the reason that kadee’s aren’t used on RTR trains is because of the different manufacturing locations. Most Loco’s and Rolling stock are manufactured in china. Kadee’s are still holding strong in the US. The cost of shipping them to china for installation probably doesn’t make sense. Also the cost of a pair of Kadee’s is probably more than the manufacturing cost of many cars.
Nearly every car I have has Kadee couplers, be they #5’s, #148’s or #118’s. The only cars that don’t have them are those in a string of cars for a unit train. They have EZ-Mate couplers on which the knuckle have been super glued closed so there;s no chance of them opening.
Three words.
Plastic. Couplers. Suck.
I just spent most of the last 2 weeks converting all of my rolling stock and 20 yr old engines I intend to use to Kadee. That was soooo much fun, as I had to figure out the different conversions to such old stuff and with different manufacturers. Now all of my usable stock and engines are compatible with each other. But after a session tonight with some neighborhood kids, I can say it was worth it. Everything stayed together and I taught a few older kids how to properly uncouple them using the RIX tool. I have to admit, I enjoy ‘playing’ trains as much as the kids did, but I enjoyed watching the kids even more.
Hi!
I started using KDs in the early '70s, and with the exception of a few ready to run cars, all my rolling stock is converted (the RTR will be as time permits). One of the things not often mentioned about KDs is the ready availability of conversion tables, and they have applications for pretty much everything “out there”. I really appreciate that!
Mobilman44
Whenever I pick up a new loco or rolling stock I always grab a pack of Number 5’s to go with the order. I’s like getting fries with my burger.
I started using Kadees when I started in HO, which was around 1960. The Kadees then had a straight metal trip pin that hung down and caught at times on things between the rails, but they were far superior to the horn/hook or dummy knuckles used by others. So I have never used any coupler but Kadee, and I even use the large scale versions on my garden railroad.
Bob
The standard…enough said. PW
You are not kidding there mate—
Guys,I field tested some KD wannabes that had metal coupler springs and the Atlas Accumate…These worked quite well until you push 20-30 cars while doing terminal work and many bent or broke during the switching moves…
The Atlas Accumate coupler works ok for small ISLs where 2-3 cars is being pushed or pulled.
However,
The KD is the superior coupler so,why bother with the wannabes?
Now the Sargent coupler is a different beast.
Most (not quite all) of my car cards have, among the maintenance records on the back, an entry that reads, “MKD #(fillintheblank) installed, (date.)”
The exceptions are unit train cars which have truly ancient Kadee “K” couplers (minus the vertical in-the-knuckle trip pins) installed.
I run short trains of light cars, but the plastic clones still proved deficient. Kadee forever.
Why different # Kadees. Many of my freight cars are little tin (galvanized steel) boxes on wheels that originally came with Baker couplers, The best Kadee replacement is #6.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with Kadee couplers)
Do you mean #5?
No, I mean #6. #5 mounting hole doesn’t line up.
I use #5s where they work best - but TER 4-wheel freight cars don’t have the proper geometry. That’s why Kadee makes so many different variants.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Hi,
in your upper photo it shows a defective coupler. I had McHenry couplers on freight cars that were stored on their sides for two years. The weight of the trip pin and plastic shank actually made the little whisker so weak that the couplers looked just like the one in your first picture.
On my previous layouts-without grades-the generic plastic clones worked ok. On my current layout with the helix they are far inferior to the KD’s. So now when there is a coupler failure, the KD’s get installed right away.
Frank