My P2k S-1 arrived today. Another plus for M.B. Klein.
This is my second one of these, so I know how great it will run any everything [;)] Need to put it aside for more pressing projects though. Plus I have to get a decoder.
–Randy
Congrats! I love P2K s-series. Not good enough hauling for long cuts, but smooth.
Trainboy
You know how much I like my S1. It runs the Altoona passenger yard at the club.
Matthew,
It’s a yard switcher. At 660 HP, it isn’t supposed to pull “long cuts”. Be that said, I can stil pull between 15-20 40’ boxcars on a flat surface with mine.
Tom
Got one and love it. It is the favorite of my four switchers.
Terry
I’ve had mine for a short while, and I’ve already given up on the couplers that came with it. Who makes these, and is there any repair short of replacement when they stop closing? They’ve got a leaf spring, which pops out the side. If the only suggestion is “replace with Kadee #5’s” then that’s fine.
Bruce,
I believe they should take the Kadee #5’s (larger) or #58’s (prototypical). You can check the Kadee web site for their recommendation.
About your coupler problem. Check to see whether you have your coupler screws tightened down either too loose or too tight. The way to check this is to push on the coupler from side-to-side and observe to see if it “springs back” to the center. If it doesn’t or the coupler points away from center to either side, your coupler box screw is TOO TIGHT! Sounds like that could be the case.
Tom
That’s why we like to keep a geep or two on hand!
Trainboy
I’m happy for you Randy. Now, if you could just get that T1 delivered…[|(]
I’m pretty sure I put #5’s in my other one. I’ve replaced everything that isn’t Kadee with Kadees, they just plain work better. Most cars and locos work with #5’s, but there are a few that just haven’t gotten the idea of making the mounting area a set height above the rail. But that’s why Kadee makes shims and over and under couplers. And then the Stewart F units look SO much better with the close-coupling conversion kit Kadee sells.
–Randy
I put #5s in mine.
Yeah, that’s about what I figured. I’m buying the big bulk-packs of #5’s already, because I’ve still got a fleet of old horn-hooks to replace. At least the replacement job on a new engine is just a drop-in. Mister Dremel has been working overtime cutting out old non-standard draft boxes. For my old Athearn F7s, I had to cut a full eight of an inch off the bottom of the frame to get the couplers to line up. Makes me wonder how it ever worked 40 years ago.
Don’'t use #5’s on a metal-chassis Athearn, if you run two together back to back it will short through the coupler. You need the plastic-shank version, forget the number off the top of my head - 27 maybe. It measures identical to the #5 but has a plastic shank and metal knuckle instead of being all metal. Useful for any loco where the coupler attaches to the chassis and the chassis is grounded to a rail like Athearn’s.
–Randy
I use the Kadee draft gear boxes for anything with a metal frame. The box is all plastic, and the spring and coupler shank fit over a plastic bushing. The metal screw never makes contact with the coupler, so there’s no circuit through to the frame. Even so, I’ve been thinking of using nylon screws for mounting, just to be even safer.
Of course, those are all retrofits on to 40-year-old locomotives, so I’m already grinding out the old horn-hook mountings. I suppose newer Athearns are at least Kadee-friendly, so I’ll keep that in mind if I get an Athearn in the future. Thanks.