Kadee couplers.

[user=1801]Passed Driver[/user] wrote:

Hi Ron I keep returning to your Kadee thread , in the meantime , there is a YouTube video on Kadee where the Modeller used glue to hold the two halves of the box together. Another thread mentions No 242 the box clicks together, but, it didn’t specify which hook went with No 242 , would you please correct me if I have got it wrong? Because I don’t know.which Hook/ s fit 242.  Best wishes. Kevin

Any Kadee  (except the NEM versionns 17-20 ) fits into the 242 box but the whisker versions are better.
As indicated here  https://kadee.com/htmbord/page242.htm

or the 252 box
https://kadee.com/htmbord/page252.htm

Hi Ron.   Thank you for your reply. I have managed to assemble #5 ‘s but they can reall be a PITA, I even took a chance on the gluing approach.. The hooks for the #242 are they sold with the boxes or separately ??Best wishes.  Kevin

Kevin,couplings ( hooks) are sold separately - look at the Kadee website  https://kadee.com/htmbord/coupler.htm

Hi Ron. Thank you for your reply . I have been reading about the “ Metal Head Hooks” to fit the “242 box”. You very kindly pointed me in the direction of Gaugemaster , but, they have a “really useless bunch of blighters working for them”. Unless, that is one has purchased the stuff before/ on a regular basis. Hattons staff aren’t too bad, on a good day, but speak with the wrong person, and who knows??   Best wishes. Kevin

Kevin, don't know where you got “ Metal Head Hooks” from,first tie I have heard couplers called that.
Why not try Sorry, the page or resource you requested was not found

Hi Ron. Thank you.  It must my age?? Or just a bad memory, I should get out more? But seriously , I think of the â€œ Complete Article, box and all as a Coupler”, especially when dealing with shop assistants on the phone that couldn’t care if they dealt with you or not.    Best wishes. Kevin
PS. That from antics is the best layout of Kadee couplers that I have seen yet

Hi Ron  Having been faffing around with my Kadee #5 Couplers , I have managed to hold them together with s spot of CA glue, as per a YouTube video, but I have just noticed that a couple have lost their springs, a job for solitude I guess? But, we no one to upset by my language when attempting the process that will be okay. But, how do I make it an easy task?? Now I think it is about time that I invested in some Kadee whisker Couplings and their snap together  gearboxes. I was thinking that “ It is a pity that Bachmann don’t do at least some of their early UK outline wagons with the option for Kadee ‘s”.  Best wishes. Kevin

Kadee sell a jig for assembling the coupling and gear boxes Kevin - well worth the investment - it makes the job so much easier.

Also, I use a dab of liquid poly to glue them rather than superglue - cheaper and easier ………… :thumbs

Hi Petermac  Thank you for your reply. As soon as i have assembled the remaining #5’s I will purchase the snap together boxes with whiskers. I don’t know if you have any thoughts on “ Tension Lock” versus Kadee ??                 Best wishes. Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Springs are the Achilles heel of the design. You need the special tool to replace them, or a pair of thin tweezers.

If you must glue them try using a very thin styrene cement (I use Testors) and just run a brush around the seal twixt base and cover - capillary action will draw enough in. It's the screw that does the work anyway. CA - avoid if possible, one bit of CA on the spring of the #5 and that's it. I tend not to glue them, having had too many seized couplers over the years.

Whisker couplers are a better proposition all round - no P/B spring, push fit lid (remember to file off the plastic sprue stub otherwise it's a poor fit). That said, I've never had issues assembling #5's. Trick is to position the box at 45° open end up using a small block of wood, that way you can inset the spring, then the coupler without it falling out, then the lid. If you must use regular styrene cement, run a very thin bead around the inside of the lid or the top of the box, wait a few seconds so that some of the solvent evaporates, then put in place.

Nigel

Hi Nigel   Thank you for your reply. The CA that I chose to do the job is so thick and slow to exit the bottle.And I am going to purchase the “snap together ones” . Best wishes. Kevin

Not only to "promote" this topic again but to clarify a problem some may find in using the plug-in versions of Kadee into the sockets on UK outline & finding the coupler droops .
It has been brought about in that Kadee were NOT designed for UK stock but European stock and I believe the NEM standards work well with the Kadee but have my doubts that the UK stock always follows the same dimensions as the European stock.
The droop can be fixed by having a sliver of styrene underneath the shank in the socket.

Hi Ron,

The UK manufacturers do not adhere to NEM (the UK is not even registered on MOROP, the umbrella organization) and like many things model railroad related follow their own standard. The big issue is that finding replacement NEM pockets is not easy. What there are are from Europe are expensive. The ones found on Bachmann tension lock couplers are probably the best, with minimal droop. Unless the other part of the slot is there it means using the ones supplied By Peco (previously Dundas). Rather than try and use NEM Kadee couplers (which are plastic anyway), it is often better to start from scratch and install the draft boxes and Kadee spring couplers, the whisker ones IMO being the best for ease of installation and function.

Shapeways, the 3D printing house, has some interesting possibilities. Bluebell Model Railway Shop do replacements for the old 2 screw tension locks (2 types), there are others.

In about 200 updates to older rolling stock Rapido couplers I have yet to have one where the swap required anything more than using the old draft gear box or installing a body mount one on passenger cars that had truck-mounted Targo ones.No height adjustment, no fettling. The only issue was using my stock, which had fine-scale couplers, with other stock that had regular ones. Irregular track leads to uncoupling.

Nigel

A small problem I found on the D&S
Some of the crew have had         problems in getting into a couple of tracks over the magnet with         the USA switcher





I have spent a couple or three days in attempting to get the         magnet at the correct height & while it maybe a bees whisker         high one end , it doesn't affect any other loco except the         switcher which has gear covers that are so close to the magnet         at slow speed, it stalls/jerks,  they even pick a single slice         of tissue paper stuck to the magnet up & it doesn't help in         uncoupling or even pulling a wagon across…..







 have 2 options to fix this :
1: Change shunting locos  or
2: fit the 3mm cube magnets

Fitting the 3mm cubes means any loco will do the job




Now converted to 5       sleepers worth of 3mm cube magnets - yellow is the centre..





works well - even to the delayed coupling process.

I'll have to do some further reading to refresh my memory Sol.

How many magnets and what configuration etc. ……..   Did you follow the experiments done years ago by Perry of this parrish or are they all your own design ?

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

I'll have to do some further reading to refresh my memory Sol.

How many magnets and what configuration etc. ……..   Did you follow the experiments done years ago by Perry of this parrish or are they all your own design ?

Yes what Perry started & I added to it  and this time instead of just 3 sleepers replaced, I did 5 sleepers, 5 magnets per

https://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=8481&forum_id=6

Hi Ron.   They (whoever they are) say that the camera never lies, but it does fib, and the trackwork in one photo looks to have, but I am certain that it is okay. And I certainly would like to have the space to have a permanent layout rather than a portable one.   Best wishes Kevin