Kadee Couplers

[roundhouse]

Paul

 

Kadees are generally metal (some do have plastic parts such as the NEM  types).

 

You are more likely to lose the spring than damage the coupler. Replacing the spring is fiddly but you do get spares in the packs.

 

I have only broken one which was fitted to a Trix Big Boy that moved in its box in transport but that is a heavy loco. - wont be able to do that again as it now has foam in its storage location.

 

Number 5 Kadees that get knocked hard will normally result in the box thye are in coming off the rolling stock rather than the kadee itself breaking but again the box is normally easy to refix.

Edited July 22, 2013 by roundhouse

[47137]

Thanks guys for the really helpful answers to my questions.  I am pretty much sold now on the Kadee way forward.  So will now look at getting the appropriate packs of couplings and start the conversion process, I might first get one the of sample pack they do to see what all the different type are.

 

For models of British railways, I suggest you buy one pack each of the #146, #18 and #20, I think you will be pleasantly surprised how much of your stock you will cover. If you have something with a particularly deep buffer beam, the version of the #146 with an underset shank, which is the #141 may help. (If the rolling stock is unusually high, you can easily pack a 146 downwards so to speak).

 

Many people have had success with the #5, but to be honest it is rather short for British models with buffers. I bought only one pack. The #146 lets you hide the draft gear box back behind the buffer beam. I didn't buy the Kadee sample pack because so many of the items in it seem to be geared towards North American stock.

 

I was tempted to post something like this in the thread on the heights of Kadee couplers so thanks for asking!

 

Edit: the Kadee catalogue is useful, and less overwhelming when you have some samples in your hands: http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/catalog.htm

Edited July 22, 2013 by 47137

[Jaggzuk]

For models of British railways, I suggest you buy one pack each of the #146, #18 and #20, I think you will be pleasantly surprised how much of your stock you will cover.

 

Thanks for the advice on what to buy.

 

 

 

What is the best glue for the Draft Gear box on plastic wagon kits, does plastic melt glue work (eg Mekpak). or is it best to use a taped screw fitting?

 

[Suzie]

Don't overlook the No16 which can be very handy on 4-wheel wagons where the NEM pocket has to be discarded due to height issues. Fitting a long shank No46 can require a bit of surgery which can usually be avoided with a No16.

 

It looks like the No16 might be hard to get hold of now, I have not tried the No146 with a No252 box to see how it compares.

[47137]

What is the best glue for the Draft Gear box on plastic wagon kits, does plastic melt glue work (eg Mekpak). or is it best to use a taped screw fitting?

The draft gear boxes respond well to Slater's Mek-Pak, I have also used old-fashioned polystyrene cement by Humbrol. I always glue the boxes to the chassis, sometimes I add an M2 nut and bolt too. Every wagon is different and if it is easy to take the body off the chassis then I put a nut and bolt too. If it looks difficult with a chance of spoiling the model, I stay with only the glue. Beware of overtightening a nut and bolt, this can impair the self-centring action of the coupler. I use a steel nut and bolt, nylon ones would be better when I can find some.

 

- Richard.

[roundhouse]

Also watch that you don't get too much adhesive into the box as that will also impair the Kadees coupler working. Very easy to do with solvent glue or superglue.

Ian

Ian

[Dunsignalling]

Also watch that you don't get too much adhesive into the box as that will also impair the Kadees coupler working. Very easy to do with solvent glue or superglue.

Ian

Ian

I stopped glueing draft-boxes together long ago.

 

I glue the box to the vehicle then drill and tap a hole to take a Kadee #256 screw which holds the lid on and provides a back up to the glue.

 

John  

[Dunsignalling]

Don't overlook the No16 which can be very handy on 4-wheel wagons where the NEM pocket has to be discarded due to height issues. Fitting a long shank No46 can require a bit of surgery which can usually be avoided with a No16.

 

It looks like the No16 might be hard to get hold of now, I have not tried the No146 with a No252 box to see how it compares.

Kadee have stopped making the # 16, but the # 146 + 252 box combination makes an almost direct substitute with a much better action.

 

Although the # 252 box is fractionally wider than that on the # 16, that is unlikely to be a problem (the length of the rectangular box is usually the issue) but if space is really tight, try a # 36.

 

John

Edited July 22, 2013 by Dunsignalling

[BR60103]

I have broken knuckles on Kadees but usually by dropping them on the floor. Normal operation, including hard shunting, doesn't faze them at all.

Transpoting them loose in a box can cause problems but usually involving the mounting.

[47137]

As David says, the couplers are robust. There is a chance of damage to the stock if a coupler sags, the trip pin fouls a running rail and the incident is near the edge of the baseboard ... 

 

If you know you don't need the magnetic uncoupling feature, the trip pins can be removed with a cut-off disc in a mini drill or some sturdy cutters.

[47137]

I have started to convert my HO scale narrow gauge stock to Kadees too ... I think most people reading this topic will be looking for standard gauge applications so I have put the details with my layout here:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/52540-castell-y-bwrdd/?p=1107702

 

- Richard.

[truffy]

If you know you don't need the magnetic uncoupling feature, the trip pins can be removed with a cut-off disc in a mini drill or some sturdy cutters.

But if you know you don't need the magnetic uncoupling feature, is there a better alternative to the Kadee in the first place?

 

I'm primarily interested in close running Hornby Maunsell coaches. Fixed sets, no decoupling needed (other than by 'the hand of God').

Edited October 29, 2013 by truffy

[RFS]

But if you know you don't need the magnetic uncoupling feature, is there a better alternative to the Kadee in the first place?

 

I'm primarily interested in close running Hornby Maunsell coaches. Fixed sets, no decoupling needed (other than by 'the hand of God').

Within Maunsell sets I use the Roco coupling - similar to the Hornby one, but shorter, and means the ends touch on straight track. On the ends of the sets I use Kadees.  The close-couplings supplied by Hornby with the Maunsells are longer than the Roco ones but work extremely well with the Bachmann MK1s.

[terry.ecmr]

My layout is end to end straight line station to fiddle yard.

 

I use Kadee. Firstly, being no curves on my track I can couple stock really close together by selecting the shortest coupling possible. Secondly, I have a magnetic under track uncoupler in the station and an above sleeper magnet in the fiddle yard. Provided I stop the train in the station at the correct place I can run in a train, pull in a loco at the other end and then move out the stock, leaving the original loco in the station. The process is reversed in the fiddle yard. I can sit in my chair without having to get up! And no hand of God.

 

Terry

[corax67]

As soon as I saw Kadees when I worked in America I was hooked and set about converting my UK stock.

 

Over the course of the years I have come to find that they are as robust as anything you will ever get - my shunting puzzle wagons will get coupled and uncoupled hundreds of times during a 2 day show and have never needed replacement, repair or adjustment during such operations.

 

As I am happy to let anyone have a go at operating the puzzle then shunting operations are not always of a slow motion, feather light variety but can see a rake crashed into a buffer stop at full pelt and keep coming back for more.

 

NEM pocket height adjustment can be made with plasticard shims or flipping the coupler holder over to match the height gauge but conversion to #5's is the other option f the difference is too extreme.

 

I would still go down the Kadee route (with trip pins removed) for situations where non-magnetic uncoupling is required simply due to the fact they are so darned good and reliable and easy to separate with a light lift of the wagon.

 

I have a set of Bachmann Mk2 coaches hauled behind a 37 all fitted with #19's and they negotiate first radius curves with care & second radius with ease provided the speed is not too silly.

[JZ]

I find that what Bachmann sell as DMU couplings give a good close coupling with Hornby coaches, then use a Kadee at rake ends.

[truffy]

Within Maunsell sets I use the Roco coupling

Would that be the Roco 40270/40271?

[Adrian Wintle]

Within Maunsell sets I use the Roco coupling -

 

 

And remove the gangway end covers so they don't bind..

 

Yes, the 40270/40271.

 

Or you can use Fleischmann Profi couplers instead.

 

Adrian

Edited October 29, 2013 by Adrian Wintle

[brian777999]

 

Many people have had success with the #5, but to be honest it is rather short for British models with buffers. I bought only one pack. The #146 lets you hide the draft gear box back behind the buffer beam. I didn't buy the Kadee sample pack because so many of the items in it seem to be geared towards North American stock.

 

 

What sort of plastic is the draft gear box made of ? I am wondering which glue is the most effective ?

[47137]

What sort of plastic is the draft gear box made of ? I am wondering which glue is the most effective ?

The boxes respond well to Slater's 'Mek-Pak', but an M2 bolt and nut makes for a stronger job, especially with longer trains.

 

- Richard.

[brian777999]

The boxes respond well to Slater's 'Mek-Pak', but an M2 bolt and nut makes for a stronger job, especially with longer trains.

 

- Richard.

 

That is suitable for covered vans but is not a good idea with open wagons though is it ?

Edited December 13, 2013 by brian777999

[John Oxlade]

On my Hornby Maunsells I have fitted Fleischmann Profis between coaches and Kadee 18 (or 19s - can't remember) on the ends. The Profis are a bit stubborn to couple and require the two coaches to be lifted slight to engage, but once they have engaged they seem to work fine.

[Suzie]

The Kadee screw is excellent for screwing the draft boxes under the chassis. Use the Kadee drill and tap (which I think are supplied in the starter kit) to make the hole which can be blind if required, and cut the plastic screw down to the correct length. No need for nuts and bolts. If the chassis can be removed from the body it is possible to fix the Kadee in place with the screw in a tapped hole and cut it flush for a much quicker installation on an open wagon.

[47137]

That is suitable for covered vans but is not a good idea with open wagons though is it ?

The way I did it was to discard the steel weight inside the wagon. I put the bolt head below the coupler and the nut inside the depth of the underframe moulding. Then I filled the underframe with fine lead shot and superglue. If I was more ambitious I'd drill and tap the steel weight.

 

 

The Kadee screw is excellent for screwing the draft boxes under the chassis. Use the Kadee drill and tap (which I think are supplied in the starter kit) to make the hole which can be blind if required, and cut the plastic screw down to the correct length. No need for nuts and bolts. If the chassis can be removed from the body it is possible to fix the Kadee in place with the screw in a tapped hole and cut it flush for a much quicker installation on an open wagon.

I bought some Kadee screws but haven't found the matching tap yet. So I stayed with metric.

 

- Richard.

[Suzie]

Taps available here:-

 

http://pandhmodels.com/category.php?id_category=36

 

Just cannot remember which one it is!