Kato Allegra couplings

[jonhall]

I've just acquired a secondhand Kato Allegra and was pondering the the coupling choice included, there seems to be a cosmetic (top) and long and short functional couplers - are all 3 types usually included? Is there a good reason to use long or short? even the short seems ok in the trainset curves I have as a test track.

 

Jon

[MrTea]

Hi Jon,

 

Did your Allegra set come with the box? Sometimes you can find the instructions on Kato sets hidden tucked under the foam in the base. 
 

Depending on if anyone else comes back with an answer I’ll try and did out the diagrams when I’m back on Sunday for you. 
 

I seem to remember that the coupling lengths are partly related to the gangway connections - they sometimes have long or short ones depending on the couplers being used. 
 

Have fun!

 

Ian

[jonhall]

I have the instructions, but as I;ve fitted the short ones, and they are finem I wonder if the longs are required at all?

 

Jon

[Jim Easterbrook]

The "spare" light grey couplers are to convert the coaches you couple to your Allegra, if they don't already have Scharfenberg couplers. They have the little spigot for a coil spring to be seated on. The dark grey couplers for the Allegra don't have the spigot as they use a leaf spring.

[Gordonwis]

On 15/10/2021 at 20:13, jonhall said:

I have the instructions, but as I;ve fitted the short ones, and they are finem I wonder if the longs are required at all?

 

Jon

 

If the short ones work on your set up then no problem. Clearly the shorter the better aesthetically for any N gauge train coupling. You can use the spares to retrofit another item of Kato RhB if it comes with Arnold couplings