Help with fitting kadees to Bachmann mk1 coach bodies

[Clagsniffer]

Before we start I know that the subject of fitting kadees to these coaches has been done to death, but whilst I've been searching most of the conversations seem to be more about adapting the NEM height to fit kadees.

 

I'm looking for help and advice specifically for mounting the kadee couplings to the coach chassis as a pose to the NEM socket.

 

I've decided to put the couplings on the chassis because I'm using the brassmasters compensated bogies (I tried the bill bedford ones but found them a bit fiddly) and as a result had to get rid of the coupling arm assembly for them to fit.

 

So I'm looking for advice on how to fit the kadees to the chassis and also what number kadee to use. Pictures would be a real bonus if anybody has any. My layout has 3rd curves and medium radius points. I also do a lot of shunting at a terminus station so need the kadees for the whole rake and not just the ends.

 

From what I've gathered the main problem with mounting kadees to the chassis is buffer lock on curves. Could this problem be solved by modelling the buffers in a retracted position? Am I right in saying that the buffers were retracted when in a rake on the real railway?

 

Thanks for any help offered.

[tender]

Maybe a bit late now, but when I replaced the bogie on one of my Hornby coaches with the Brassmasters compensated bogies I retained the NEM socket mechanism by moving the torsion wire from the outside brake hanger to the inner brake hanger. 

 

 

This doesn't seem to effect the operation of the compensation unit.

 

Ray.

 

 

 

[Clagsniffer]

Hi ray, thanks for the reply and the picture. Have you not used the little mounting plate with your bogies? The one where you solder a small nut to then screw it to the assembly?

 

That Hornby coach looks slightly different to the Bachmann mechanisms, as far as I can see the bogie moves the coupling arm on the Bachmann ones. Unless I can do away with this and just allow the coupling arm be moved by the coach in front?

[tender]

Hi ray, thanks for the reply and the picture. Have you not used the little mounting plate with your bogies? The one where you solder a small nut to then screw it to the assembly?

 

That Hornby coach looks slightly different to the Bachmann mechanisms, as far as I can see the bogie moves the coupling arm on the Bachmann ones. Unless I can do away with this and just allow the coupling arm be moved by the coach in front?

For the Hornby coach the mounting plate is not required. I just turned up a plastic bush that is a push fit into the hole left after removing the Hornby bogie. The bush is drilled for a M3 fixing screw. The 'ears' that turn up for stabilising roll just rub on the Hornby mechanism fixing plate. The ride height is about 0.5mm too high so you have to thin this a bit where the 'ears' rub.

 

 

The nice thing about this is that you can have EM/P4 Brassmaster bogies and just by pulling out the mounting bush you can plug back in the original Hornby 00 bogies, making the coaches available for different gauges.

 

I've not tried a converting Bachmann coach yet, I'll have a look when I get home tonight to see if a similar method can be used.

 

Ray.

[clecklewyke]

Again, maybe too late, but I wonder why you want to swap Bachman bogies and fit Kadees? It seems to me like a lot of unnecessary and expensive work. What gauge are you using?

 

I have a rake of Bachman Mk 1s and have simply swapped the wheel sets for P4 sets and within the rake use the dummy brake and heating hoses provided by Bachman to couple them. They work fine.

 

At the ends of my coaching sets I have fitted Iain Rice's version of Spratt and Winkle couplings, which are essentially bits of springy wire with a hook (a bit like an inverted AJ) which engages on a loop fitted to the engine.  It was unusual on the real railway to split up sets of coaches (except, of course, where trains divide) so I've taken the simplest and cheapest route. Where I need to add or remove coaches from a rake in view of the public (as opposed to rearranging them in the fiddle yard), I fit S&Ws with loops to the extra coach or set.

 

When  coupled with buckeye couplings the beffers were, as you suggest, retracted, which is, I think, how Bachman model them.

 

Good luck,

 

Ian

[Adrian Wintle]

That Hornby coach looks slightly different to the Bachmann mechanisms, as far as I can see the bogie moves the coupling arm on the Bachmann ones. Unless I can do away with this and just allow the coupling arm be moved by the coach in front?

 

Actually, the mechanism is moved by the relative motion of the two coaches which is why the coupling used should act like a solid bar when coupled (unlike a Kadee or a tension lock). The cutout in the bogie is intended to allow the coupling arm to move. As the arm should be moving more-or-less in sync with the bogie, the cutout doesn't have to be very wide. However, if couplings that don't act as a solid bar are used, this interaction between the mechanism and the bogie can potentially cause issues (derailments). We have covered this ground many times in many different coupling threads.

 

As for body mounting Kadees, you need to get a couple of them to test, and fit them to the coaches to determine the optimum spacing to allow them to work on your layout. Remember that reverse curves (crossovers) can cause more problems than regular curves. I'd suggest trying some of the long shank Kadees in the 30-series boxes .The 30-series boxes are a bit more fiddly to assemble, but have a smaller footprint.

 

Adrian

[CloggyDog]

I just cut a suitable slot in the headstock and mounted a Kadee #242 box and #5 coupler such that the 'pushing face' of the coupler was in line with the buffer heads. I also snipped off the trip-pins. The bogie just clears the top of the box. but a bit of judicious filing of both would increase clearance if your gradients are fiercer than mine!

 

Above method works a treat on the DMU replacement set we run on Shirebeck in Emswell.

 

Of course, I'm not using the magetic/delayed uncoupling feature, so I don't need to keep them at the approved height, I stick 'em where BR did just as couplings. Screw couplings on the outer coaches of a rake.

 

Also use them on DMUs within a set, again with screw link at the cab ends.