I get extremely frustrated whenever I try to switch over a former horn hook coupler, with it's tiny hole connecting to its tiny stump in the coupler bracket that holds the coupler in place. When I want to replace the horn hook coupler with an E-Z Mate one, its hole is huge compared to the tiny stump that used to hold the small holed horn hook coupler. Of course the new knuckle coupler flops all over the place and obviously couples terribly. Is there a E-Z mate coupler that HAS a small hole to make these kind of coupler conversions a whole lot easier??? I know there's a solution, but when frustration kicks in, my mind goes to mush...
any ideas out there pleeease!
are these truck mounted couplers? if so, you might want to consider a new mounting on the car floor instead. your uncoupling problems probably have alot to do with the coupler height being too low if using the truck mounting.
as for the coupler flopping around, somebody, i think it's kadee, makes an adapter that solves the problem of a mounting pin that is too small. what it is is a plastic sleeve that fits over the pin, and its outer diameter is close to the size of the hole in the coupler shank.
thanks for the reply, jward. No, the issues isn't with truck mounted couplers, but I have tried to configure that as well. I think I recall reading a post where they said to cut off the mounted couplers, and then put on some number coupler from Kadee. I wish I could remember that number as there seems to be a million of them. WAY too confusing!!
I'm trying to install E-Z mate Medium Center couplers, that were on one engine's shell, and transfer them over to another engine. The older engine is a DC GP 40 but had horn hook couplers. I removed the old ones but the new ones have a huge hole compared to the former horn hook coupler. I'll look at Kadee's adapter for this issue. Sure hope it works.
Thanks for the advice. Great replies at ANY hour. Gonna fall over and sleep now.....
If I remember correctly, the Kadee 20-series couplers come with mounting hardware to allow them to be used in truck-mounted installations. Years ago I put one on an IHC 2-6-0 tender and it still works great.
The Kadee web site ( www.kadee.com ) is a great resource for coupler conversions. They recommend a number 37 for your GP-40. The 30-series couplers come with a small versital draft gear box that is ideal for tight places. Hope this helps. Good luck.
Thank you for the Kadee number. I have some older freight cars that I want to convert that have these mounted couplers. I'll look at these Kadee 20-series couplers for those cars and hopefully cut off the old mounts from the trucks. Thanks to ABC for reminding me that the tool I need to correct the height of the coupler is a track gauge. Hopefully that'll be easy enough to use.
For the GP 40 DC, there seems to be no way to add a new coupler to it other than removing the casing, which is screwed in, from its old inner chassis. There's no screws to reinstall it into the DCC, but some contact cement seems to be holding it in place for now. I let it sit the night and just set it on the track this morning and connected a 40' gondola to it. The height surprisingly seems correct, and the engine and hitchhiker seemed to play well together. I'll let it sit for another night though. The E-Z Mate coupler flops around pretty good though forwards and back, as again I need to find something to stabilize it. It doesn't flop up and down very much thankfully as the DC's old casing had a narrow opening for its old horn hook coupler. So basically once I find something to keep the knuckle coupler still, this thing'll finally be complete......pleeeease train gods, let it be complete!!
I have had the same problem (couplers that fit too loosely on the pin) in the past and did what Old Timer recommended. Rather than purchase #20 series couplers to get the sleeve, you can order a #213 Gearbox & Sleeves for #20-series. This sells for $3.35 for 24 sets (+ shipping of course).
I hope this helps,
Ray
the standard kadee coupler is the number 5. except in bulk packs, it comes with coupler boxes to mount them on your cars. there is also a #148 which is a kadee 5 with metal whiskers on the sides replacing the centering plate of the number 5. i find the 148s much easier to use. either one is a drop in replacement for most cars with body mounted couplers. the other couplers kadee makes are for special applications, such as different shank lengths, scale size knuckles, over or underset shanks, etc.....
riff -
I understand. Coupler problems can be very frustrating.
Try Kadee #5 or #20 couplers. They will either fit right in the existing coupler pockets or you can remove the coupler pockets and use the draft gear which comes with the couplers. IJMO but I think the #20 couplers are a little easier to install and a little more reliable than the #5s. This from someone who has been installing #5s for 50 years! Kadees are much cheaper if you buy them in larger quantities. Fortunately, the #5 and #20 couplers are bulk packed.
One nice thing about Kadees is that you can raise them with fiber washers on your truck bolsters or lower them with shims between the car bottom and the coupler pocket. Plus, they'll mate with any brand of knuckle couplers, best with Kadees, though.
-- D
I'm sold!!
Going to look for #20couplers then. Thanks for all the help, good people!!
I like reliable AND easy.
#213 Gearbox & Sleeves for #20-series...going to check that out as well. can't beat that price. TY CNE Runner
Man, I must be a real dunce or something because I cannot find a #20 Kadee coupler on their own site. I found the #213 Gearbox and Sleeves for #20 series, but I searched that site for the couplers and just must have been looking right past it or something. Little miffed at myself.
Any chance someone might have a look at www.kadee.com and know where to spot these #20's please. Maybe post a link. Many, MANY gracious thank you's, bows, weird handshakes...you know the routine :)
http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page20.htm
Go to Kadee.com. Click on Products. Click on HO Scale. The page that is presented is a matrix that organizes the couplers by characteristics. The 20 series couplers have a "standard size" plastic head and come with 213 and 232 gear boxes. Slide down that column to the type shank you want. If you want a short overset shank, you'd want a #25. Click on the 25 and you'll be taken to a page that diagrams that coupler. Hope this helps.
As with almost anything, you have to develop the skills. Take your time or frustration will stop you cold every time.
Get the proper tools and study the situation and get some ideas of what you need to do to accomplish your goal. Changing couplers is not plug and play sometimes. Been there, done that, have the T shirt.
Micro Mark has a nice selection of tools for model railroading. Most coupler mounting situations, I use 2-56 screws to attach the couplers and sometimes the trucks.
A 2-56 drill and tap set is very handy as is a Pin Vise for the drill bits and taps. Kadee sells them also.
For wood body stuff, I use #2 wood screws.
There are times I use a small dab of Walther's Goo on the coupler and small dab on the floor of the car. Center the coupler and press and hold after letting the Goo dry for two minutes. Again, PATIENCE.
Model railroading is supposed to be fun, not frustration.
For plastic trucks, I cut off the old truck mounted coupler with a small pair of wire cutters. I remove the wheel sets first as I install all metal trucks after.
I trash EZ Mate as they are too delicate. When transporting to the club, a loco might slide a little in the box and press a coupler face in and the coupler becomes useless. The EZ Mate is no doubt good for just a layout.
Rich
I trash EZ Mate as they are too delicate. When transporting to the club, a loco might slide a little in the box and press a coupler face in and the coupler becomes useless. The EZ Mate is no doubt good for just a layout.
Rich
Are we discussing EZ Mate or EZ Mate Mark II couplers which have little metal springs and seem more durable then the original EZ Mate? Not that it matters that much as either would be better than the horn hook couplers as I have discovered the hard way.
One question just for fun. Can one simply cut off the coupler pockets on the talgo trucks body mount the couplers and leave the original trucks alone?
Yup. Just use a Kadee gauge to determine how much to shim the draft gear box or raise the body, if at all. Small errors in height can be fixed with an overset or underset shank.
Quote from: Joe323 on June 28, 2010, 10:24:28 AMAre we discussing EZ Mate or EZ Mate Mark II couplers which have little metal springs and seem more durable then the original EZ Mate? Not that it matters that much as either would be better than the horn hook couplers as I have discovered the hard way.
In my experience Bachmann E-Z Mate and McHenry (and Life Like Scenemaster & IHC knuckle couplers, pretty much anything not metal) couplers absolutely need replaced as they couldn't stay coupled for 30 seconds. E-Z Mate Mark II couplers are okay only if your train consists of no more than 5 cars, and mine usually have at least 40. However I body mounted some long shank ones to my IHC Erie passenger set and they failed horribly even with only 3 or 4 cars and not even the full consist. I stick with Kadee #5's, Kadee #148's and Proto Max standard coupler. Note that this Proto Max couplers differ significantly from the Proto 2000 couplers which also will fail because they are plastic without a metal spring. Proto Max couplers are Kadee #5 clones and are all metal including the spring and have a brass centering spring and identical draft gear boxes as well (they are completely interchangeable).
Quote from: ABC on June 28, 2010, 12:33:46 PM
Quote from: Joe323 on June 28, 2010, 10:24:28 AMAre we discussing EZ Mate or EZ Mate Mark II couplers which have little metal springs and seem more durable then the original EZ Mate? Not that it matters that much as either would be better than the horn hook couplers as I have discovered the hard way.
In my experience Bachmann E-Z Mate and McHenry (and Life Like Scenemaster & IHC knuckle couplers, pretty much anything not metal) couplers absolutely need replaced as they couldn't stay coupled for 30 seconds. E-Z Mate Mark II couplers are okay only if your train consists of no more than 5 cars, and mine usually have at least 40. However I body mounted some long shank ones to my IHC Erie passenger set and they failed horribly even with only 3 or 4 cars and not even the full consist. I stick with Kadee #5's, Kadee #148's and Proto Max standard coupler. Note that this Proto Max couplers differ significantly from the Proto 2000 couplers which also will fail because they are plastic without a metal spring. Proto Max couplers are Kadee #5 clones and are all metal including the spring and have a brass centering spring and identical draft gear boxes as well (they are completely interchangeable).
Quite possible however since my trains generally do not exceed 5 or 6 cars (Due to the size of my layout) I'm going to stick with the Mark II for now, I just picked up the last few I need to convert the last of my horn hooks. So far I have yet to have problems.
Oldtimer, that was gonna be my question after your directions to find these #20 couplers Doneldon suggested. I did follow your directions to a "T" but I was lost as to what I needed; center, undershank, long....noooo clue. I assume center would do the trick as the EZ Mate (not II) couplers I have on the GP 40 do currently line up with the car that follows it. I'm scared to try two engines consisting together with the loose in and out issue it has with the mount, but when I get those sleeves (I think that's what'll do the trick) that should stabilize the coupler. However, when I go to change over five other new cars with their truck mounted couplers, this is where I assume I need the track gauge. Do I measure the height of a freight car which hasn't had any issues with coupling? Then use that height for the new cars? A track gauge seems too complex (to a newbie) when you would think you could measure with any ruler. That idea probably freaks out the pros of this hobby, but I guess until I actually own a track gauge and see how it works, then the ruler seems to be my only recourse. But as richg said, I have to have a little patience with getting this done. But the patience in understanding the multitude of couplers had me stopped dead cold. I feel I'm going to be buying non stop couplers until I finally find the right ones, and as I look in my wallet and the moths fly out, that's just not a reality. So I pretty much gotta be dead on the first time. I'm pretty sure, from Doneldon, that I want the #20 coupler but as for which one, after following Oldtimers lead, I'm completely lost. All I know is I want Kadee couplers on these cars.
So, as I patiently go, find a track gauge first and measure something...it's a start....sorta ::)
Try the center-set medium length shank. If that is too low, try the underset shank...too high? Use the overset shank. This is not rocket science.
The gauge is not a track gauge, but rather a coupler gauge. Go back to the Kadee site and you'll see what it looks like. Not at all complicated. One end has a coupler set at the right height, and a shelf to check the uncoupling pin height. The other end has a shelf that you can use to determine if your floor height is correct before you mount your new coupler draft gear box.
ok then, I'll get over there and check out a coupler gauge. Thank you!