Couplers 101

[robbs]

Upon returning to this ever-so-seemingly-increasingly-complicated hobby, I've been reading this board a lot as well as researching other arenas but have come to the conclusion that the Kadee #5 coupler seems to be the most popular and reliable on the market.

Most of my loco's and rolling stock still have the old school horn-hook couplers as they are mostly old school themselves. Recently, I've purchased some new loco's/rolling stock and instead of converting their knuckle couplers back to horn-hook, I've decided to begin converting my fleet to all knuckles.

Now my first experience with the actual Kadee #5's came with my first Walther's Amfleet that comes stock with them. One end seems to be fine, but the other needs adjusting as it's hanging too low and the trip pin is too low as well. My question is how exactly do you adjust the coupler height for these? I would assume it's more involved than simply tightening or loosening the draft box screws as that has yielded little result.

I've also got some Bachmann Amfleet's on the way as well and it seems the recommended action for those is to drop in a #148 in the stock draft box. But I'm not sure of where exactly they place on the Kadee conversion list (http://www.kadee.com/conv/holist.pdf), I would assume "Passenger Cars 85'?"

This is a topic that comes up regularly it seems but I was hoping for some general advice on choosing, adjusting, and recommendation. Thanks!

[Paul M.]

Bachmann EZ Mate II couplers are just as good as Kadee's , in my opinion, and are cheaper.

Regardless of what you choose, buy a Kadee coupler height gauge - it will tell you what the correct height should be, as well as give you washers to help adjust the coupler height.

[SteamGene]

You solve coupler droop by placing a Kadee washer under the coupler ( that is when the car is right side up.)  The washers come in two colors, red and gray, to show the thickness.  You may need to play a bit to determine which one or ones are needed. 
The difference between the #5 and the #148 is the spring.  The #5 has a box spring that fits inside the coupler box, while the #148 has whisker springs already attached.  It is probably the coming attraction. 
The glad hand can be bent upwards by using a small needle nose pliars.  Put your finger on top of the coupler and bend the glad hand gently upwards. 
Gene

[ebtbob]

Good Morning All,

      Gene,   I would like to respond to your info of bending the trip pin on a Kadee coupler using needle nose pliers.   Yes,  you can and I did for many years.   But....upon having used the Kadee tool available for just that purpose,   I would never go back to the pliers again.   It is much easier,  you will not accidently ruin a coupler and the tool is designed to give more than one angle of curve.   And......if anyone is using the Bachmann EZ mate couplers or any of the plastic knuckle couplers available,  using the Kadee tool is much much easier and safer on the couplers.

Bob

[jward]

my experiences over 30 plus years of using knuckle couplers.......

kadee makes by far the most durable knuckle coupler. the number 5 is the couplers all others aspire to be. the 148 is relatively new, and overcomes the main drawback of the 5, which is the seperate centering spring, by the use of small whiskers on the sides of the coupler shaft. this makes them similar to all the plastic couplers with centering springs as part of the coupler.

as for the plastic couplers, i generally use whatever came with the cars until they fail. some knuckle couplers have a seperate knuckle spring similar to kadee. these are better than those with a plastic molded in knuckle spring. the latter tend to have a rather short lifespan.

adjusting the trip pins (glad hands) can be done by either of the methods mentioned above, but if you use standard needle nose pliers be VERY gentle when you bend the pins. it is WAY too easy to snap the coupler head off, even with the metal kadees. using the trip pin pliers minimizes this problem.

to adjust coupler height, you have two options.

1. use the kadee washers, or some similar product, on the truck bolsters to raise the car off the trucks just a hair. this works for low couplers. for high couplers you have to find a way to lower the coupler mount. that can be difficult if the coupler box is cast into the car floor.

2. kadee (and i assume others as well) makes couplers with offset shanks which raise and lower the coupler height without the use of washers or modifications to the coupler mount. the ones i often used  were kadee, numbered in the 30 series. there are several varieties there with overset or underset shanks that should fit most applications.

[SteamGene]

I learned long ago to file the paint off the shank of Kadee couplers.  However, the #148 looks like it has some raised portions.  Should I file the #148, or leave the paint on it?
Gene

[Tim]

Gene

The #148 shank is slightly thicker than the #5.

I have found that I have to file the shank when replacing 'Accumate'
and similar couplers on factory equipped cars and loco's, because the
pockets are shallower.  I think that Kadee did this to retrofit into a #5
box without the flat spring.

Tim Anders
Souderton, PA

[jward]

no matter what style of kadee you use, it is a good idea to burnish the shank to knock down any mold parting lines or burrs that may be there.

[robbs]

Thanks for the fantastic info fellas! This is exactly what I was looking for in every aspect!

[rustyrails]

Almost done: don't forget to burnish the face of the knuckle so the faces of the two couplers can slide more easily against each other and couple with less force.  And when you're all done burnishing, assemble everything and put a "poof" of graphite powder in the draft gear box.