3 link vs Kadee

Dear all Slowly but surely I am converting everything to Kadee coupling, the locos are all done as is some rolling stock.However, after converting some Bachman MK 1's it struck me as they are going to be a fixed rake, all I needed to do was put Kadees at each end (for auto uncoupling) and keep the tension lock couplers everywhere else..... or even better, couple them with 3 link couplers. So my question is... who makes the best, most suitable couplers? Layout is OO, steam / diesel transition, somewhere on the southern, and has two tight curves (2nd radius) in and out of fiddle yard. Thanks all Rob

Reply to
Rob
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"Rob" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

try these

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anon

Reply to
Ian

Phil: But the Mk1 coaches are actually an example of stock which DID interconnect using buckeye couplers!!!!! (The screw couplings on the ends to locomotives - except Southern region suitabily equipped locos?? - or was that only 'sets' like 4TC??)

You need to drop the height of the couplers on the Mk1 coaches to meet the standard height as shown by the Kadee Gauge: a bit of a z-bend will do.

Reply to
Phil

Not wishing to diss your choice for 3 link couplings, but since the Bachmann Mk1 coaches come with an alternate 'pipe' fixing, why not use this for the couplings inside the fixed rake?

Ian J.

Reply to
Ian J.

So thats what thats for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Actually I was thinking of using 3 link coupling for goods wagons as well, even if it meant retro fitting. Thanks Rob

Reply to
Rob

I find these work very well in fixed rakes, with the optional knuckle- style couplers in conjunction with Keen sprung corridor connections. They provide close coupling on straight track, and extend to allow passage around tight curves - even S-curves.

BTW use IE on the website - it doesn't work well with Netcape/Firefox.

Reply to
MartinS

Alternatively I think the Roco close couplings will plug in and the rake can be lifted apart easily.

Mike PC

Reply to
Mike PC

Smith's 'Instanter' couplings come highly recommended. Almost scale in apearance but far easier to hook up.

(kim)

Reply to
kim

Thanks Kim That was just what I was looking for.... Rob

Reply to
Rob

Kadee are accurate scale couplings for Mk1s

Reply to
Martin

Well no, they aren't.

- The scale size is about double.

- If they're bogie mounted they are way too low.

- If you try to mount them at correct height you need to remove a lot of plastic.

- Then you need to extend the coupler dropper.

- If you mount them near scale height the apparent advantage of being able to lift a vehicle out of the train is lost. The corridor connections make on track uncoupling a neccessity. N scale couplers _should_ be about the right size, but they don't look like Buckeye couplers.

Regards, Greg.P.

Reply to
Greg.P.

"Greg.P."

I can't comment on that.

Never bogie mount couplers. Always body mount them so the pulling and buffing forces pass through the vehicle body and not through the bogies. Bogies with couplers mounted will derail much easier than body mounted ones, especially when propelling.

Can't comment.

Wassat then?

As it should be. Why would you want to lift a vehicle out of a train?

What about Kadee Narrow Gauge or their new "scale" HO couplers?

-- Cheers Roger T.

Home of the Great Eastern Railway

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Reply to
Roger T.

About double is an exaggeration, maybe 50% bigger than scale. If you really want scale better get Sergents.

Just a simple slot in the buffer beam for the coupler pocket and screw the pocket to the flooor. Or you can just slot the buffer beam where the hook fits and put the shank through and pin it behind.

The uncoupling lever, but you don't need to extend it at all just leave it where it is, gives good clearance over the rail and magnets are still strong enough, of course if you were so fussy on the scale size you would remove them anyway!

The narrow gge are the same as the N, scale H0 are OK but IMHO offer little benefit, I find the appearance is worse as they are closer to scale in height and width but not in length so the proportions are distorted and I find proportion errors always more obvious than size errors. Keith

Make friends in the hobby. Visit Garratt photos for the big steam lovers.

Reply to
Keith Norgrove

"Keith Norgrove"

Oh. The "Glad-hand". Now I know what you're talking about.

-- Cheers Roger T.

Home of the Great Eastern Railway

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Reply to
Roger T.

Bogie mounting of couplers is normal in Britain and Europe where rolling stock is 2/3/4/6 axles long and underframe lengths differ greatly. The US modeller's dislike of bogie mounted couplers comes about for two reasons:

- Kadee couplers have multiple pivot points so the couplers get pushed sideways while being pushed. That sideways force derails short wheelbase bogies very easily.

- Mixing body mounted and bogie mounted Kadee couplers sets up sideways coupler position disparities which force the both the bogie wheels/flanges of the wagon with body mounted coupler against one rail and the bogie of the bogie with coupler mounted diagonally across the rails. Addd the force caused by the multi-pivoted couplers and the bogie with mounted coupler has to derail!

- with the widely varying underframe lengths of UK stock, bogie mounting makes almost every vehicle effectively a short wheelbase vehicle.

The funny dangley bit under a Kadee etc designed to interact with bipole track magnets to uncouple.

Well, err, umm - to see if it has all it's wheels?

I've never seen them, but back when I was playing with Kadees I considered the NG ones, but they were described as 3/4 size which sounded good, but there was only one length, which leaves one with either the mounting box hanging way out past the buffer beam, or removing the buffers (ouch) or re-engineering the coipler shanks. I think the UK "buckeye" is about 3/4 the size of the US one so a US model coupler near to scale is still going to be way over size. It has to fit on the UK buffer beam under the corridor connection, which is a very tight space.

Regards, Greg.P.

Reply to
Greg.P.

"Greg.P."

The "Glad-hand". Or, as I think Kadee refers to them, the "Coupler trip pin". But then I wouldn't know as I've never read any Kadee instructions. :-)

Sorry, call me "Thick" but I still don't get it. I never lift a vehicle out if a train, even in the event of a rare derailment. Then I set the vehicle aside for inspection as my cars just don't derail. :-)

As you're in the UK, is it something to do with fiddle yards? If so, you just uncouple the vehicle at both ends, make a little room, then lift.

-- Cheers Roger T.

Home of the Great Eastern Railway

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Reply to
Roger T.

That isn't very prototypical is it ! :-) Ours certainly do for a variety of reasons including obstacles on the track (especially cats), running into the train in front (when my children are driving) or points set the wrong way. I also have a point where the switch blade is slightly lower than the main rails; this causes the sprung axle of Thomas to derail if traversed in one particular direction. Very annoying that last one.

Mark Thornton

Reply to
Mark Thornton

"Mark Thornton"

No cats, but two dogs, and the railway is built 50 inches from the floor so is effectively dog proof. However, if I if the dogs up so they can see the railway, they appear to be fascinated by it..

Sadly, no kids.

Except for hidden trackage, all track is handlaid, so very little problem with points/switches/turnouts. The "points/switches/turnouts" for the benefit of a certain poster who may take umbrage at my use of the "wrong", according to him, terminology.

-- Cheers Roger T.

Home of the Great Eastern Railway

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Reply to
Roger T.

Gee, that's almost as silly as "consist" for MUing! ;-)

If they set the height just a little higher they wouldn't trip!

Those are for when things really don't work!

If your train derails in a poorly accessable spot you might want to lift a vehicle out! I'll make you a deal - first one to have a derailment reports back to the other! :-)

No-one picks up my trains!!!! (well there was this guy at an exhibition who picked up my railcar as it left the fiddle yard)(GRRR) Do you never feel the urge to pick up one of your creations and study how you made the "xyz"

Regards, Greg.P.

Reply to
Greg.P.

"Greg.P."

Not really. When you MU locos together, they form a consist. You have to realise that, according to the rules books used in North America, the definition of a locomotive is : - "One or more locomoitves, coupled together and all under the control of one engineer." Thus, the locomotives form a locomoitve consist. Abreviated to "consist".

However, the unknowledgable manufacturers decided that MUing locos together to form a consist should be knwn as "consisting", a term NOT used by railroaders.

Agreed.

That'll be the points/turnouts/switches in my main hidden staging. The only time I've had a derailment there was when I stupidly rammed the rear end of a preceeding freight train that I'd left foul of the yard lead. In that case. I uncoupled fore and aft of the wreckage, and slowly, by hand, dragged the derailed cars to where I could more easily reach them. On all hidden trackwork, I use a two inch high strip of corrigated cardboard as a safety fence to stop any derailed cars taking the leap to the concrete floor some

42 inches below. In this case, the Kadee was a Godsend as most of the cars stayed coupled. The only uncoupling was the three or so cars where the force of the impact caused the coupler retaining clips to spring loose. I fished the other loose cars out by reaching over the safety fence.

My wife had a friend over one day when she asked if LIttle Billy could go see Roger's trains. My wife expand that I didn't like visitors unless I was there. The woman persisted so the three of them went down into the model railway room. Yep, you guessed it. Little Billy couldn't keep his hands to himself. Mummy was not too happy when my wife suggested that Little Billy desist and that they all go back up stairs. "But "Little Billy" want's to play with the toy trains". My wife convinced to go back upstairs as neither my wife, nor Little Billy and is mother would want to be in the neighbourhood when Roger came home.

Guess many of us have a similar story.

-- Cheers Roger T.

Home of the Great Eastern Railway

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Reply to
Roger T.

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