Kadee couplers

[john_doman]

Good evening all,

I have recently taken the plunge and decided to change to kadee couplers. Could not be happier. No derailments due to the tension lock bars becoming fouled. I just needed to use different length shanks 18-20) depending upon the rolling stock and loco's. Shunting and reversing through points now trouble-free. I have gotten rid of old Hornby stock with fixed wide couplings, as all newer stock, including Railroad coaches, have nem 362 pockets.

This has made a significant impact in terms of trouble-free running, and I am slowly working out the intricacies of magnetic uncoupling-often requires some adjustment of trip pins with purpose built pliers.

 

Has anyone had a similar, or opposite experience?

 

Cheers

[Gitter]

Hi John, I started to change over to kadees about 2 months back,  easy to do when stock is new and has the pockets to allow quick coupling swap and height check. Old stock of various manufacturers has slowed things down somewhat and of course, for me , budget also to consider. Have been using a converted wagons at either end of fixed rakes to let me try, and practice uncoupling and shunting. Results are mixed. Wagons moving too freely to allow positive opening of couplings,but one of the experienced op's on forum posted a tip for fitting a pad to bottom of chassis to create some friction to axle, thus elliminating sloppy rake,and it helped a lot. However layout season has come to an end, and brown trout season for me starts in the next couple of weeks, depending on fly hatches etc.  gear to be prepped, and that's after the garden work. 😀     Please keeped us informed as to your progress and your thoughts, as I still follow threads in forum throughout year. Hugh.

[2e0dtoeric]

Kadee's - something I have been contemplating for exactly the same reason (plus when the cat decides to 'kill' the rolling stock in the fiddle yard, in my absence, they don't all end up in a snarled mass!)

I was going to go the same way as Gitter, loco's and each end of the various rakes first, as I have a LOT of four-wheel stock to change, some are snip, drill, and pray refits, with the fiddly little NEM box to fit and height-adjust, first.

[Gitter]

Yes eric, and the wagons , some of them I havn't got a scooby how things will go when I start to them?? I 'm thinking it will be a case of  onwards, onwards, into the valley...... but, as I already said , that won't be until Oct'. I'll have to keep my ears alert to see if  anyone I know is going to USA. who can get me kadees as better price.  But, there is no doubt in my opinion the kadees are the way to go, both aesthetically and  in operation.

[Gitter]

Knocked out a reply, but forum police have stopped it for profanity. I would like to know what it is.  

[Fireman_Ian]

Hi, Ive been using KDs for many years now and love them.

[Chrissaf]

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Size info above taken from Express Models UK web site.

[Fireman_Ian]

This is also a must if you are thinking of changing to Kadees also from express.

Kadee Insulated Coupler Height Gauge. Ref: KD206A 00/HO tool for gauging correct coupler, trip pin and permanent uncoupler heights.It helps to achieve trouble free coupler performnce.This is the insulated version which can be used on live track.Price: £5.80

[john_doman]

Agree Ian, together with the adjusting pliers. A bit tricky to get the uncouplers/trip pins at the right height but worth the effort.

[81F]

 Hi I know I've asked this on another thread and thanks to all those who have told me about the range of different Kadee couplings but has anyone fitted these to the NEM pocketed Pullmans? if yes what size Kadee did you use.

[ellocoloco]

Hi John,

 I have been using Kadees for the last twenty years initially on US outline stock and then onto an assortment of European outline stock. Once the trip pins have been adjusted (if necessary) I have experienced very few problems in their use.

I do tend to use Kadees on locomotives and at the end of rakes. All my US wagons have Kadees and my European stock has mostly Roco close couplers between wagons and coaches with a Kadee fitted wagon at the end of the train. This works for me.

I would suggest trying the Roco close couplers between coaches if you haven’t already provided the stock has an extending mount not just the NEM pocket.

[Wobblinwheel]

Again, look at the Bachmann "cheapies" NEM version. They do work on a budget...

[Huwsie]

I too have seen these couplers in action and I was so impressed that it went on my 'to do' list. So, for someone starting out on this project - I see there are several, how does one determine what length couplers are needed for what - or is it personal preference for how close you want to couple?? Any guidance on this would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Class 08]

I've been thinking about using kadee couplers, but don't really know where to start! All my rolling stock and locos are hornby! 

[SteveM6]

I too have seen these couplers in action and I was so impressed that it went on my 'to do' list. So, for someone starting out on this project - I see there are several, how does one determine what length couplers are needed for what - or is it personal preference for how close you want to couple?? Any guidance on this would be appreciated. Thanks.

Presuming you are contemplating fitting Kadees to NEM pockets, I found that the medium sized 'number 18' worked well. If I find that size is inappropriate, I have a spare pair of the short and long versions to try before ordering the quantity I need.

[paul_garwood]

I to have taken the plunge and decided to change to Kadee couplers. The problem is finding the correct sizes to fit. How helpful it would be if members could post the Kadee ref numbers for the wagons and locos they have fitted them to.  

[96RAF]

Not beyond the whit of man to take a standard NEM coupler, chop of the hook end bits and insert a rod or wire that could be used to gauge the length of the required kadee item for a particular loco or wagon based on the available sizes in the examples pictured a while ago by Chris.

 

Or maybe I am overthinking it and all you neeed to do is measure from the NEM socket face to a clearance point ahead of the loco buffer beam, then apply the chart to find the nearest fit.

[2e0dtoeric]

Clearance distance also depends on the radius of any curves you have on the layout - the tighter the curve, the longer the shank of the kadee needs to be, to avoid buffer-lock.

[Bulleidboy]

No.18 seems to be a good "all-rounder". 

[atom3624]

I found this very informative - thanks to whomever presented it!!

 

 

Al.

[atom3624]

I don't like the over-sleeper mounting of the magnets, not only for (lack of) realism, but they appear the same level or higher than the rails, so may interfere with added-detail locomotives - vacuum / air pipes on diesels, etc.

 

The mention of 'hidden' magnets underneath sounds good - how effective are they? Is the magnet still strong enough?

There was also mention of electro-magnets, so the coupling isn't triggered every time, only when required.

 

Al.

[96RAF]

I have some 5mm diam cylindrical neos (that my daughter uses for jewellery clasps) and they have an effective range of over a centimeter for lifting a paperclip. They also have a hole down the centre axis and my original plan was to make magnetic couplings with them (work in progress some day).

[Bulleidboy]

I used 25x8x2 mm N52 grade neodymium block small thin rectangle magnets.  They are placed at the end of each track in the fiddle yard, about a "pacific" loco's length from the turntable. Having slightly longer magnets gives you a little "wiggle" room when uncoupling your loco - which is then turned on the turntable and runs down a track kept free of stock, and can then be attached to any stock in the yard. The magnets are very strong, I have a small strip of cork underlay between the magnets, and until they are firmly fixed, I have had a magnet pushing the opposing magnet out from under the track. Lots of different size magnets available on ebay.

[Phil_Spiegel.]

Thankfully provision of NEM pockets has progressed a long way since my article in Model Rail which highlighted the many different couplings available, and also looked at some of the consequences/options involved in fitting kadees (etc).

(Checking on reverse curves, inclines etc, and avoiding buffer interlocking)

 

Of course, Kadees are a model of the Buckeye couplers used in North America were buffers on either side of rolling stock are not used.

 

When the prototype in the UK uses the buckeye coupler instead of instanter or 3 link or screw couplings, any buffers are retracted out of the way. ( Mk3 HST coaches, (as opposed to Mk3a), along with modern stock designed for block trains, have only the central coupling ... Of differing designs)

 

Without the ability to retrack the buffers, it can make 'close coupling' difficult to achieve ... AND the spacing required varies considerably with your Minimum Radius !!!!   

 

 

Most UK model trains are sold as running on radius 2.  Many US coach items are only intended for 2foot (600mm) radius.... And the 'scale modellers' using Kadees ate most likely to have 2ft as their minimum radius ( which needs to include any hidden storage areas )

 

Therefore the choice of which size/separation of coupler will be best is dependent on the owner's layout.....  Many aiming at 600mm minimum in SCENIC areas .... But maybe still r2 offstage ?.    End to end layouts may avoid curves and therefore allow closer coupling than oval layouts

 

If using the 'Roco' close coupler...including the Hormby version often supplied... Then you may find it beneficial, when storing stock in drawers, to slip the end of a plastic straw ( giving the plastic straw a 2nd use) over the coupling to stop it splaying out ... Making it useless for reliable locking.

 

Kadees ,  Rock close style, Fleischmann Profi, and Peco Simplex (Hornby Dublo) couplers ALL have the advantage of being able to simply LIFT apart, UNLIKE the Triang Mk3 or its narrower variants, of the Marklin Loop ( as supplied with some recent Hornsby Mk3coaches) or old Fleischmann Hook... Which do not allow stock to be simply separated.