I’ve started converting an Aristo RS-3 to Battery/Airwire/Phoenix/Kadee remote couplers. First project is the couplers.

Luckily, the opening in the front and rear are at the right height for the gear box. Here are the steps I took to installed the Kadee couplers:

1. Remove the front plate and existing coupler.

2. Grind off the post that held the stock coupler.

3. I designed a little 2-part bracket to hold the coupler. Here’s a rendering and the real thing:

This slides over the lower two screw posts on the front plate.

4. Install only the lower piece first and drill through the screw posts with a bit large enough to pass a #4 screw. You’ll need to route out some little access holes:

5. The upper piece acts as the nut, and should not be drilled. The screws will cut threads into it and cinch the whole assembly together.

The ends of the screws sticking out need to be trimmed off. I did this by backing them out, cutting them, and driving them back in. This worked fine, since the threads had been established.

6. The gear box need to protrude through the plate that is part of the frame. Cut a hole for it, with special attention to the servo horn.

7. Reassemble

Very nice. Double check the length of the screws that hold the front assembly to the rest of the chassis, on my RS-3, the wrong length screws were used, and very little of the thread engaged (too short). Merely using longer screws stopped the problem (pulled the end platform right off!).

Greg

They seem adequate. 3/8" or so, if I remember correctly. Thanks for the warning.

Some more progress on the RS-3. I’ve installed LEDs for the headlights and number boards, and a battery under the short hood.

This is a rack that I 3D printed to hold the AirWire G3, Phoenix P8, and a 60x40 protoboard. The protoboard will have an Arduino Pro Mini on it to control the couplers, lighting, and smoke - connected to the G3’s DCC output.

That will be a fun locomotive to operate , great job .

I have decided to abandon the smoke plan for now. It turns out that my fan motor is very noisy. So I’ve buttoned the engine up.

Here’s the final interior arrangment:

And a custom switch plate and charging jack under the stock switch cover. The switches are power for the decoder, power for sound and accessories, and the P8 Volume control.

So you have the stock smoke unit, the old style with the crummy motor:

You might want to just put a better unit in it, the more modern Aristo unit:

I will keep an eye out for one of those.

I’d check with RCS of New England Don Sweet: https://www.rcsofne.com/

Many battery power conversions are made by ripping out everything they don’t want, and smoke is rarely used in battery since it can consume as much as the motive power needs.

Greg