Large Scale Central

Body Mounting Kadee #1 couplers on USA Trains modern tank car

General Discussion
#1

I have been body mounting #1 Kadee couplers on my rolling stock, mainly using the 820 and 821. I now have a USA Trains Modern Tank car and wish to body mount a #1 gauge Kadee to this car. Gratefully, USA Trains has a Kadee mounting pad - very much appreciated. But it is designed for the “G” scale larger coupler. I was hoping there was some Kadee coupler that put the #1 coupler in the larger draft box from the G scale coupler. What is the best way for me to do this?

Any help and advice is appreciated.

#2

Look on the kadee site, there are certain #1 scale couplers made to work in G scale draft gear, which I take it to mean the coupler pad height for the G scale.

I do believe that the 830 is not one of these though, which is what the pad is drilled for, but at least the pad height will work, i.e. no shim.

Look through the #1 scale product list.

Regards, Greg

#3

Drill new holes and make a shim.
Do what it takes to make the model to your specifications.

#4

I usually just drill one hole for the center mount. Put it on a piece of track to see what you need to do to get it to line up with your other cars.

#5

My idea was that you could either avoid drilling different holes (use #1 scale coupler in 830 type draft gear) or drill new holes but no shim (#1 scale coupler in G scale draft gear box).

But, at least not make new holes AND make a shim. the #1 coupler page has a section that shows #1 scale couplers in G scale draft gearboxes as I stated before. Maybe a call/email to kadee would give you something that would be the least work, so if you have more than one tank car it will save time and look better.

Regards, Greg

#6
Greg Elmassian said:
Maybe a call/email to kadee would give you something that would be the least work, so if you have more than one tank car it will save time and look better.
I have sent Kadee an email. I could not tell from looking at their website if they have a 830 draft box/#1 coupler combination. I suspect that there should be a easy answer and that there are or will be other cars from several manufacturers that will need this combination.

Shark

#7
Jeff Cleary said:
I have sent Kadee an email...
The response I received is as follows: Unfortunately, we have yet to make a #1 scale coupler to fit into the #830 G scale box. To use a #820 on the USA train platform requires you to use a shim from .075" to .100" thick to low the coupler to #1 scale coupler height. then set the #820 in a more forward position and drill new mounting holes. It's more than it should be but for now that all we can do.

//signed//
Kadee Quality Products

#8

Or in other words, Kadee told you

John Bouck said:
Drill new holes and make a shim. Do what it takes to make the model to your specifications.
:D
#9

O.K., I admit I do not use Kadee couplers but I always see threads about re-drilling tiny mounting holes/shimming. Seems like a delicate process. Has anyone considered bonding them in place? Seems drilling fine holes in shim stock would be difficult. I use Methacrylate adhesive in my R/C airplane structures. If it can bond wing spars and hold up to major G-forces it should handle couplers. No doubt some down-side as there is the potential to “muck-up” the works if you use too much…and it is expensive (just a dab will do ya!). Probably need to clamp it while it sets.

At the very least you could use it to attach the shim and have a very solid drill platform. This stuff really bonds, I keep a tube in the shop at all times for all sorts of purposes. This stuff will bond any plastic to any material I have tried to date (aluminum, steel, other plastics, wood, etc).

http://www.ellsworth.com/display/productdetail.html?productid=1812

There are other manufacturers but I already had the applicators for the Ellsworth product (Hysol makes one as well).

…Mark

#10

You would be surprised at the weird plastics that are sometimes used. Historically, the flexing a coupler gets requires something screwed in place.

You still need a shim glue or no glue. Drilling 2 holes for a Kadee is not a big deal.

Gluing the shim in place would definitely make things easier to drill… Of course, when I mount couplers, I want the job done in 10 minutes, not glue and wait and do it later. If I was doing a lot of similar cars I might use glue. Since I use the “G” scale couplers, most of my Kadee conversions are done in seconds with a screwdriver.

Regards, Greg

#11

A couple of bolts or screws are better than glue, in my humble opinion.
Makes it easier to replace/repair for one thing.
All of my 150+ pieces of rolling stock are body mounted KD’s, applied with mechanical fastners and fitted with shims, sawing, filing, etc.
It’s all part of the phun.
Make it fit…
Do what it takes…
Git 'er done…
:slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

#12

Mark:

The 0.075" (~5/64" or a little over 1/16") shim that is required is not “shim stock.” It is a plate usually made of plastic or aluminum and is quite substantial. I don’t see anything wrong with using adhesive to fasten the shim to either half of the assembly, but it’s really not required. Accidently getting even the smallest amount of the adhesive inside the coupler box would be a real problem.

As Greg & John point out, adhesive (even the high technology super adhesive) is not desirable because they have generally poor sheer and shock resistance and if the adhesive is really permanent, the coupler can no longer be removed for maintenance.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

#13

Understood guy’s just a suggestion. Shock and sheer strength of this stuff is amazing. I have used it to repair plastic trucks until I could find replacements…then found I did not need the replacement. In the past I would screw “brush holders” into the “tabs” on Lionel Large Scale trucks for adding track power, without fail they would come loose after a few hours run time. I have moved to the “belt and suspenders” approach, bond and screw (screw acts as a clamp). I even re-glued a broken truck mount (the mounting screw split it in half) and was able to re-thread it.

Again just a suggestion, your results may vary.