Kadee 900’s fit perfectly in the Bachmann Spectrum 1:20.3 rolling stock. Its about a two minute process to change out the couplers.
For those interested, Bachmann Spectrum couplers and Kadee 830 couplers are totally interchangeable. Any mix and match of coupler box and coupler will work well. Kadee coupler box with Spectrum coupler against Kadee gauge:
or a Spectrum box with a Kadee coupler against Kadee gauge:
I am not sure why the slight mis-alignment with the Spectrum box, they measure out almost identical with a digital calipers. I cannot say how this would work on truck mounted couplers tho.
Bob F:
Be sure to get a Kadee coupler gauge (different ones for #1 and G sizes), and get your couplers spot on. Why? Because with truck mounted couplers and track irregularities, the offset you see in the picture above WILL result in derailments.
Remember that with truck mounted couplers, the tension and the slack and the turning of the trucks will all affect the couplers.
A little extra care in the mounting in the beginning will net a large increase in reliability when running, trust me.
Greg
I used to buy packages of 831s when I was at the train shows. If there is a universal truck mounted Kadee in our gauge, the 831 is it. Now that they have the more realistic style, I would go with that. They mate just fine with the old style coupler.
I second the motion to get a height gauge, and use it to set each coupler. Like Greg said;
Be sure to get a Kadee coupler gauge (different ones for #1 and G sizes), and get your couplers spot on. Why? Because with truck mounted couplers and track irregularities, the offset you see in the picture above WILL result in derailments.
Remember that with truck mounted couplers, the tension and the slack and the turning of the trucks will all affect the couplers.
A little extra care in the mounting in the beginning will net a large increase in reliability when running, trust me.
I would also get a piece of 1/8 th strip-wood so you can set the trip pin height. Low trip pins will cause derailments and uncouplings.
That picture clearly illustrates a huge disadvantage of truck mounting.
The typical “easy” mounting on trucks requires that large offset coupler, i.e. the centerline of the mount is NOT the centerline of the coupler.
When under tension, the couplers will tend to be pulled down, and you can have issues, even with properly adjusted trip pins.
One very common evolution when people first start with Kadee’s is using these offset mounts, then having trip pins catch on switches, and then getting frustrated and bending the pins way up or cutting them off in frustration, thus negating the magnetic uncoupling.
One way to minimize this is to be sure your trucks are mounted without a lot of slop to the body, you have all the springs in a sprung truck, etc.
Yet another reason to body mount if at all possible. I know you stated you have sharp curves and need to truck mount, not forgetting that.
Greg
Thanks everyone…I think Im going to order a few of the 909 and height gauge and see how it goes. I have no interest in magnetic uncoupling, Im just looking to keep cars coupled better. One of our club members uses Kadee’s and never has any issues.
IF I was to look into body mounting…is there a universal coupler or is it dependent on car mfg and or mounting points?
Thanks
I use Kadee No. 1 body mounted. For the most part, they work on all cars with solid endsills. Tanks and Hoppers take a little more thought. Locos are another matter entirely. Fortunately, Kadee offers a conversion chart that is priceless.
Truck mounted couplers are on the end of a long tongue and will sag over time. Go with body mounts, and if your turns are pretty tight, you can trim out the edges of the coupler box to allow a little more swing.
For Truck mounting, the LGB, USA TRains, Bachmann and Trainli can use the 831 (909) with no modification to the truck for mounting on the truck.
Aristo and HLW use a different mounting method on the trucks and the 830 style will fit better.
I use all #1 body mount. The only problem I have with the newer style coupler is uncoupling. I’m in the habit of inserting a small screwdriver in between the knuckes and giving a twist to uncouple. Easy with the old style but tricky with the new ones. I can’t speak as to the "G’ new style. I agree with Greg about the large offset couplers. The physics is on them is not good for heavy trains, and setting everything with the Kadee gauge is a must. Don’t forget the trip pins, 1/8 inch clearance minimum. If you don’t use a track magnet for uncoupling, then a little more clearance on the trip pins is probably better.
I cut the trip pins off as I do not use them and less to catch items!
A word of caution on this:
I know a person who was bound and determined to cut off the pins (could have been avoided by better mounting), and he used a dremel cutoff wheel and wanted to cut very flush (dumb because the “stub” is on the underside of the coupler).
Well, at 20-30,000 rpm, the carbide cutoff wheel can make a lot of heat, and that it did, and melted the plastic around the pin, making couplers not work right, from melting the plastic to the shaft to elongated holes.
Moral: use a large set of wire cutting pliers and nip off the shaft.
Greg
less heat
Cutting off trip pins for cosmetic reasons…
I use a nail, and pouch out the trip pin completely. Than I cut the trip pin to a shorter length so it doesn’t stick out the end of the coupler. Reassemble. Yes it takes time and you have to be careful but I’ve never had a problem.
A quiet word of advice; If the reason you are cutting the tails/pins off Kadee Couplers, “Because they are dragging, and hitting the rail heads”… Think twice, maybe three times, before you do it. The reason they are dragging, in 97% of all cases, is because the couplers are set too low.
Couplers on the long arms attached to trucks, tend to droop, and the couplers then are too low. You can adjust the couplers in some cases, or use a larger offset pair. Some have been able to do some work on the arm, to prevent the droop.
Even if you don’t care for that tail/pin; consider it as an indicator, showing if your couplers are too low.
As others have suggested… if you must cut them off, just use a heavy duty pair of quality side cutters. They work much better in this instance than motorized cutting discs.
After doing hundreds of Kadee Coupler conversions, I’ve VERY seldom found their tails bent too low out of the box.
Fred Mills
Right on Fred!
Greg
Kadee Body Mount Considerations
My preference is to use body mount Kadee centerset (no offset) type couplers.
I have completed about 360 cars, both freight and passenger types and about 55 locomotives, all of which are 1/29 "G"scale “standard gauge” items.
Based on my experiences with various rolling stock and different brand products, I did a vignette (article) that is hosted for me by Greg E. on his Web site, title:
Kadee Coupler Body Mounting Considerations
(Car Height & Attitude, Floors, Trucks, Wheels & Prototypes)
-Ted
Dan Pierce said:
For Truck mounting, the LGB, USA TRains, Bachmann and Trainli can use the 831 (909) with no modification to the truck for mounting on the truck.
Aristo and HLW use a different mounting method on the trucks and the 830 style will fit better.
With a little effort, the 831 will also work on the Aristo and Heartland trucks.
I converted a Piko tender and a USA Box Car (battery trailing car) today. I wanted to do the FA-1, but the coupler is weird…it has a lot of vertical movement to it. Anyway to conver to Kadee and not have all the up and down movement? I think body mounting it will make the coupler too high.
THoughts
Body mount, and you will have to use a shim probably.
Greg
Bob,
I highly recommend purchasing a coupler gauge from Kadee for whichever size coupler you choose to use - G or #1. One side of the gauge has a coupler mounted to it, and the other side of the gauge is a shelf to help determine the correct mounting height for the coupler box - #820 for #1 couplers, #830 for ‘G’ couplers. For what it is worth, Kadee ‘G’ couplers and the Bachmann Spectrum coupler are interchangeable.
I am converting a bunch of Bachmann Big Hauler tank cars to Kadee #830 couplers. I start out checking to see if I will need to modify the car body for mounting. In this case I am marking the car body to obtain the correct mounting height for the coupler box.
I had to notch the end beam of the car some, but still needed to make a shim stack to facilitate mounting the coupler box. After making the shim stack and locating it on the car body, I mark the shim for drilling
…and the marked shim ready for drilling and tapping.
After the shim is fixed to the car body and the coupler box mounted (note the #2-56 screws that hold the coupler to the shim stack).
It is best to get a mount that is like this. This one is a touch high - about .020". A miss that I can live with.
My preference is for an acrylic type mount that I can drill and tap for #2-56 machine screws, or clearance hole for same with nut and washer.
Bob C.