Since I don’t do any switching, is there any reason not to cut off the curved rod under Kadee couplers?
Also, what’s the green cross/plus sign on most posts?
I cut all the curved steel rods off my Kadees, and I do a lot of switching. The rod are just there if you want to use the magnets, which rarely work outside.
Ed, the green cross is telling you the areas that are new and you haven’t read/looked at, since your last logon…
If you run talgo couplers, I’d cut em. (They might hang too low and grab switch frogs, etc.)
Body mounts, the wire is ok to give an “air hose” look. But I cut mine off.
I cut them off on both my G scale and HO kadees.
HO are a lot easier to cut. For G scale I use a big wire cutter. I then file off whatever is left.
They look nice with the rods cut off, painted, and brake line hoses mounted on the cars.
I use Americana (Asphaltum) paint for all my G scale Kadees. While it takes some time to brush paint them, I think the end result is worth it.
John, I have found that all my truck mounted couplers had low hanging trip pins. So a few years back, I did a complete maintenance of all my rolling stock. I checked the wheel gauge, trucks for free swing, and made sure the trip pins would pass over a 1/8th inch piece of wood laid on the track. Almost all them needed to be bent up to clear the wood gauge.
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5185/5674181166_5e36987bfd_z.jpg)
As for cutting them off, many model railroaders do, both in large scale and HO. They are only needed if you use the magnetic uncouplers. For those of us who use a small screwdriver or skewer, they are totally unnecessary.
I was told to cut mine off from the first day on. I forgot once to cut them off. After it jammed in an LGB switch the first time it was in a train I remembered!
I do do operations and cut 'em off anyways…
Bart said do do…
I cut them off as well. I use a long flat blade screw driver to uncouple my cars. Careful when you cut them though, those things will fly across the room!
Terry
Since I’m all body mount, I don’t have the coupler up and down movement from truck mounted couplers, so I rarely have issues with the pin hitting something.
Truck mounts can work, but you have to sometimes file the “crest” at the molding marks on the inside of the knuckle. This can cause the couplers to offset each other under tension, and the springs on the truck will “allow” it, and now you have one trip pin too low and the other too high.
They work fine for me, and keeping a little lube on the pin avoids rust if you leave your cars out in the weather.
They don’t work well uncoupling on curves, but nothing does. On the straight and on the switching leads to my yard, they work well, and the delayed uncoupling feature means I don’t need dozens of magnets for a switchyard.
Coming from HO, and then N, how they work, and their care and feeding is very similar and familiar.
Regards, Greg
I disassemble my Kadee’s and re insert the pin from the top. Shorten it and flatten the right angle. That way i can separate the car’s easier.
Read how to do it on one of these train websites. Works for me.
Terry Burr said:
Bart said do do…
I cut them off as well. I use a long flat blade screw driver to uncouple my cars. Careful when you cut them though, those things will fly across the room!
Terry
HEH…yer good people Terry…Yes they do tend to zing around The Bartwerks when snipped by large Linemens Pliers…
Rod, that idea is brillant!!
Rod Fearnley said:
I disassemble my Kadee’s and re insert the pin from the top. Shorten it and flatten the right angle. That way i can separate the car’s easier.
Read how to do it on one of these train websites. Works for me.
Got any pictures? Or better yet a link?