Hi, All
What sort of tool works best for MANUAL uncoupling of Kadee knuckle couplers? We don’t want to use ramps and don’t need delayed uncoupling features, just hand uncoupling.
I see some folks have cut off the trip pins; does this affect the choice of uncoupling tool?
Thank you for your advice.
Steve
Most people use a long, and thin screw driver and twist it between the knuckles to open them up. Me, I just lift one car up to disconnect them.
The only real reason to have the “Pins” on the Kadee’s is so that one can use the ““Uncoupling Magnet””… If they are not adjusted properly, then they will catch and derail your train… If the pins are adjusted right, then there’s no real reason to cut them off… Either way, they won’t affect using a screw driver, or lifting the car up to uncouple… I adjust the “pins” and leave them on, because to me, they simulate the air hose connections… However, if you bend the “pins” up too much, they will hinder uncoupling by lifting up the car…
Hi Steve,
Sounds like your getting good answers to your questions.
On the SP we cut off the “trip pins” they are not needed, we uncouple by hand. We add air hoses and gladhands to all cars.
For uncoupling we use an acid swab brush with a wooden “screw driver” type blade mounted in the hollow handle of the swab.
This method allows you to have an uncoupling tool and a brush to clean ballast out of points and frogs with you while running.
Later
Rick
I use the long, flat bladed screw driver, the one that comes with most sets that never gets used, except for uncoupling Kadees. 
I generally cut off the trip wire, as it always causes me problems, and I don’t use the magnets, anyway.
I find that Bachmann and USA trains couplers, when set at the same height as a Kadee, will work well with the Kadee. Getting the knuckles at the same height is the key. There are those who will tell you that mixing couplers like this will not work, but I suspect that they have not tried it.
Some folks have troubles with the USA Trains coupler coming undone under a load, but I find that a shot of paint will stiffen things up just enough to solve that problem. Dave Goodson, The Old Curmudgeon on this and other sites, has a way to stiffen up the Bachmann coupler that works great. I was looking for the link, but I’m tired, feel cranky and gave up after ten minutes. Maybe someone else can find that link. It is quite useful.
George Schreyer has a very good discussion of Kadee couplers here, and a general discussion of G Gauge knuckle couplers of all makes, here. George’s stuff is worth spending at least a weekend absorbing, then bookmarking for further reference. When I and most other guys got started in outdoor railroading, he was the go-to guy for information.
Steve Featherkile said:I wrote up my version of Dave's mod and posted it here with lots of photos: http://www.cvsry.com/car_%26_loco_mods.htm#Bachmann%20Coupler%20Mod
Dave Goodson, The Old Curmudgeon on this and other sites, has a way to stiffen up the Bachmann coupler that works great. I was looking for the link, but I'm tired, feel cranky and gave up after ten minutes. Maybe someone else can find that link. It is quite useful.
Edit: Of course, in my article the link to where TOC originally wrote this up is gone because MLS decided archives weren’t worth the effort to support and dumped it all 
Jon, tried your link and got “Service Unavailable” error message.
Steve
Edit: Okay, now it’s working, thanks. Don’t know what happened the first time.
Jon Radder said:Steve Featherkile said:I wrote up my version of Dave's mod and posted it here with lots of photos: http://www.cvsry.com/car_%26_loco_mods.htm#Bachmann%20Coupler%20Mod
Dave Goodson, The Old Curmudgeon on this and other sites, has a way to stiffen up the Bachmann coupler that works great. I was looking for the link, but I'm tired, feel cranky and gave up after ten minutes. Maybe someone else can find that link. It is quite useful.Edit: Of course, in my article the link to where TOC originally wrote this up is gone because MLS decided archives weren’t worth the effort to support and dumped it all
Kadee’s are a difference animal… They work great on an indoor layout for switching. But outside, you have to bend over to get some kind of a tool to split the knuckles. Like a screwdriver. We did make up one tool to slide in side ways between the pins but it very ark wards to use and have to fiddle with the pins to get them to release enough then move the car by hand. Just a pain in the butt…
But when Jon Rader munching the Bachmann. That what we use now with the USA couples. We did the same
thing with a 56 screw instead of a nut & bolt. As long as the couple is straight and level on the car it work great and the drop pin will not work out. Most people have problems with Bachmann due to the sloppy knuckle or bad track. Kadees will do the same thing if you have bad track to.
You can always use one of them kitchen can extension grabber. Make a small U shape tin lip on each side of the grabber jaws and slide the lip between the pins then squeeze handle to open the knuckles up. Pull the train ahead and then slide the lip out of the car pin and open up the jaws wide on the grabber to get away from the car… Just an idea and it works. Then don’t have to bend over. but very bulky.
On Bachmann and USA we just just a 3 foot dowel stick with a flat lip on the bottom to lift the pin up and don’t have to bend over…
Guess sometime we have to do a how to on our live channel to show how theses work… Later
You have to bend over to uncouple all of the couplers. It’s the nature of the beast, I guess. That’s one of the benefits of having a raised roadbed. Or a young brakeman.
Steve Featherkile said:Ya that one of the mastakes we made. So we use the Bachmann and USA and don't have to bend over withe the stick.. On the set up area its over 3 foot off the ground and not problem there with any coupler. So ya .. wish when we started our layout it was off the gound and in a differ location and didn't have to be landscaped to keep mom happy. And then to when started would of use the Kadees so not to be so expencive to keep up with them. Now would cost to much to change over.
You have to bend over to uncouple all of the couplers. It's the nature of the beast, I guess. That's one of the benefits of having a raised roadbed. Or a young brakeman. :P
Hi, Guys
It seems like the screwdriver is the weapon of choice, thanks. I’ll scrounge one or two out of my wife’s kitchen gadget drawer. 
Rick, clever to combine blade and brush like that. Up here, something like that would be good for sweeping snow out of the points, too…
Thanks to all for the helpful answers.
Steve
If you decide on Kadees, just make sure that the screwdriver blade is long enough to reach down between the cars. Six inches should be enough.
Steve Featherkile said:It also has to be the right width across the blade. Too large it won't fit, too small and it won't open the couplers.
If you decide on Kadees, just make sure that the screwdriver blade is long enough to reach down between the cars. Six inches should be enough.
I have a problem I need a suggestion for. I have two Illinois Central Aristo-Craft E-8’s that I pull USA smooth side passenger cars with. The coupler that I used last year did not hold up and I had to wire them together to run the train for the open house. What kind of coupler do I need to mate with the coupler on the passenger cars? The A/C has a single screw point for the coupler tongue to mount to. Thanks.
Hi Ron,
For best performance without major alterations, I would probably try to find a new AristoCraft coupler for the E Unit and keep the stock USA Trains coupler on the lead coach. Both would be set at the factory provided lower height.
Kadees mount up higher which is more prototypical, but I think would require some heavy mods to be reliable. The USA car would need the coupler spacer removed and either hack in a 907 like I did or buy the CamPac adaptor to mount the 907. As to the engine, most likely you would need a large offset coupler, like the 909 to use the coupler mounting post unmodified. This might not look ideal, and since it’s a single screw holding it on, you may find the added offset can work as a lever to pull the coupler down out of alignment when under load, causing uncoupling. To counter this, you might want to carefully trim the coupler mount post to accomodate the center-set 907 coupler. This might also require some material removal from the front pilot since the coupler will now be coming through just below the kick plate.
Won’t work …USA couplers agree/work with nothing. Appears we have two,too,2,two (proper spelling as required) different conversations going on for the same question that was asked .
Actually, my Accucraft live steamer, which has an Accu coupler, mates very nicely with my USAT streamline coaches. I think it has the Accucraft/AML 1/29th type.
No bending or stooping required.
Get one of those telescopic wands/grabbers/mirrors/whatever, remove the whatever and insert a brass screw that has been prefitted/soldered to a piece of brass just wide enough to slip between the couplers with a twist in the brass.
To open a coupler, extend the wand and push straight down letting the twist do the uncoupling for you.
Interesting approach with the telescoping handle. One could also use one of those flexible telescoping handles that have a mirror on the end. That might work good for an elevated layout that needs a reach in.
