Closing the gap on early scale F3's

Wow, What a difference!  Great job Dave!

Dave, very nice improvement.  If you can, please supply the part number for the replacement coupler--I have a parts order into Hennings at the moment and would amend it to include the p/n for that coupler.  Harry may know the p/n or can find it easily, but I'd prefer supplying him with the same p/n you used.

Thanks for sharing; a very nice improvement.

Ach - Ha.... you found the coupler... that looks great... lets see I will have to order quite a few of these...

Body mounted Kadee #805's worked for me when I closed the G-A-P on my MTH Alco's recently.  The diaphragms are now snug instrad of 4 scale feet apart. 

BEFORE:  The space between the units is 1.63 inches.  Scales out to just over 6.5 FEET.  

AFTER:  The spece between the units in now .65 inches.  This scales out to 2.6 FEET.

What does that coupler modification do to the minimum radius of the AA set?

Dave,

Very nice work, it looks great !!!!

Alex

The part number would be great.......but maybe more important is the BRAND of F-3 this conversion works on??? I can assume Lionel.....but Williams makes F-3's as does MTH......so a little more info would take this from good but confusing to GREAT!

The coupler number is 6304678055.

although I don't have less then O72, it should go around O42 without any problems.

Thanks Dave; I'll phone/email Harry in the a.m. w/ the p/n.

Looks much better Dave.  Just curious, but why is one diaphragm blue? Is this an AA pair?

Well one got lost and I could only buy them in black from lionel. I do tend to paint it in the blue to match the other. Yes it is an AA pair. Looking for a NP b unit though. 

They are lionel scale F units.

A question; isn't it easier to install the Kadee #805 couplers between "F" type models, that way all one has to do is simply push the models together and they automatically couple?

Yes it would be but the change I do is easily reversable. 

It is also very easy to do, no holes drilled, etc. it's also my personal preference. 

Cosmetically a very nice modification; but, what is the minimum radius that can be negotiated with this mod?

Thanks for sharing.

Nice conversion, David. By the way, wonderful set of diesels. I love this set.

Carl, Sorry but I have know way of knowing the minimun radius that my PA's can make with this modification.  I do not have access to O-112, O-96, O-88, O-72, O-54, O-42, O-31 or O-27 curves.

The only place I will run these is at our club.  The radii there are 138, 128 and 120.  

Nice problem to have.

Jim,

Bring them by our place sometime, and we'll see how they run on the one spot that is 073 or 072.

Carl,

Body mounted Kadees, on 6 axle engines where the diaphragms actually touch will need a minimum of 072. Even that will need draft gear box modifications like I show in my video, and the diaphragms could still be a problem.

This is something you only do for club running or layouts with big curves. Hi-Railing with 042 or 054 curves just doesn't mix well with body mounted Kadees, especially with 6 axle diesels or 50'+ cars.

David's F units, no problem.... truck mounted couplers with a small gap between diaphragms will still negotiate tight curves.    

Thanks Jack,  Next time I will bring them.  

Sometime in the next 60 days I am going to have Lou install Proto II master in the trailing powered A-unit and I can then elminate master/slave tether between whole A-B-B-A lashup.  I asked if he could install a Proto III master, but MTH is already a year behind on releasing them.  He said that the primary difference between II & III is the sound file, and he has the II's in stock.

Even though I concealed the tethers between the doors, it is still a pain in the butt connecting/disconnecting them.  

At my age the last pain in the butt I need is one from a toy train. 

Great information.  The revised units look great, Dave.  I'm going to try that coupler mod on my Lionel E-7's.  Wonder if anyone else has tried this?  As it is you could drive a Mack truck between the two units.  Not sure if they would work on those E-6's but it's certainly worth a try.

Paul Fischer

Thanks, Mike.