Installing Scale Pilot & Kadee on 3rd Rail RDC Cars

On all the Sunset/3rd Rail steam locomotive models I have, the two wires from the electro-coupler plugged into a female socket/receptacle. I never had to actually snip off the wires.

On the brass RDC's, you had to remove the body. Then you can unplug the two connecting wires from the Lionel boards.

 

This allows you to be backward compatible in case you ever want to reinstall the ElectroCouplers.

 

What radius "S" curve can you negotiate with the Kadees installed? Can you do back to back 072 curves with anything in tow? 

I take it the new RDCs come with more scale pilots? I have a brass one with Kadees I would like to close up the opening.

 

Pete

Thanks for the replies. When preparing to pull the shell, which I understood was necessary, I saw that connector hiding beneath the truck!

 

I'll have to get back to you on the O-72 S curve. I haven't run them yet. Also, I only ordered 2 scale pilots! I thought I was getting two PAIRS! Those thinking about getting them should be aware the price is $40 EACH. Not $40 per pair!

 

So, I need to order another pair.

 

PS: Added the next day, after being informed by Scott of Sunset of an error, it needs to be reiterated.

 

These scale pilots for the RDC cars indeed are $40 a pair!!! NOT $40 each.

Yikes, 40 bucks each? They must be made of platinum. 

 

Pete

It's a business!!! LOL!

 

I am having a look at mounting my own Kadees on the stock pilots. The holes in the pilots would not be so noticeable with the cars connected together.

 

Incidentally, the Kadees in the scale couplers do NOT register very well with the Kadee height guage. But I don't plan on hauling anything with them. They're for cosmetic purposes only in my case.

Yep, it's a business, and the 2 Rail pilots are a costly labor intensive part. They are solid brass castings that require a lot of hand work, added parts and holes drilled and tapped. They they need 3 coats of paint and a poly overspray to give them that stainless steel look. $40 a Pair, $10 S&H. We will throw in the Kadee couplers attached.

 

Danks, we owe you a pair of pilots since you paid $80. I think my instructions to the office weren't clear, Pair or Individual, was the confusion.

 

Scott Mann - Sunset Models Inc.

Great, Scott! I'll email Shari to get it straightened out?

 

Glad I posted!

 

Terry

I unplug the couplers from the board, no reason to snip the wires. $40 a pair isn't bad... ever bought the P&D pilots? Even the plastic ones are $20 each.

You still need to use shims to get the height correct.

Well, 20 bucks a piece including Kadees is much better but since I already have drilled and tapped brass mounts with the Kadees mounted at the correct height and location under the body I guess I will just make my own filler piece. Thanks for clearing this up Scott.

 

Pete

 

It's worth it...

 

There are three of us that just cannot find MTH scale F unit pilots... no how, no where...

 

Thanks,

Mario

You mean that MTH doesn't sell/stock them anymore?  I always purchased the later F unit pilots directly from MTH.

 

They do not.  Do you have any extra or know a part number?

 

Thanks,

Mario

No, I have no spares, nor do I have a part number. I simply talked to Midge and gave her the F unit Premier item number, and then she ask me which color pilots I wanted, i.e. black or something else. Since I was working on my MTH Southern Pacific A-B-B-A set of F3 units, I told he,r black would be fine. Within a week, they showed up in the mail.

Here's a closeup of the scale pilot.

If you are interested, I have posted our remaining stock of RDCs. First come First Serve.

 

http://www.3rdrail.com/Diesel-SuperSale.html

 

Regards,

 

Scott Mann

Terry, that's looks great!  I may have to get a set!

Thanks,
Mario

They're gorgeous! Long and lean! Nostalgia for me as I rode CP's Dayliners back and forth to and from school in Montreal too many years ago. Of course, I just took it all for granted back then. IIRC, they ran with scale pilots and couplers!