Kadees - Still trying . . .

Easily ordered on-line: http://www.microfasteners.com/

You get then blackened as well.

Terry you really need to watch my video series on the O Scale Kadee couplers.

You will need an assortment of screws, shims, and tools. I go over all that stuff in these videos. Converting to Kadees is not that hard to do..... BUT you have to have a few things to do it.

Check them out. GDD cars are NOT a good starting point, they are much more difficult.

There are some cars that are easier to do, compared to some difficult ones.  I'd start with some easy ones like Atlas Trainman or Master boxcars & reefers.

 

From there, some other relatively easy ones are Lionel steel reefers, PS-1 & round top boxcars...

 

I order my 2-56 screws from Boltnet's eBay store, here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stainl...;hash=item5d4506057a

 

As for the other needs, I get my #50 drill bits from my local ACE hardware, and I ordered a 2-56 tap from Grainger.

 

Check out LOS' videos... they are great!

 

Good luck.

 

Thanks,

Mario

 

Kadee sells the screws too, as well as 2-56 taps. You really should watch Laidoffsick's Kadee videos, there are several. Links in posts above. He explains it all very well, including tools, screws, parts etc. you will need for the project.

• For screws -- http://www.microfasteners.com. You'll need 2-56x1/2 and 2-56x3/8, plus 2mmx8mm and 2mmx10mm for MTH equipment. Also get a set of jewelers screwdrivers.
• For shims (you'll need them at some point) -- follow the instructions on Doug's (Laidoffsick) videos. If you're lazy like me, Micromark sells Kadee shims (http://www.micromark.com/o-sca...-pkg-of-60,9822.html).
• Get a tap wrench, a #50 drill and a 2-56 tap. This will allow you to set up new holes as required. This is particularly applicable for Atlas-O cars since the early Atlas-O scale couplers are not the greatest in the world, plus the mounting locations are off if you want to use Kadees.
• I don't use trip-pin pliers, but I've heard they're pretty handy. I use two needle-nose pliers to adjust trip pins. Your choice. Kadee 700-series couplers seem to have their trip pins right on the money from the factory.

For "Shock Control" couplers, I stumbled across Weaver's Shock-Control replacement coupler (Part # P734). The photo on their website shows the unfinished one, but they look pretty good. It looks like the end can be pried apart and the coupler replaced with a Kadee. At $10/pair it might appear costly, but the hassle factor is reduced.

 

Here's the catalog photo.

 

 

 

Here's what the box actually looks like (I hadn't put the coupler in yet in the photo):

 

 

Those are cool Matt, I hadn't seen those before.

Scott Mann will have Kadee mounts for any of their 3rd Rail engines. I haven't seen anyone do a Williams engines on the forum.

They were flying under the radar, so to speak. Stumbled across them a while back and thought about them for a Kadee conversion on a couple of Atlas 53-foot Plug-Door cars. Ended up getting a few sets when I found out that the 57-foot mechanical reefers used shock-control couplers and how the final project actually looked. They're plastic, so they can be re-drilled to fit an Atlas car if necessary.

Make them yourself, out of Evergreen styrene; .500" wide, and various thickness from .060", .080", .100", to .120" thick.

Thanks for the help on what I naively thought was going to be rather simple.

 

What are the holes on the Atlas O boxcar pictured for? They don't fit the Kadee

gear boxes as I expected!

 

I've watched the videos. The tip on using a center punch to keep the boxes together

was that of genius!

 

 

 

"What are the holes on the Atlas O boxcar pictured for? They don't fit the Kadee

gear boxes as I expected!"

 

   It's been a long time since I've converted an Atlas O car but IIRC they had coupler adapters with "wings"that screwed into those holes.   My normal procedure for converting cars to body mount is first use a height gauge to get the body height correct by shimming or filing down the body bolsters( or make new bolsters for 2 rail trucks in my case). After the body height is correct then I use a wooden block set on the rails to determine the mounting pad height and add body shims or grind off some material if needed to get the coupler height right( I prefer working on cars with plastic frames to make this task easier ) . Once the pad is correct height it's easy to drill new holes and screw on the coupler box :> .....DaveB    

Matt, what does a "Shock control" coupler do for me?  I have noticed that the KD 805s do have a bit of slop. 

       
       


Sorry, it got sent to my spam folder.

I haven't done anything with any 3rd Rail or Williams units yet, but I bet the 3rd Rail stuff should be ready to go. As for Williams, I don't have anything besides the FAs. I'll have to take a look.

As for Atlas-type cars, I have designed a hybrid spacer to fit both types of mounting lugs, the verticle and the horizontal.

Take a look.


Thanks!
Mario

Wb47 its a cushioned underframe on certain types of cars. The coupler is the same. The part Matt shows is a way to extend the coupler outward to represent the cushioned under frame you see on real rr cars.

Like on the end of this car

You've been busy, Mario. Your timing couldn't have been better as I have some 3-rail Atlas cars on my list to convert that use an adapter for the 2-rail coupler.

Paperboys,

check out Keith's work on putting Kadees and a P&D pilot on a WBB E7. His work is first rate. 

 

https://ogrforum.com/t...s-diesels-besides-me

 

He he shows a lot of his work in pictures as well. 

Here is Keith's great E7...

 

 

And Bob's perfect WBB E7 is another one... I don't know where all his pictures have gone, but here's a rough one.

I made quick "shims" (anything this thick shouldn't be called a shim) for my WBB E7.  They did the job (got the Kadees to the correct height) but I'm going to redo them once I re-power the engine.  Anyhoo, here's some photos:

 

 

 

When I redo them I'm going to make the so they fill the entire space in the front and rear, maybe something that might even plug into the pilot hole (or get a closed pilot and don't bother with the coupler).  Everything was superglued in place, even the stirrups, but I'll put some small screws in there next time.

 

I also cut off the rear of the Kadee on the rear end of the engine so it wouldn't interfere with the truck (you could also dremel off the old coupler mount that's part of the truck).  I also cut mods on the pilot so I could get to the screw holes for the body mount.

You're right Bob, that's no shim.... that's a big fat spacer

The shim for the rear of the MTH PAs, without me lowering them, are 0.350" thick!

 

They're still 1/4" (0.250") thick after lowering the frames!

My Kadee project remains in limbo until screws and shim materials arrive.

 

I appreciate the advice to NOT start with passenger cars! But, I am determined to replace the stock knuckle on the rear of my GGD observation car. It offends me!

The fact I have already broken it might have something to do with it too of course.

 

It appears I will have to get a Dremel tool to get that post off. And I expected those cars to be so easy too. I don't see how GGD affixed those dratted posts. Especially the rear one on observation cars. The end seems quite inacessible, hidden under the floor of the observation deck. I am trying to restrain myself and just leave the car alone until I figure out a course of action that will work rather than cause more damage. But that rear knuckle just has to go!

 

Has no one here replaced the knuckles on GGD cars that come with body mounted couplers?

OK, it's (almost) done. I just couldn't leave it alone!

 

I had to cut the observation deck away with a knife as it was glued to the car body by the top railing.

That exposed the "inacessible" end of the coupler post. Then it was easy to get the post unscrewed.

 

I put a "cosmetic" Kadee on with double-sided tape until my supply of screws and spacers arrives. A spacer 4mm in depth will be required to get the coupler down to the proper height.

 

It looks SO much better already!

 

Pictured is a KD 805. When I do it "for real," I'll use a new 740 where the knuckle spring will not be visible.

 

Looks great! I see the mounting holes for kadee boxes!

 

You're on your way downthe slippery slope!

 

Keep us posted on your progress. 

 

Thanks,

Mario

Well if you're gonna start with passenger cars, the rear of the observation car is the place to do it  

 

I think I'm going to switch all my observation car's rear coupler to these

Wow! You guys have been holding out on me! Those Protocrafts look great!

 

I did my MTH CN observation car too. It required the disassembly and hacksaw treatment to get the claw off! But it's done. Again, need my spacers and screws to finish it up.

 

 

Pretty Pricey. Precision Scale has about a dozen styles of brass working scale couplers for about 6 bucks a pair and coupler pockets for 3-5 bucks a pair.

 

 

Pete

Do any of those pretty looking "scale" couplers couple to a kadee, or only to each other?

They will with some filing. PSC offers more styles, not shown on this page, that look more like 800 series Kadees but I have not tried those. The catalog has 4 pages devoted to couplers and coupler pockets. I use them primarily on steam pilots.

 

Pete

Slope is getting steeper and steeper!

Cutting apart perfectly good rail cars... Kadees... Scale couplers...

 

Seems it didn't take long.

I scrounged some spacers and screws to finish the obs cars.

I am still very new to all of this but one of the fallouts is it being brought to my attention the differences between MTH Premiere and GGD passenger cars.

 

The GGD cars are, as we all know, considerably more $$. But, in some particulars, the much less expensive MTH cars have more detail.

 

As the image shows, the obs. deck on the GGD depot cars is totally open and rather unfinished looking compared to the MTH car. Also the GGD car lacks the marker lights entirely and the drumhead as well. The MTH car has both and both are illuminated, BTW.

 

The GGD depot does have some points going for it though.

 

1/ Scale length of course. The MTH cars are shorter.

2/ Opening side doors.

 

i've ordered marker lights and a drumhead from Tomar.

 

I am happy with the appearance of the rusty Kadees. The stock couplers just look totally monstrous to me now. These rear couplers are, of course, the ones that are most visible. Whether I will put Kadees on the other couplers remains to be seen. It is certainly destructive to the MTH cars where the coupler mounting tang has to be hacked off. There is definitely no going back. I think it would be possible to revert the GGD cars, not that I would have any intent of doing so.

 

So far, though. I am happy with what I have done.

 

I'll ponder a bit before deciding on doing the other GGD cars.

 

Love it!

 

What coupler did you use for the CN observation car?  I love the 3D rust; great job!

 

I can't wait to see the rest of the cars!

 

Thanks,

Mario

The CN car has a Kadee 740, Mario.

 

I did a both ends of a Lionel caboose today. A humungous thickness of spacers were required! Nearly a quarter of an inch!