what does it take to remove standard coupler and replace with Kadee. Why would someone do this?????
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...umm...'cause it works and looks better(?)
Mark in Oregon
Geojr posted:what does it take to remove standard coupler and replace with Kadee. Why would someone do this?????
There is all sorts of information about up-grading to Kadee O Scale couplers, over on the 3RS Forum.
Kadee is the de facto "standard" among scale modelers, not sure what you are referring to. All others are propretary to manufacturers, not used across industry.
Kadees are much smaller than the others and make the cars look more prototypical.
"Kadees are much smaller than the others and make the cars look more prototypical."
But do they make the middle rail any smaller?
Geojr posted:what does it take to remove standard coupler and replace with Kadee. Why would someone do this?????
Depends, there are lots of variables. Engine(s), passenger cars, freight cars, body style, and all that may vary by manufacturer.
And that just scratches the surface.
D500 posted:"Kadees are much smaller than the others and make the cars look more prototypical."
But do they make the middle rail any smaller?
Yes.
In addition to drastically improving appearance, some cars run better with body mounted scale couplers versus standard truck mounted. As far as how hard it is to modify a car, it really varies. Atlas cars are remarkably easy since you can just remove the old coupler and use the built in mounting pads for a scale one. Other manufacturers might not have provisions for this and you might have to use a dremel to remove the old coupler, drill holes for the scale one, and fabricate a mounting pad. In my opinion, all well worth the effort. There's a basic tutorial pinned to the top of the 3 Rail Scale forum.
The Kadees are more protypical looking, the cars are coupled closer together besides being smaller, and because they are used across the model train universe, it is easy to get a coupler that matches your need, and they are designed around being able to couple/uncouple to allow switching easier.
Another of these things that is in how the person enjoys their trains. If they are into prototypical operation and especially switching, the Kadees can work better for them, and visually they look a lot more like the prototype then standard lobster claw ones do for people into hi rail or scale 3 rail....
For me, not necessarily something I plan on looking at, I am perfectly happy running post war almost S scale cars with scale equipment, but I can appreciate why people use them, have enough experience with Kadee couplers in other scales to appreciate how well they can work, and it is kind of nice also that you can switch couplers or get replacement ones easily.
I have 7 pair for sale on the buy sell board , 3 rail K-Line ready for a KD coupler option in case anyone is interested , cheap price too.
D500 posted:"Kadees are much smaller than the others and make the cars look more prototypical."
But do they make the middle rail any smaller?
I guess that's why I would never bother replacing a Lionel-compatible 3-rail coupler with a Kadee. But I have and do replace American Flyer couplers with Kadees.
I installed them on the trucks "talgo style" rather than on the car body because of track radius concerns and have had zero problems. Coupling cars requires no high speed banging couplers together to get them to connect. Removing the "claw" difficulty varies from easy to hard, depending upon whether one is cutting through plastic or metal. I think I went through 8 reinforced Dremel cutting wheels to do 40 freight and 12 passenger cars. The 3rail scale forum gives good info. Biggest challenge is setting up the magnets in Fastrack for uncoupling.
Terry
Geojr posted:what does it take to remove standard coupler and replace with Kadee. Why would someone do this?????
Why you ask, one because they always work and never fail, two they are prototypical and last watch my video. There’s no way you could do this with monster claws, one would always let go somewhere in a train with thirty, forty or more cars
See my article on how to convert rolling stock to Kadees in OGR Magazine Run 294 Oct/Nov 2017. Many of the techniques I learned on the 3RS forum. Also look at the excellent YouTube videos by forum members Laid off Sick and Centralfan1976.
Bob Glorioso
Because all of the rivets have already been counted 
I like them better than I did in the 60s & 70s. They work better now for some reason...bad batch? Better tooling?I don't see the same quality in lobster claws I used to either; but they still suit my needs. But if scale is your game, no reason not to swap really.
I think its easier to say why not to now; a much shorter list.
Extra cost. They aren't free.
More work... arhgg.
The lastl is along the lines of the Talgo comment, body mounts cause a lean to the inside in curves and that takes weight off the outside. Light cars and/or with truck being loose to the body may cause a car to lean too far or with the lift, climb an outer rail.
Clean track, wheels, and extra weights solves it. (see nmra weighting standards) EXCEPT on small dia tubular using long cars where the ends overhang trucks further than ususal. The end overhang move the pivot point of the coupler further from center to the outside of curves and really compounds the issue. NMRA weight helps again, but all the extra means less cars in a train until you apply a weight gain to the loco... if possible. Sometimes there is no room. Sometimes the engine wasn't designed for the extra load (RTR&starters mostly)
The talgo does steer a truck to the inside in curves, but also lowers the pull point, which is a good thing. (everything is a trade off) Early coupler plates that connect to the axle are even better.
All that said, only Super O makes the center rail smaller 
... so when are you guys gonna swap ? 
Just grin like your holding a shim in your teeth and say "Umm, not for me"
