This last Christmas my mother gave me a Kadee logging caboose, basically an outhouse on wheels. It looked cute, and I thought it would be a fun addition to my train set.
But when I went to assemble the couplers, I was horrified to see the the tiniest of parts, including a microscopic spring, made of very fine wire, thin as a hair. Then there were these teeny tiny short posts of metal, about 1 mm long, that were supposed to be inserted into the spring. Then the spring was to be inserted into a gap at the inside end of the coupler. Needless to say, I never got the tiny post into the tiny spring, much less that into the coupler.
People rave about Kadee couplers, but this is positively insane. I'm probably an average modeler, perhaps a tad closer to a novice than an expert. I don't have jewelers tools, or skills, nor is obtaining these worth my time and money. The least Kadee sould do is note on the box that advanced skills and specialized tools are needed for assembly. Grrrrr. Posted by Chuck Walsh (Member # 677) on :
I usually place the spring/coupler in a BIG box, then install. This way, the spring can't fly out.
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
Chuck, that link shows a tool for holding a spring. I've managed to use a tiny screwdriver to accomplish the same thing for the copper colored springs on the business end of the coupler. Its a pain, but it works.
But these little springs inside the other end are much finer. They flex in the slightest breeze, and squish at the slightest touch. Moreover the teeny post that is supposed to go inside is too small to properly grip with tweezers. It is about the size of a grain of sand. Manipulating such microscopic items is not a skill that many people posess.
Posted by Cthetrains (Member # 2148) on :
guys, what're you whining about, you can use a small drill bit to hold the spring, or spend $6 to buy that tool they made specifically for that purpose...you oughta try working with N scale or Z scale...and stop wasting space
![[Mad]](mad.gif)