I am pretty new to to this model train stuff. I got a Life-Like Double Train Express set for my birthday a couple months ago. For Christmas I got two Athearn freight cars, three Athearn passneger cars, one Bachmann freight car, and an Athearn locomotive.
I'm having a problem sith dissimilar couplers. The original Life-Like cars and locos have the older black couplers that looke like a T that is bent kinda funny. I don't know what you call them.
The Athearn loco, the Bachmann freight and the passenger cars all have the more realistic looking couplers that are brown (I don't know what you call them either). One Athearn freight came with the older black crooked T couplers, and one came with both types. So I've got a hodge podge of coupler styles.
The couplers from the Life-Like cars have a very small pivot hole while all of the others have a relatively large pivot hole, so they are not interchangable. The dissimilar couplers will connect, but not neatly. They will easily disconnect if I back the train up and then go forward, but if I want to take them apart they never seem to want to let go!
I can easily get all of the newer type couplers for my Athearn freight cars, but does anyone know where I can get the same type that will fit in my Life-Like cars with the smaller hole?
------------------ Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth. -Mr. Toy
Posted by jcater (Member # 31) on :
Mr. Toy, Look into Kay Dee couplers at your favorite hobby shop. The funny "T" shaped couplers are horn and hook and are cheap to manufacture so companies put them on their product. Many companies such as Athearn are getting away from this practice. The Kay Dee #5 couplers should fit both mounting holes, although you may need two sizes of screws. Good luck and if you have any more questions, just ask!! Happy Modeling!! John
------------------ The Santa Fe and Southwestern, Chief of the Southwest!
Posted by gtirr (Member # 364) on :
"KADEE" No. 5's will fit about 90% of the rolling stock on the market. And KADEE will have couplers to fit the other 10%. These are simply the BEST couplers on the market today. KADEE has just come out with a new "Scale size" coupler, No. 58, which is a little smaller than a No.5, but will couple up with the older couplers. I'm in the process of changing as much of my rolling stock as I can to the new No.58's. These couplers also have a much better appearance as they have the correct casting look on the side as the real ones do. These are suppose to reresent an E-Series Knuckle coupler of the prototype. Since KADEE's patient ran out a few years back, there has been a few companies try to compete with KADEE by making cheaper, plastic couplers. These are JUNK and I would stay as far away from them as you can. Working in a hobby shop, I've had several of my customer' who have tried these cheap imatations, only to go bak to the REAL couplers of KADEE. I personally have been using them for over 40 years and have had no problems with them other than ones I've created. (We've all used No.5's and their coupler boxes in ways KADEE never even thought of!) gtirr
Posted by jcater (Member # 31) on :
I agree with your take on other couplers. I have not yet heard about the new 58 series...will they be offered in N as well? I will say that a close second to Kay Dee is McHenry, as long as you don't use them on engines...too many coupling problems. By the way, WELCOME to the forum!! Good luck and Happy Modeling!! John
------------------ The Santa Fe and Southwestern, Chief of the Southwest!
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
Thanks guys (and gals?). I'll look into those.
------------------ Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth. -Mr. Toy
Posted by sfezebras (Member # 420) on :
until you get all your cars and engines converted to one or the other type of coupler take one athearn car and put a KD on one end and a horn hook ccupler on the other. hope this helps.
gtirr