I have written several times in this blog on the topic of modeling standards, for everything from locomotives to freight cars to scenery to track and electrical aspects. My topic today happens to be couplers (for freight cars), and as everyone knows, these are essential to dependable operation (for an early statement of my ideas about standards, you could read this post: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2011/03/model-freight-car-standards.html ).
A long-standing pet peeve of mine is the so-called “ready to run” or RTR freight cars with fake Kadee couplers. The Kadee patent for the No. 5 coupler ran out in the 1990s, and since then, several Chinese manufacturers have produced a “Kadee-like” design which simply falls short when operated. I can’t identify the Chinese entity behind any particular freight car, so can’t name the culprits directly. But the importers are certainly known.
The plain fact is that these couplers really do not play well with real Kadee couplers, though probably they work all right with each other. Sometimes a RTR freight car will get into layout service without my having gotten around to changing out the couplers, and inevitably that doesn’t go well.
In my most recent operating session, things mostly went quite smoothly (here’s a link to a summary: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2022/12/my-fourth-2022-operating-weekend.html ), but I did have the embarrassment of discovering not one but two of these “renegade” coupler installations. Here is one example, in this case an Atlas tank car:
Anyone familiar with the Kadee design, as nearly all of us are, can immediately see that this is not the shape we all know. That is no doubt the reason for the imperfect operation. In addition, the coupler is even bigger than the oversize Kadee No. 5. At least the Atlas coupler box has a lid with a screw attachment, so it was easy to replace this thing.
I might mention that with installations like this, I really have learned to prefer the Kadee whisker couplers, either No. 148 or No. 158. The off-brand couplers being replaced often have coupler boxes that are not quite the correct Kadee dimensions to use the sheet-metal spring (often a bit too narrow), so the whisker design is a better choice.
Another example is an older Walthers freight car, again with a coupler that looks like a Kadee at a cursory glance, but putting it into an operating session quickly reveals that, whatever it looks like, it sure doesn’t operate like a Kadee. Here’s a top view:
Here again, I used a whisker-style Kadee for replacement, and things then went smoothly.
I don’t want to suggest that only the two manufacturers named above are the guilty parties. Some runs of imported freight cars from InterMountain have had these sorts of fake-Kadee designs too, though thankfully not recently. I seem to recall some Broadway Limited cars in the past, also with fakes.
I suppose I should mention that the foregoing comments are entirely personal observations. I have no connection with the Kadee people other than as a satisfied customer, and an operator of pretty long standing.
I have been meaning to update my thoughts on operating standards, and these two coupler replacements (among others) have brought that intention to the forefront. I will be thinking through my current practices, and writing a post with updates, in the near future.
Tony Thompson
Hi Tony,
ReplyDeleteThe Atlas car has an Accumate coupler. These are produced by Atlas using Accurail's design.
The Walther's car looks like an old Intermountain coupler - although there were several others that were "close" in design, function, and appearance. The coiled spring on the Kadee knuckle was replaced on these new design couplers by a single thin plastic "whisker". These couplers actually work okay (barely) - until they don't! That plastic side "whisker" takes a set and remains open - as on the car you show here.
Intermountain started using real Kadee #5 couplers in early 2002 - I know because one of the first things I did at Intermountain was stop using the Intermountain coupler on factory assembled cars and we started buying Kadee couplers in bulk and shipping them over to China for assembly.
I think Intermountain still uses actual Kadees, but frankly I'm not sure. - Marty
Thanks, Marty. You are right about the Accumate. I hadn't handled one for so long, I'd forgotten what they look like.
DeleteThere are other "bogus" copies -- or imitations -- of the Kadee design out there. Maybe I should do a post about them too. I could entitle it "imposters" or something (grin).
Tony Thompson
The "new" Walthers cars I've picked up in the last few weeks have the noted slightly larger couplers, and they are hit or miss. Couple most of the time with #5 size Kadee couplers, and about 1/4 -1/3 of the time with "scale" heads. So all are getting swapped out on arrival and a 22k resistor added since we ae slowly introducing signalling and detection at my club. The down side is that rolling resistance went from really good to good. No good deed goes unpunished.
ReplyDeleteStandardizing is the key, John, which clearly you and your club know. I think probably ANY of the various "Kadee copies" could work together, if the WHOLE fleet has them. Simpler to just choose real Kadees.
DeleteTony Thompson
I have been using Sergent couplers for several years. They require a lot of effort to install them the way I prefer. This includes grit-blasting the parts so paint will stick well, then weathering the parts before assembling them. I build high end plastic and resin kits as well as finishing brass freight cars. I spend much time building these models to make them as prototypical as possible which includes adding rubber airhoses. After building a great model I can't bring myself to install oversize Kadees with their ugly trip pins. I appreciate that most modelers wouldn't want to spend the time I do on couplers, plus the fact that Kadees are great for operation. However, I wish more modelers that build the high end stuff would consider using Sergents as they add so much to the look of a finished car. As you probably know, Frank Sergent retired within the past few years. Hopefully his line be produced again by someone else.
ReplyDeleteI thank you Tony for the time and effort you devote to the blog. I always enjoy reading whatever you have to say, especially when the subject is freight cars.
For model appearance alone, I agree with you. When I was a contest modeler, I often used accurate dummy couplers on entries. But my layout is built to operate, and operate we do, fairly intensively. Kadees just WORK and work easily.
DeleteOn the issue of "oversize Kadees," I agree as to the No. 5 design. But the new No. 58 is another story: measure it, and go look up the prototype coupler dimensions. Even Kadee calls it a "scale coupler."
On the issue of trip pins, some do cut them off. I don't, because they CAN furnish another uncoupling method. Again, my goal is accurate models - - that operate well.
Tony Thompson
Tony, Just to clarify a little further, the MR review of the #58 coupler in the April 2001 issue indicates that the 58 is 3.5 inches longer than a prototype E coupler. In addition, the comparison photo on page 32 of MR October 2013 demonstrates that the configuration of the 58 varies dramatically from the Sergent coupler, which Frank Sergent wrote was scaled directly from the prototype. I don't mean to detract from the operational benefits of Kadees but I do want to point out that appearance-wise Sergents are the only ones that I know of that mirror the prototype.
Delete