Kadee Couplers...Why I use them !!
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- Опубліковано 16 січ 2014
- Having modelled American railroads since I was 12 years old, the name "Kadee" has always meant great US quality and a must have for "serious" modellers!. Back then , a pair of Kadee's in Australia, was nearly the same price as the freight cars itself!!,but for a young bloke ,it was a big deal to have "Kadee's"on all your rolling stock!. Nowday's, they're much the same price and essential for smooth running of your railroad, but with many cars now having "knuckle" couplers fitted as standard,i't s easy to delay replacing those plastic couplers with Kadee's!. I'm guilty of that myself, but a recent incident on the Birdwood Sub', gave me a overdue reminder!
Cheers Gregg. - Навчання та стиль
When I first got into this hobby back in 1982 the first thing I learned was about Kadee Couplers from a gentlemen who was in the hobby a long time, I remember as if were yesterday, he said," Hey Knuckle head put Kadees on them box cars!" It has stuck with ever since. Good Video Gregg
Thanks William!. I couldn't afford Kadee's when I started, they were about $5.00 for a packet of four, and a box car was around $6.00!. But like you, I was advised to change over , and it was exciting to have them on my rolling stock! It took me 2hrs on a lawn mower to buy a packet..LOL.,and some of those early couplers I still have!.
Cheers Gregg
i have kadees that are in use still working great they are number 5 with the original knuckle spring and spring plates. installed over 40 years back.
so that ($5.00USD is a great investment)
As an American all i have to say is, THANK YOU! For buying Kadee.
My pleasure Michael! Thanks for still making them .....so good to see a "small" business still going strong and making quality stuff!
Thanks for watching!
Cheers Gregg.
@@FishplateFilms And, thank you very much for answering my comment, Also, Greetings from the U.S.A.
You and I are both on the exact same page! Nothing makes me hotter than a horse than seeing a struggling locomotive suddenly jolt forward fast and to my surprise half the train disconnected from the rest thanks to those trash McHenry's. Kadee couplers are by far the best they have no problems I highly recommend them! I got lazy and on my tank cars I USED to put the correct 119 double shelf couplers and now I use 156 for larger turns/turnouts! I'm glad modeler to modeler you made this video to inform people how to safely couple a train and how to avoid a painful and expensive derailment! Thank you my good sir!
Your welcome Able! I have removed all my tanks cars without Kadees, and will install the "scale" shelf 119 couplers. My early tank cars had the standard Kadee shelf, which is a bit big by the new standards, so I was happy to see the new ones!
Gals you liked the video and thanks for watching Sir!
Cheers Gregg
FishplateFilms ahh that too those Kadee 5 couplers were a bit too much for the little guy lol 119 and 156 are the only ones that will be on the layout! Thank you and good luck!
Abel POSSIBLY Garcia LOL...yes ,I do like the new "scale" head Kadee's!
As an american thank you for your support and i agree about your statement of quality vs junk!
Your more than welcome! Looking forward to visiting in a few months time!
Gregg:-)
There are many parallels between Australia and Canada Gregg. Nothing is made in Canada anymore and every manufacture sings the same tune that nobody is willing to pay the extra costs associated with bringing production back to Canada. Obsoletism is a scary thing as we waste our natural resources because everything is designed to fail after a couple years so that you have to buy more junk. It's a dark road were travelling down. Plus up in Canada, we pay more for the junk. On average 10% more and then add on the shipping.
Exactrail also is made in the USA and I try to support them as much as I can, they do make very high quality models as well. There is also a little Canadian outfit called Osborn model kits and he does laser cut wood kits that are fantastic.
Glad you were able to catch that runaway before it blew off the rails. Thanks for sharing this Greg. Its a good reminder that I need to change all the couplers on my "top of the line" Genesis models. With the 2% grade on my layout, it is very easy for a string of cars to get out of control very quickly. Stay cool my friend.
Hi Ben,we share the ideas it seems my friend! It is a bit scary, especially since I grew up in when things were very different! All we can do is support local where we can, I will check out exactrail cars for sure. One thing you can't loose is your spectacular scenery, which I'll be checking out soon!. BTW, beautiful work on your last locos, I forgot to leave a comment, very well done sir!!. Thanks for watching mate.
Cheers Gregg
Good advise on the couplers my friend , Cheers from Canada !
Thanks David! It's great to see a small US company surviving in these times, so it's a pleasure to support them , plus of course , they are a great product.
I really enjoyed my time in Canada and hope to get back soon.
Cheers Gregg.
Your welcome Gregg !
At my model railway club, I converted my hornby flying scotsman to no. 19 kadees as my model railway club said they were compulsory at their club except their junior sessions. I felt that I was lucky I bought the right engine because the scotsman had NEM pockets which made the conversion easier for me, had I bought a cheaper smaller engine, that would be a bit difficult. I prefered the NEM pockets because they didn't need a lot of tools which was not only easier, but also suited my budget despite the cost to get another if badly handled. but still the kadees are a great knuckle coupler. so that's why I choose to use kadees.
Hi, I recently subscribed to your channel and am enjoying catching up on videos. Your level of craftsmanship is outstanding and I am even willing to forgive the fact that you model in HO! Keep the videos coming and never lose that sense of humour...
Best regards from frozen Montreal, Canada. Frank.
Thanks for the very kind comments Frank, appreciate the support!. I don't know about craftsmanship..LOL, wait till you see my attempts at scenery!. I do like solid benchwork for the tracks and good track is essential for reliable running. I would love to model "fine scale" O gauge , but the room needed is huge..LOL.
Stay warm up there in lovely Canada,hope to get there early next year!.
Cheers Gregg
Cannot say I've messed with helix or large grade changes, but my last pulking test with an Atlas SD-35 broke a coupler. It only had 32 cars on it, but there was a set of rediculously heavy log cars in the middle and the train separated. Swap it for a Kadee, no more separation. About half my stock is still on plastic couplers, but if I ever want to load down my other, larger engines, will need those metal ones.
Fantastic video!
It's a shame about the unrecoverable cars, but as many have said, it could have been many more.
There is no substitute for quality ,Kadee's all the way .A great vid ,thanks Greg.
Good point and video...
I'm glad your runaway wasn't as catastrophic as it *could've* been!
I like that Kadee is still made here in the US, but have been a customer for almost 40 years, because they're a superior product!!
Sure, I've been tempted by Sergent Couplers...
Those ARE expensive - and for the price, you'd think, they could devise some sort of centering spring - like EVERY Kadee ever made has!!
I LOVE the newer 148-series "whisker" couplers!
Hee's a tip: on EACH of my Kadees, I've put a tiny drop of ultra thin CA on the base of the knuckle spring...
VERY tiny!
You will NEVER have to worry about that little spring, flying Away, into oblivion!!! :P
Thanks Carmine! It is tempting now days as all the new cars come with couplers, but I always change them out sooner , rather than later! I also like the Sergent couplers, but as you say, they are a bit pricey and you have to assemble them or pay more. If I had a small layout with less cars , I would be tempted. Burt like you .I really like the new "scale" Kadees and put them on all my new equipment and on all of my loco's.
Cheers Gregg:-)
i never worry about the knuckle springs. not hard, but not easy. just use a pointy exacto blade tip in the end coils of the spring. insert on the knuckle peg first and have a tiny pick screwdriver in your other hand then slip over the base pin. is the other tool to hold the spring remove the blade. even at 63 i can do this quickly. but happy not very often 😉
I am using MTL couplers and most of my freight is MTL a bit high on the price but the quality and engineering great and I love to see made in the U.S.A. ON THE BOTTOM... BTW great upload.
Gregg, once again a great video, thanks for sharing.
Thanks Chuck,your welcome!
Gregg
Buy Cheap Buy Twice... that's what my dad used to say and i stand by it
Great video again, Gregg! I am with you, on most (or All?) of my Athearn&MTH models I use Kadee Couplers. On my rolling stock I've changed step by step the Couplers to Kadee too ! nice running season and the rest of your Video ! Super to see the Dash 8's ! Is on my list for the future a Atlas BNSF Dash 8
Thanks mate!, I have many cars that need converting, most on the layout are done except the ethanol cars.Glad you like the Dash 8's, I have one more to do in that trio.
Cheers Gregg
FishplateFilms
in germany I paid 15,90€ (20pieces/box) for kadee #5 ! the C40-8 Atlas is a model in good quality and looks great in BNSF scheme, but hard to find for a good prize for me lol
I use only Kadees and metal wheels on all my rolling stock and locomotives. Much more consistent performance and reliability. I typically buy the couplers in bulk on EBay or one of the major supply houses. Often free delivery (here in the states) helps keep the price low. At this point, I have about 1500 cars and 30 locos and all are converted, including the RTR models. BTW, I always use the truck tuner b4 replacing the wheels and use the Bullseye jig to put screws in most of my old Athearn Blue Box cars to hold the couplers covers in place. Keep up the great videos and stay hydrated. Len
Thanks Len, quite a fleet you have there!.I'm thinking of getting a truck tuner, are you happy with yours? Kd's in bulk are the go, always good to have a packet sitting on the bench!! The water bottles getting a workout!
Cheers Gregg
Thanks for posting. I use Kadee no. 5's on all of my cars now, and I share your sentiments about all of the outsourcing to China over the past decade and a half. I am especially disappointed with Athearn because of this, but I buy them occasionally, because they offer the most models of St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco) Rwy engines and rolling stock, which is my favorite road. The worst thing about the Athearn models are the lousy plastic McHenry couplers that they come with. The springs pop out after only one or two times of use. This can happen with Kadee's as well, but it's much, much, much less frequent, and they're easy to replace with the Kadee uncoupling tool. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.
Thanks again for sharing a nice informative video.
Thanks for the video Greg. First thing I put kadees on everything I buy they are the best!
You're welcome John! I now use the scale head version on all new equipment, they have more detail and are smaller, but still couple to the standard old no.5!
Thanks for watching.
Gregg.
I've used Kadees since I got into Model Railroading.....in 1966!!!! Grerat product! I went from #5s to 158s.(scale size) and now use Sergeants.....
Yes Paul, the new "scale" ones are great, I do like the Sergeants but they are a bit fiddly for me, but they doo look good.
Cheers Gregg
Thanks for the good advice. I found your video while searching for feedback on which couplers to choose as a standard for my growing N-scale collection. Kadee (Micro-Trains) it is!
You're welcome Scott! You can't go wrong the N sale Kadee's and they look much better , especially in N scale size.
Thanks for watching.
Gregg.
Thanks for reinforcing what I've said since I got into he hobby in 1966!!! Kadees' are the way to go.We've pulled 100 car trains, and have never had a failure!! Not to down Kadee;'s but Now, Ive been experimenting with Sergeant Couplers....they work like the real thing, but are tedious toe build. They look great though!
looks are good. but i would rather have reliability.
there are photos of a set of kadee number 5's holding up over 20 pounds of weight. and my record at a club up to 2.5% grade is 250 cars all correct nmra weighted. (even on plastic wheels). i can not recall a failure of a kadee coupler of mine. (40+ years).
I agree with you a 100%. I've had that happen to me a few times, but no cars on the floor. The plastic couplers don't uncouple when they're supposed to, like in yards, and uncouple when they're not supposed to, like mainlines upgrade. I replaced all my rolling stock with Kadees. Never had a problem since.
Yes Richard, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure ! Thanks for watching!
Cheers Gregg
Good stuff Gregg!
+Saint Study Thank you!
Cheers Gregg.
Great video. Your just telling the truth. We have the same problems here in Switzerland. Its a worldwide thing and we can just start at ourselves to get some changing. Looking forward to your next vid.....they are always a plesure.
Urs
Thank you Urs, nice to have you on board from Switzerland!, what a beautiful country, not been there but a friend has.. If your having problems there, we're really in the sh%t...LOL We all need a big change in attitude and get back to quality instead of quantity. Plus the techno race is not helping in my opinion, do we really need a new phone every six months?. Anyway, appreciate your support and thanks for watching.
Cheers Gregg
When I was working on my HO layout, I remember when I bought a lot of my cars and kits with my locomotives, I had to assemble everything to a point, one of the first things I installed was the Kayde couplers
Yes Ernest, a models not complete with Kadee's fitted!
CHeers Gregg.
Informative, Gregg. Thanks. I'm with Vinny, nothing but Micro Trains couplers for my N scale. You look like the heat is getting you down. Stay hydrated!
Thanks Tom, that day was the hottest here for about a decade I think, I'd been in the shed all day shooting the rail expansion video and easy curves in buckled rail. I've since had a haircut and look a bit tidier...LOL. I always have that water bottle filled,did 5 on that day1.
Cheers Gregg
Yeah Gregg, seen this in the timezone flashback, absolutely agree with you on quality. The urge to buy cheap above quality is unfortunately what still prevails. Hopefully, the nowadays scarcity will make people refocus away from crap. If only because buying twice for a higher price ‘cheaply’ will lower the threshold to buy into quality!
Thanks Vincent! WIth the recent China events, and supply issues with computer chips, it may , as you say, drive a move to more locally made products?
Cheers, Gregg.
As soon as I heard "Made in the USA", liked and subscribed!
Thank you ! I just wish we made more stuff down here in Australia? It's always cool to see the "Made in USA" on a packet of Kadee's! Also all my Tsunami decoders are made in Colorado!!
Cheers Gregg.
P.S ..I hope you enjoy the channel!
I agree Kadees are the best, I have never had any issue over the last 20 years. Kadee's 58's are great, I am thinking to converting the entire fleet to them. I would have to agree about China making junk, I have sold over 75 percent of my Athearn locomotives, and now going with Katos, because of your advice Gregg. Love the video. Stay cool down there.
Thanks upsd402!, the scale head are a nice coupler, not quite as real as the Sergeant one , but a lot less complicated and reliable. I even like the "hose" hanging down, out of scale I know, but it does look a bit like airlines between the cars??. You'll be happy with your Katos, they may lack a tiny bit of detail(which is easy to add) but they are tough and smooth running, which is very important to me!. Atlas are also great locos , the Silver series are great models, with similar performance to Kato's. I'm cooling down with a Single malt as I type..LOL
Cheers Gregg
Maybe next year I might buy you some powerful ceiling fans, then you can model Kansas on a windy day..LOL
upsd402 . LOL. a wind farm!!, now your talking!. I'm insulating the roof in winter so it will be a lot better next summer.It was still cooler than outside! I have wired the ceiling for fans, just have to get motivated to put them in.
Cheers Gregg
I completely agree with you Gregg! I don't understand why companies in the US think they can't produce goods here. Kadee and Microtrains still produce fully assembled rolling stock here in the US. Their prices are comparable with Athearn genesis, Atlas, Proto etc. The Kadee HO cars have exceptional detail and quality. If Kadee and Microtrains can do it why can't their competitors? Great video as always and thanks for your thoughts on this subject Gregg.
Thanks Paul!. As we get used to paying less inferior products, it makes it harder for quality makers to sell their goods. All those brands you mention are great, like Kadee , just a shame they moved off shore? That's why I like Midwest Cork, and Kadee, love seeing that "made in US" on the box!.
Cheers Gregg.
FishplateFilms You're right Gregg. Unfortunately most people don't think of the long term cost. They only care about how much it will cost them right now. They actually spend more money buying cheap junk than if you had bought a quality item to begin with. Thanks for supporting some of those companies who still manufacture their products in the USA my friend!
paul dauzart That's so true Paul, it's all about turnover now, ok if your supporting local business I suppose, but I don't think global trading is working that well?. People will happily buy 10 $30.00 drills, but won't spend $200.00 on one that will last for years, I realise people need jobs, but there are more sustainable ways to create jobs. It's my pleasure to support small local(US) companies who employ local people and make quality products.
Cheers Gregg:-)
There is a prototype for that coupler, as modelers, we just keep a spare as the railroads do.
Cant agree more with your opinions Gregg. Also, first thing I do when I take a car out of the box, CHANGE the couplers, same with brand new Athearn Genesis locos. For the locos I change to the larger #148 "standard head" whisker type, (old #5s) and for regular freight I go with the #158 whisker "scale head". But of course for tankers, I use the #119. Were not as lucky with our model trains as the prototypes when we break a knuckle. At least they have brakes on all the cars.
I just like the larger 148s on the locos.
I wish we had a triple valve on each car...LOL. I put scale heads on all my locos now, short shank on the rear 153's I think? cars get a mixture of both and like you ,all the tankers will get 119's. Thanks for the feedback and for watching.
Cheers Gregg
Bench work looks really good and clean cut ; sign of a craftsman . I too prefer to use 3/4 inch Cabinet grade plywood or better when I can it's a bit more expensive but vastly more satisfying to know it' s solid .
Thanks Charles!, yes the thick ply is great ,it's C-D grade that my local hardware store has on special.. With the temp changes we get here, it helps keep things solid and reduce warping. Thanks for the comment and for watching.
Gregg:-)
Thanks Gregg! It is acommon theme I hear all the time, about how cheap and and the inferior material used on products are. I change my couplers right away, I purchace to packs #5 and #58, and they have lasted me for a long time do to the fact that some companies like exact rail use Kadees all the time. Yeah is to bad not alot more companies try to make things here using good material. Here in tha States there is a store in every corner fill with 100ths if not 1000ths of different cheap toys and tools. On another note sorry to here about your broken cars and the Heeath!! We are having a little bit of a heat wave here in California, although not as bad as you but we are in the middle of our winter seaason! Well hope you get a break OOPS! in the weather I mean! In the meantime Cheers my friend and try to stay hydrated. RT
Hi RT, we also have "cheap " shops full of crap people don't need, and throw away in a few weeks if not days!. A big change is needed now, otherwise we'll all be working in sweatshops for nothing???. It looks like only two cars are badly damaged, so not too bad after all, but a wake up call for me to put some guards in place!. I see some parts of the States are having really bad snow storms, so stay safe if your in the cold, but I guess in California it's pretty good!. Thanks for watching sir and I'll keep drinking water(and Scotch)..LOL
Gregg:-)
Thanks for giving an American company it's due mate. it seems one of our political parties is bashing capitalism, but capitalism is what made US great. It gave me the opportunity to rise from poverty to a comfortable life without cheating anyone. Great video. i was raised in the Central Valley of California it gets hot there.
You're welcome Robert! It's a shame that many people today only see price , but not long term value for money? I think Greed is confused with capitalism these days and the term "honest buck" is not what it used to be? I'm glad you made a success of your life and all the best for the future!
Cheers, Gregg.
Hi Gregg! Just thought I would throw in my two bits.I only use Kadee #58 Scale head couplers,and nothing else.Tried McHenry and they are not up to the task.I do use McHenrys on some short worktrain equipment,but that's about it.Great video ,thanks for sharing.!
Hello Sir!! All my locos and new cars also have 58's on them as well. Only my older cars have the standard no. 5's on them . My ethanol train has all 50 cars fitted with scale head shelf couplers and they look and operate great.
Thanks for the comment and for watching.
Cheers Gregg.
I am a believer in QUALITY also you get what you pay for !
Very true Michael. I hope it's not a dying art??
Cheers Gregg.
I equipped my fleet with Kadee's back in the mid 90's but in 2006 I started converting to Sergent couplers. I haven't had them at a show yet to load test them on much longer trains 60+. Of course due to my career I haven't been able to make a club show in several years. Sergents are not up to the NMRA standards but for rivet counters like myself they are correctly scaled and pleasing to the eye. So far I haven't had one break yet in train but like a Kadee, of course they will get ruined if a car hits the floor! I have made it a practice to remove the plastic couplers as soon as I get home with any new rolling stock, even if I am out of couplers to make sure I don't do just as your stating here other wise I would but Sergents would require a converter car so it's not an issue anymore as I won't make a converter car.
Hi Charles, I do like the Sergeant couplers and did consider them, but they are a bit fiddly to assemble for me but as you say , they look great!
Cheers Gregg
The same thing crossed my mind but found that Sergent does offer RTR in the standard E85 couplers. As I slowed down on purchasing locomotives and rolling stock I find that making a bulk order of what I need depending on the type of car or loco as to how many I order. I receive them and then start assembling them all in one go that way in the next couple of days or so while I am working on other projects it gives the glue time to set. With me though I use my fingers on those parts because I find it easier to do than using a fine point set of tweezers to assemble them which is makes harder to assemble do to shakes in my older age that I didn't have a few years ago. I still have good eye sight for it but a steady hand I don't which has me leaning to stop HO scale and go to G scale although I have no experience in G because I have modeled HO all my life.
Being that I was building custom stock at 6 years old and selling it, I don't have it anymore like I used to. Sergent is still a good way to go I'm just not sure on the total gross weight tat they can handle since they were designed for proto modelers with smaller layouts. I'm sure if the metal alloy being used was changed they could be stronger. No one really has a good videos or pictures on the build process of them. If I can find time to do so I'll try and see what I can do to get some super close ups of assembly. Take care brother!
Charles Stevenson Yes , I did see the RTR version, but with the number of cars I'd have to do , it would be a bit expensive!. I'd love to model "fine" scale O scale and if I ever did, I would definitely use Sergeant couplers!.
Cheers Gregg
Yea it's been a slow going process converting over but the upside is selling my Kadee's in bulk on ebay.
As soon as I watched this video I went and changed the plastic couplings on my Bachmann Shell tanker for KDs.
Thanks for the info, hope you didn't lose much money in the accident, if you think about it, railway companies pay millions to clean up accidents, so i imagine a few dollars wouldv'e been used.
Cheers!
-Lettuce :)
Thanks Lettuce! When I was a young fella, Kadee's in Australia cost nearly as much as a new freight car! It was very flash for modellers to have them on all their rolling stock, you're lucky today! I can repair nearly all the cars , I think only about four are still off the layout. I have attended a few derailments and the cost of repairing the track can be huge, sometimes more than the rolling stock damage.
Cheers Gregg
I'm more than 6 years late to this video, but I wanted to say that I agree with you. Metal couplers are the way to go :)
Im sick of these cheap plastic couplers that are prone to failure like this. I was going to switch to Kadee couplers but I found out about Sergent couplers and how much more accurate they are compared to the rest....and still at a GOOD price! Go take a look at their couplers too, I think you will find them interesting.
Yes, I did seriously consider using them , they are a great design and look fantastic but a bit too fiddly in assembly for me! But beautiful stuff!
Gregg
I recently had a couple break on my layout as well. I don't have a large fleet (yet) but I'm going to upgrade mine to KD's as well.
Yes, it's easy to leave the factory plastic ones on "for a while"..LOL
Great video. Excellent observations regarding our economic-cultural decline.
Thanks Paul!, sometimes I think it's a race to the bottom?? Thanks for watching.
Gregg
I agree with you 100%. I'm going switch to kadee asap!
Good to hear John!
Also as attractive and neat are the New Sergent couplers are ; I and many others cannot afford to swap out hundred of pairs of good working Kadee's . But I think they are real neat.... great info in your video's .... Thanks from Canton, Texas
Hi Charles, I have seen the Sergent couplers, they are very nice but a bit too fiddly for me to assemble and a bit costly for the pre-made ones,if I was starting out now, I would seriously consider them? Glad you like the videos !
Cheers Gregg
Good stuff Gregg! A shame that a few cars have been damaged. I don't understand why certain manufacturers still persist with this plastic crap! Comes down to choice I guess. I still have a few plastic knuckles getting around but I'm working my way thru the fleet. The Atlas GE's with sound are excellent, reminds me to run my LMX units more often ( no sound yet tho). I hope you didn't burn your hand to badly with hot tools while you were working trackside!
Another great video! Always looking forward to see what's next!
Stew.
Thanks Stew, all comes down to cost I suppose?. There are a few new units on the roster for your next visit, been busy on the house getting bathroom tiled. Run session in a few weeks, will let you know and yes , I did burn my hand on a shifter at Dinmore cattle siding!
Cheers Gregg
Great video as always Gregg! I agree with you, It's a shame where manufacturing is heading. Very sad. Anyways, I'm glad your accident wasn't any worse than it could have been.
Deryk
Thank you Deryk! All we can hope for is China's wages go up and we realise we can make things at home?. Funny how I now have time to put up some guards..LOL.
Cheers Gregg!
Good-o mate! The metal "Kadee clones" used by Walthers are quite good in my experience, but ALL Athearn equipment comes with those miserable McHenry couplers (because Horizon Hobbies bought the McHenry company) and Atlas fine products come with Crap-U-Mate plastic couplers. I leanered long ago to ditch the plastic couplers and replace with Kadees as soon as the new item arrives home. Sorry to hear about the miserable heat, I think that your weather is even worse than Nebraska's :-)
Hi Gary, the other metal ones seem to be ok, but I'm now using "scale head"
Kadees and they make them look too big, but they'll stay on for a while. At least in Nebraska, you have UP and Standard gauge..LOL. Thanks for watching,
Gregg!
Back about 40 years ago when my oldest son was about 12 years old we got into model railroading pretty deep. Back then the Japanese made the cheap stuff so we bought nearly everything made in Germany. The price was lower than US made and the quality was much better. The engines were really well made and all wheel drive. Now the German and US made engines are so high I don't see how anybody can afford them.
This is sound advice for anyone running long trains on inclines. My layout is pretty much flat based on a country Australian scene so I don't have a rolling backwards problem however I have been converting my rolling stock to Kadees because they perform so much better especially on some tight curves I have to deal with.
Thanks for the comment! Where abouts in Australia are you modelling?
Cheers Gregg
Trying to mimic a small western NSW county town. It not based on anywhere specific. Say something like Culcairn. I've called it Garra Bend. Thanks for your interest.
Regards
Chris
farnthboy OK , good one Chris.
Looking back at it, normally the knuckle itself on the couple will stretch under heavy load but that looks like it was caused by load shock I.E. 30+ cars and it was near the front, derailed and get caught in a set of switch points at a decent speed. I've seen plenty sheer off or stretch the knuckle but that's the first for seeing the yoke broke in half.
Years ago I had a box of rail cars that fell off a table to the floor (a 4 foot drop). I checked the cars for damage and found that those cars with the cheaper plastic couplers broke at the shank. The cars equipped with the Kadee couplers remained in tact. I immediately removed all the plastic couplers and replaced them with Kadee couplers.
I never looked back.
I have a suggestion for you to prevent that run away from happening again until you replace your rolling stock with Kadees. On your caboose, bend the rear coupler pin to almost vertical so that it just grazes over the rails. This will prevent the caboose from rolling backwards should another plastic coupler break!
I've been around for awhile and have seen Kadees change from a mechanical coupler to the magnetic. So I've had to change out my Kadees three times to get the coupler we have today.
Interesting Idea Iver. I don't run cabooses (on most trains) so I would have to pick cars to go on the end. I don't remember the non -magnetic Kadee's, but I am changing a few of my old no.5 one to the new "scale" 58 couplers.
Cheers Gregg
I'm in the process of upgrading to Kadee Couplers. I find I get less derailments with Kadee couplers. I always have to add more weight to the first couple cars whenever I use Horn Hooks couplers.
You won't regret it!
Thanks for watching!
have you also included doing metal wheel sets?
couple tools from micro mark, help with all this, a kadee coupler block and truck turner, it is a axle point reamer to get the journals cleaned up so the axles spin freely.
hey Gregg .. you are a lucky man... i agree with buying quality... i am slowly changing over to Micro Trains couplers ( use to be a part of the Kadee company)..hope you're going to enter my contest
vinny
Hi Vinny, I've had a few head on's due to no signalling yet..!!!,but no Loco's on the floor! You do get what you pay for, it was cool that the knuckle was still there! Yes sir , I will be entering your little quiz!!
Gregg!!!!!!
One of the worst events that has ever occurred to our hobby was the day that Kadee's patents ran out. Before that day a model railroader could choose to stick with the industry standard, the cheap X2F horn hook coupler or upgrade to the Kadee. Which ever type a modeler chose to use, he or she could be reasonably confident that the couplers would at least hold a train together. Today, post patent laps, the X2F has been replaced by cheap Kadee knock offs that are will fail even under the most gentle conditions. My fear is that all we have done is to add a new source of frustration that could drive newcomers away from the hobby.
Thanks for the tips, I'm new to this hobby and wonder if there's a video on changing out these couplers? Can it be done on all types and makers of cars? Also whats the best strategy on picking then buying rolling stock ? Should one buy all the cars at once from the same maker so you have a uniform train set?
Thanks Dan!, there are many videos on changing to Kadee couplers on the net. Some makers have them on , but just about all cars can have them easily fitted in a few minutes!,so buy whatever cars you like and get the Kadees in a bulk pack to save some money!. The standard no. 5 will do most of the cars and locos, or you can use the "scale" no.58 if you wan't a finer , more lifelike version.
Cheers Gregg:-)
I think the tides will turn in regards to the quality of goods in the future. Places like the EU have cracked down on such things as disposable printers. I personally use Kadee's on my QR rolling stock although the number 5 looks a little big on the narrow gauge rolling stock. Someone also recommended sergeant couplers which apparently the duck nuts although they are comparable with the Kadee's.
I hoe your right Huggies!, try using the "scale head" ones , they are a bit smaller and will look a bit better. Real knuckles look too big on our rrains up here..LOL
Sergeants are great, bit too fiddly for me and time consuming to assemble,but they look fantastic! Thanks for watching mate.
Gregg:-)
I believe the expression you want is "The sweetness of the low price is soon forgotten while the bitterness of the poor quality remains".
Thats the one Duncan! Thanks for that.
Gregg .
Do you have a link for the Kadee factory video?
Hi Stew, no I just came across it by accident, it was about Micro trains as well if I remember. Works been crazy so not time for a run session , but I'll give you a ring in a few weeks when it slows down., and the shed is a bit cooler..LOL
Cheers Gregg. P.S I won that MRL SD40 Kato...very nice!
...further on from my earlier post. Particularly changing couplers on older rolling stock that may have the coupler riveted on and/or moulded plastic attachment and mainly have the original Triang/Hornby coupler. Geoff
Hi Geoff, thanks for watching! But I'm afraid this is above my pay level..LOL You need to find someone who models UK stuff! There are easy ways to convert "Horn Hook" couplers to Kadees, but since I don't use them I can't give you any advice!. Kadee have heaps of solutions so I'm sure you will find an answer. All the cars and locos I use have knuckle couplers as standard , so it is (usually) a straight swap over.
Cheers Gregg.
@@FishplateFilms Thanks Gregg
Very nice...I agree...
Thank you!
Hi Gregg. Just new to your channel and gradually going through your videos. Is there a chance to do a video on the different styles of couplers and, if for instance, you wanted to change them to all Kadee couplers how do you do it given the various methods of attaching them to the trucks that are out there. Geoff Shepparton
There is only one coupler I hate worse than a McHenry coupler (both scale size and regular size) is a plastic coupler made by Accurail and they call it an Accumate. It's a two piece, split design that is near impossible to keep together while putting it in a coupler box and then put the lid on and tighten the screw. I use Kadee whisker couplers on all my equipment. I did find a use for the old McHenry couplers with the tab knuckle spring (not the newer knuckle spring type). I have a string of Walthers and Athearn ballast cars that I always run as a block (group) of cars. Each end of this block (group) has Kadee #148's on the car (the end that couples to a locomotive or other car. The non-Kadee end plus both ends of the intermediate cars in between have McHenry old style (with tab knuckle spring couplers). My trick to using these old plastic McHenry's is this. I put a small drop (or two) of CA (super glue) in the hinge where the knuckle pivots and after letting that set overnight the coupler is permanently glued shut. I have the appearance of knuckle couplers between the cars without the fear or possibility of them uncoupling.
I generally don't use Kadee couplers because I don't own any model trains with Kadee couplers on them. However if Lima or Hornby had manufactured models with Kadee couplers then I more than likely would be using them.
I use Kaddee 118s on all my Athearn,Atlas RTR tankers. The kaddee 118s are more prototypical even though they are larger than the kaddee 119s which looks too small on the car. The kaddee 119s maybe to scale size but lacks very heavily in detail in every aspects. The Intermountain tank cars are hard to change couplers on.
Good video, experience is the best teacher. I change all my couplers to kadee's. Buy them in bulk and they're even less expensive. I also change the wheels to intermountain, never had any problems with either. Why is the air hose backwards on the coupler that broke?
Thanks Penn', and yes, experience is a great teacher!.I have IM wheels on my Walters Trinity 4 bay hoppers, they run well. The hose is a press fit through the knuckle and with it broken, it is free to rotate in the knuckle..
Cheers Gregg!
great vid as always, starting my layout soon, going to invest in some good equipment as well, build once and enjoy it a long time... any thoughts your way as in paint products for our HO models using an airbrush to apply? read a ton online and still in the dark as to witch way to go to paint Locos, & kit buildings thanks in advance
Thank you!. Good gear will certainly pay off in the long run!. As far as paint, your talking to the wrong person...LOL, that comes under scenery, a four letter word to me!!!. I'm still learning how to weather rolling stock and good "how to" vids are indeed hard to find , that's why I try to make mine the best I can so people can see what I'm doing!. Good luck with your layout, don't forget the "6 P's" LOL
Cheers Gregg
I totally agree with you with the quality etc. I'm just wondering if the heat has fatigued the plastic coupler and that's why it broke?
Dan
That's a possibility Dan, they have done a lot of work on long trains as well,but the heat would not help!
Gregg
I'm not really seeing where heat would be an issue during production. The plastic couplers are designed with a 30-40 car train in mind as most people don't have layouts big enough to run much more than that but Kadee did go that extra mile which has helped for club and other large layouts where 80+ car trains can be run. My last record was in the 130's on my clubs layout some years ago before a coupler failed.
Even in the model world when a train of such length breaks, it takes a little arm power to pull the entire train forward to couple the lash up. The stress on couplers on trains that long can be weighed at 5+lbs which may not seem like much to us but the train is really pushing the limits. Plastic couplers won't go anywhere near that force and are probably only good at the rear of the train where the load stress is minimal.
Charles Stevenson Hi Charles, when I was talking about the heat I was actually referring to the weather. Where Gregg lives, the weather gets rather hot
Oh, OH, 10-4. I see what your saying. If heat is an issue then car details should start to deteriorate before anything which we have have several melt in the sun in the car on trips including a big boy which lead to the use of expletive words lol. Where are you storing your trains exactly? I made a comment on another one of his videos with the matter of expansion and contraction of track which leads to serious problems if not done correctly in which I referred the idea of of solar powering his AC system so it can keep the train room at a consistent temp so heat doesn't weakin' parts or damage track and not run your electric bill to costing an arm or leg. It takes a bit of investment to do but the savings in running an AC 24/7 is well worth it and after a year or so you can tell the savings and where a solar system starts to pay for itself. If in the U.S., you can try Harbor Freight or Northern Freight and Tool for solar systems. I've got to much invested in my trains (such so much quantity but quality) to let such things happen.
You get what you pay for, and you pay for what you get!
This is very true ! This is unfortunately lost on many people today?
Cheers Gregg :-)
You get what you pay for, if you're lucky!
sorry to hear about your run away train
do think its possible to put some kind of measures in place inside the
helix to stop things making contact with the floor
all the best alan
Thanks Alan, yes ,guards will be gong in on the helix, on the "to do"list, along with a million other things..LOL
Cheers Gregg
Just like the prototype!
+J. McKinley This is true!
THANKS, VIDEO WITH YOUR DETAIL ON WHY SHOULD USE KADEE COUPLERS ON ARE LAYOUT IF WEIGHT THE ROUND STOCK TO RIGHT WEIGHT THAT REALLY KNOW HOW MUCH WEIGHT HAVE PUT ON COUPLER IN LOCO
Thanks Robert! Long trains are heavy and Kadee's last and do the job trouble free . Plus they are made in the US so helping local people with jobs.
Cheers Gregg.
Very prototypical lol, I saw a vid on UA-cam the other week where the exact same thing happened (real world!).. As mentioned probably something to do with the insane heat.. Kadees have always been the coupler of choice for the decerning modeller lol...
Too true Stu!!
I put some Kadees on my Class 56 and some freighliner bogie Hoppers
& it was fine except it loses the hoppers when going up a gradient
& around a curve (R607) Radius 2. I would have thought if should
negotiate that Radius 2 no problem is seems to be the curve & not
the gradient, it just un couples & if I push the Freight instead of
pulling them, some curves cause them to derail on curves Have you found
such issues?
No issues like that Gary, but you're talking different loco types with different freight cars. Usually uncoupling means mismatched coupler heights or bad track work . Check your heights and make sure they are correct.
Cheers Gregg.
Probably bad trackwork in my case!!! Heights seem good, they seem to marry well.
That could be it sir!
I have to agree with your philosophy on globalization. Unfortunately, there are those who stand to profit from it and aren't going to give up those trappings without a fight.
This is true. One thing I dislike about the future??. Hope fully the younger generation may not be so greedy??...Then again......
Cheers Gregg.
Yes Kadees are great. What dissapoints me is that at the price of model freight cars today you still get cheap-o couplers and have to buy Kadees seperately. I suppose since they are all made in China, for the most part, adding the American made Kadees later would cost even more...
Too many engines someone said. Heh, nice problem to have. Anyways, I buy HO rolling stock as cheap as possible, and almost all of it has to be repaired, mostly couplers. Second, trucks or wheel/axles missing or broken. While I'm still kind of a newbe. I do like Kadee, and the no. 5 recommendation is a good one I figure. Thanks for this video. A friendly recommendation for anyone, don't drink alcohol on hot days. Water, drink lots. otherwise your skin takes a sh=t (that's how you can tell your not getting enough). Don't smoke tobacco either. You look like you need more water. Happy days running your train. Mike.
I'm just getting into the HO train hobby and I want to know too what the best couplers are out there.
Well , you're on the right track so far!! Kadee are by far the most reliable and versatile coupler. If you have a lot of time and not too much rolling stock, Seargent are highly detailed couplers but are fiddly to assemble and are more expensive.
Gregg :-)
When we buy new rolling stock or a new loco, we always buy new kadee's to go with...can't beat "bang for buck".
Good idea Nick! They are great value for sure!
Cheers Gregg
I have several dozen cars with mccrappies..slowly but surely swapping the POS McHenry out. The company should be put out of business
Great video with some important points about quality. I have been using Kadee couplers since the 1960's. Far superior to the NMRA horn hook coupler, I have never had one break or fail. That is something I cannot say for the cheaply made Chinese knock-offs we see today flooding the market. If a Kadee coupler is installed properly, it will work first time, every time; something that cannot be said for the imitations.
Thanks Richard! They do just keep going and going and are a lot more affordable than when I was younger! Apart from Sergeant Couplers, there is no substitute!
Gregg :-)
I couldnt agree more on that. The Irony in the success of Kadee is they are made entirely in the USA. Not only are they of a superior quality than the Chinese knock-offs, but are sold at highly competitive prices as well and in some cases, lower priced than the competition. A lesson Athearn might well learn from.
Thats right Richard, not just Athearn, a lot of companies could learn from Kadee! We have the same problem down here, plus people just see a cheap price and forget that they need to keep buying the same low quality item??
Thanks for the great feedback
Gregg.
Hi it is Neil Schwerdt from west valley city Utah. Hope you had a nice. Thanks Giving day.
How are you doing ?
Hi Neil . All good down here, though we don't really celebrate Thanks giving here , it's more a Christmas day thing?
Cheers Gregg.
Thanks Gregg! You speak out of my heart.That's exactly why i'm unimployd for over 8 month here in Germany. Oh yes not to mention that my labour is too expensive cause of my good edjucation and 30 years+ work knowledge.But that didn't count anymore.Welcome to Europe and the EU suckers.Honest i would pay more for my locos if i knew they were not made in China or India.They shit on human rights.
Hi Carsten, no good to hear you are jobless at the moment, hopefully you'll be back at the office soon!. Yes , you can't buy experience, but it's not seen as a good thing by many now? When I hear Germany is stopping quality production, we are really in trouble!! I hope it's not too late to turn it around? i would also pay more for locally made rolling stock.
Cheers Gregg
Sorry, but that is the reality.Cheap labour is the key word for the companies here.It is more attractive to hire people from east european countries what is legally alowed due to the fine EU regulations.The wages have so drastically fallen that the government have to subsadise their own country men to pay their bills.Look at Ireland or Greece even worse.We are defenatly on the wrong path.
Carsten Alwes That's for sure!, greed is a nasty master and in the end , everybody looses. I see you also know Rarawer!, we have been friends for a while, he has too many locomotives...LOL.I'm watching your reviews,but now I think I will go up to the shed and run a train or two!!
Cheers Gregg
Yes Matthias is a nice guy and also nuts with trains.He lives not so far away from me.Have fun with running your trains,crank em up.
Where are you getting all of this amazing rolling stock, I must know. But wow that coupler was pretty bad. Keep cool.
Hi Jacob, I've been modelling for 30+ yrs , so I should have a decent collection by now...LOL. But most of these cars have been bought online in the last 7 years, especially when the Aussie dollar was more than the US dollar!! I still haven't replaced all my plastic couplers yet, but I'm getting there. Thanks for watching!
Cheers Gregg
So what number is that kadee shelled coupler you have on your tank cars, their not number 5.
Hi Edsel , they are the "Scale Head" shelf couplers, can't remember the number off hand and Im away so can't check. They are easy to find on Kaadee's site.
Cheers Gregg.
Horn hooks are stronger than those magnomatic types, I was just trying to run a train around tree
hey mate, sorry to hear of your misfortune with the odd couplers, but when you think of it, they probably don't test their strengths, just the looks. And with the temp so high, keep looking for rail extremes. Its snowing here in the states at the moment, cold and blustery canceling flights all over and maybe a break by the weekend when we get yet another storm.
Thanks Brian! I suppose ti's good to have couplers fitted so people can run them out of the box, but they will let you down one day. Trains on the Birdwood Sub run in real world conditions,..LOL I see the storms your having up there, looks pretty intense in some areas. Stay warm and safe.
CHeers Gregg
I had a kadee break once the head of coupler broke off between 2 locomotives, other than that no problems ever
I'm sure they let go every now and then, but as you say , very rare!.
Gregg
I love ho scale trains
Kadee is quality and has been for years. I always buy quality over quantity. Building a home is the same. Spend your money on quality materials and anchors rather than square footage. It always pays to buy quality American products.
Very true Mark! The old saying, " you get what you pay for" is very true.
Cheers Gregg.
When and if you get to operations and operators using pick sticks to uncouple those shelf couplers will have to go to hard to work. I do not use shelf couplers. Yes have had a couple of run a ways in helix but they all ran to bottom with out coming off.
You were lucky Arthur, these were getting faster as they went down, they may have made it to the bottom??????. The shelf couplers do work like the prototype,we use a hand magnetic uncoupler for those,I forget the name!. Thanks for watching Sir! Gregg:-)
we use Kadee couplers on our club layout and nothing else
Very good Chaz!
Still, couplers break irl so keep some in operation for added realism. :)
I've never broken a Kadee, but that doesn't mean I won't in the future? I did pull a draft box out of a hopper a few days ago! , thats a first for me!
Cheers Gregg.
Top Video .... Gruss Frank ( F.B. )
Hi Frank, thanks for watching!. Nice weathering jobs!
Gregg:-)
Thanks Gregg: Regards F.B.
Hey Greg, I use sergent engineering couplers, they are very realistic in operation and looks. You may want to look at them as well.
Justin
Hi Justin, yes they are great looking gear, a bit too fiddly for me,but I have considered them seriously in the past. Putting them together would annoy me as me eyes and patience aren't the best..LOL
Cheers Gregg
My stupid E-Z Mate couplers are acting up. So i'm replacing all them with sergent couplers.
I couldn't agree with you more on the 'state' of the world, Greg. It's pathetic honestly. I see someone has told you about Exact Rail. There is another USA company called Tangent as well. Proclaiming to be the most accurate RR model out there. Please don't get me wrong, but is 20.00 extra worth the two to three little tidbits these 'American' made products add to their models over let's say the Intermountain ones? I've got a review in the works where I put the Intermountain 4750 hopper against the Tangent 4750 hopper. I'll let the viewers pick which is the better buy and for the money. I REALLY wish the Pikestuff people would produce some cars. I think they are in the right place to do it. They have the injection machines already in house. Maybe the owner just doesn't want to be bothered with headache involved with mass car production...who knows. If these people would get over their greed, and in this I'm talking about their unwillingness to sell to hobby shops for product. Yes, Exactrail and Tangent won't sell to hobby shops. The hobby shop can order from Tangent for a customer but the hobby shop owner won't make any money off the deal, so there's the rub. And the pricing on these things...it's so high I can't afford them so they've just priced their product well out of my pocket book range. ok, ok...enough of the rant.
So sorry to hear about the incident. I'm in the process of converting all my stuff over to Kadee couplers as well. I do have some old tyco rolling stock that wouldn't be worth the bother and I only run them ever so often, but I have made a transition car to pull the duty when I 'do' want to run them, and what do I have on my transition car at one end...a kadee coupler! haha!
Please oh please change those tanker car couplers ASAP! Those tankers you have are out of production and finding them now is...well I'd have better luck playing pick up sticks with my arse cheeks than finding them anywhere at a reasonable price or anyone who is willing to part with them. I know because I'm trying to build up my tanker fleet and it's painful! Which reminds me...why are the dang tanker cars so dang expensive? I've gotten a few Walthers kits that I have to put together, it's a whole lot cheaper than buying them assembled. It's about 10.00-15.00 cheaper if I put the model together, add the metal wheels, and Kadees to them. But even then the price some people are asking for them is totally INSANE!!!!
Ok, enough from me. Stay cool, my friend, and get some guards up around that helix! Below are the links to Exact Rail and Tangent. Cheers!
John
www.tangentscalemodels.com/
www.exactrail.com/
Hi John, thanks for the links!, the Exactrail are lovely cars, but are not the style i'm looking for . But even paying $30.00 for a car is ok if you compare to what I used to pay for a poorly detailed kit many years ago!, seeing the new high detail cars next to my early Athearn kits shows you how far we have come.I think one problem for local makers is everyone wan't a different car or loco in a different road, so how many different ones do you produce??. What about making ones with no declas ,so modelers can choose their own roads and names?? I would certainly pay a bit more to have cars and locos made locally if the quality was the same. The ethanol tankers are mostly Athearn, I have about 30 of them with a few Walthers thrown in as well, they are very well deatailed and will look great in a unit train delivering Ethanol to the Bio-Diesel plant!!. But Kadee's and saftey guards first..LOL
Thanks for the comments and watching.
Gregg
...we are the "KD's" community lol
Yes, part of a family of sorts!
Thanks for watching.
Gregg ;-)
A lot of new technology such as computers and smartphones are becoming less and less practical to be kept for a long time. Companies don't just release the next phone to sell you another, they need to keep up with the pace of technology. Every years the amount of semiconductors on the average microchip doubles.
In the case of modeling or other hobbies or products, quality counts. If I'm looking to buy a pair of shoes/boots I want them to last, boots don't improve fast enough to warrant annual repurchasing.
As am American I can tell you that if the item needs quality there is almost certainly a company that produces it here because of how much people will pay for quality, because it lasts.
+Soupy That is good to hear, I always like to see "made in the USA" ! Wish I saw more "made in Australia" ??