Kadee Couplers


I started using Kadee #5 back in the 70’s. As I purchased new rolling stock I stayed with #5’s and when I ran out of the bulk packs I then went to the 148’s when they were introduced. I feel they are so much easier for me to install. Tank cars use the shelf coupler #118.

I do have a few packs of other whisker couplers from Kadee for those different situations where the 148’s don’t work.

While I like the look of Scaletrains.com couplers, especially the shelf couplers, they still get changed to Kadee as IMO you can’t beat the Kadee reliability

TomO
 
PrairieKnight said:
I like the #5 and #148 couplers also....but I ran into an issue that caused me to install extended shank Kadee #26 couplers on my Walthers Proto and Trainline locomotives. The issue I was having was the fact that my Atlas code 83 18 inch radius turnouts were not playing well with the couplers that came on the locomotives when they were coupled between the locomotive and rolling stock during switching operations in the yard and at the industries. I am not sure what couplers came on the locomotives. I tried #5 at first on the locomotives but that did not fix the problem. I then discovered the #26 couplers. Although the #26 do not look very prototypical, they sure do make my switching operations alot smoother. I never experienced the issue with the #5 and #148 couplers between rolling stock, just the locomotives and rolling stock. And yes... I have trimmed the trip pins back rather than remove them altogether.
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PairieKnight,

As Smudge617 says you do what makes you happy. If it, also, happens to work, that's even better. Iron Horseman pointed out something I should have mentioned. There are situations where #5 and #148 won't work and overset, underset, long and short are still available. I do as, Greg@mnrr mentioned and if I take a piece of rolling stock, or loco, off my layout because of a problem, it doesn't go back until I have everything to my liking. If it doesn't work to my satisfaction I work until it does. There's a lot of that, since I'm somewhat OCD and I have no choice. Glenn
 
I use #148 and have had no problems except the occasional need to bend the trip pin up to avoid getting hung up on a frog. I can't cut them off completely because I use the RIX uncoupling tool. I wouldn't anyway...some say they don't resemble brake hoses at all but I think they look ok.
 
I have installed #58's on all my cars and engines. Since most were wood kits, resin kits, kitbashes or scratchbuilt cars most came without a coupler so using 58's wasn't a probem.
 
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