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Kadee Couplers  

Ever since we have been in the largescale train hobby we have had to deal with different types of couplers. Each of the manufacturers has their own design for "knuckle" style couplers and they don't work very well with each other. In fact, they just don't work together period. If you are involved in another train scale you probably haven't run into this problem before. Scales like HO tend to come with compatible couplers regardless of manufacturer and work just as well as the next (for the most part). We generally run Aristo, Bachmann, USA and LGB trains on our layouts, in that order. The Aristo couplers seem to be about the best out of the box products followed by LGB and then Bachmann. I don't care for the USA couplers at all so we don't use them much. Besides the knuckle couplers provided by each manufacturer, just about every new piece of rolling stock purchased on the market will also come with "hook and loop" couplers as well. They all seem to work just fine with each other but they don't look very good and in my opinion they kind of ruin the whole feel of scale trains. We don't use them at all either!

To get around the mismatch coupler problem we have been fitting some cars with different couplers at each end. That way we can run Aristo engines with Bachmann cars etc. But there are times when we need to search around to find the right "conversion" car and when guests are around they tend to not understand what the problem is when they see our frustration... But, all that has changed! Spring of 2001 has brought about our first purchase of Kadee couplers (the coupler of couplers for the true train hobbyist). I was only able to purchase enough couplers to do about half of our fleet but by this time next year we should be completely converted. For now, all the motive power and part of the rolling stock will be converted.

Having said all that, this page will serve as a way for us to help everyone out with converting their equipment to a standard coupler such as the "G" scale Kadee coupler. Check back every so often to see how our progress goes and browse around to see if we have a conversion you need help with.

Maybe I should also give a quick mention about tools here. The first and by far the most important tool you must have before starting conversions is a coupler height gauge. Kadee makes two versions, one for the #1 scale couplers and one for the "G" scale couplers. No matter what type of mount you choose (body or truck), the height gauge will always be the bottom line standard. The coupler on the gauge is not the only feature of the tool either. Along with the coupler you have a floor height gauge at the opposite end, a track gauge on one edge of the base and a wheel gauge on the other edge of the base. Other than that your current arsenal of tools should suffice just fine.

Follow a link below to see a conversion:

1. Kadee's list of coupler part numbers and some instruction sheets for popular rolling stock
2. Aristo-Craft 0-4-0
3. Aristo-Craft Lil' Critter and possibly the RS-3
4. USA Trains 20 Tonner, GP 7/9 and GP 38-2
5. LGB Lake George & Boulder 0-4-0 engine
6. USA NW-2
7. USA Trains SD 40-2
8. Bachmann Shay
9. Aristo-Craft SD-45
10. Aristo-Craft Fa1 - Fb1
11. Bachmann 4-6-0 (ten wheeler)
12. USA Trains F3a -F3b
13. Lionel Thomas
14. Various pieces of rolling stock.

Questions or problems regarding this web site should be directed to Jon Foster

Copyright © 1998, 2009 Jon Foster.  All rights reserved.
This site has been online since: Tuesday July 28, 1998 and was last modified: Wednesday July 28, 2004.