Changing couplers ??? and need them explained

[The Royal Blue]

Help I'm Changing couplers ??? and need them explained

I have two questions here that I need a little help with I know it may have been explained somewhere here before, I have done a search for the first question and came up with nothing that will help, alot of the links dont seem to work as the threads are quite old.


1) I have some old Hornby rolling stock and loco's and I want to change the couplers to Kadee. Is there any kits available or am I going to have to fabricate something up.


2) I want to use the above mentioned locos as shunters in my yard and I am unsure how the auto uncouplers work. I am looking at having 6 - 10 sidings to work out of and I need to know if I can set the uncouplers up to be used via a DCC type controller. I would like to have the railroad controlled by a PC using PLC type control incorporating the DCC.

 

[60103]

Mr Blue: Are these Hornby with the big harpoon in the coupling? Not old Hornby Dublo, I hope.
Hornby are not nice cars to convert to Kadees. If you have one with a screwed-on coupler, you can often just unscrew it and screw a Kadee on. You may have to try the various shank lengths and head heights. If you have one where the coupling is moulded on, you're looking at major surgery. If it's riveted on, again surgery.
There's a British forum called Railway Modelling Web where this has been discussed a lot. One experienced converter there is Adrian. http://www.rmweb2.co.uk/forums/default.asp
I won't comment on the uncouplers. I use either the permanent magnets or uncoupling sticks. If my computer wants to play with trains, it can b****y well buy them itself.

 

[The Royal Blue]

Thanks for that David. I think my old locos are the Dudlo. When I get the chance I will have a look at them.
With the PC control, I don't want to give the computer complete control of the railroad, but I do want it to detect when there are two locos in the vicinity of each other and take appropriate action. I am planning on making a huge layout, as the room that I want want to put the railroad in is 21 x 19 feet and I plan to use as much of the space as posible. The room was purpose built for the rail road and I think that I may need some sourt of control inplace as you cant watch every thing at once.
As you said though, it is my railroad not my PC's
Cheers Paul