Upgrading couplers

[nkp174]

The #27s and #37s are pretty close...I picked up a pack of each when I added a working front coupler to my Rivarossi berk around 8yrs ago.

Generally speaking...the #5 is the most useful by far...while I've only ever used 1 #27 or #37.

 

[shelbys_dad]

I'm going to order 5 sets of #5 this weekend.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Sometimes even Kaddee #5s will come apart if there are either dips or bumps on the layout, or if there is any up & down play in the coupler mount. A friend here in So Cal who is a circus modeler and operates a circus train at all of the local train shows found that he had that problem on occasion at the shows. After going through all of the potential probles of alignment and not being able to solve the problem, he put a very small drop of silicone on top of the knuckle faces of the problem couplers. He removes the silicone with his fingernails when he tears down the layout at the close of the show, but the train stays coupled thrughout the duration of the train shows.

 

[DeckRoid]

I had to shave the little bumps off the sides of the #5s for a certain passenger car I installed them on. But with an exacto, it was no problem. Slow and steady wins the... non-bloody fingertips. After that, it was dead simple. I used a self tapping #256 screw and it worked great.

George

 

[Russ Bellinis]

I had to shave the little bumps off the sides of the #5s for a certain passenger car I installed them on. But with an exacto, it was no problem. Slow and steady wins the... non-bloody fingertips. After that, it was dead simple. I used a self tapping #256 screw and it worked great.

George

If by "little bumps" you are talking about the "ears" on the side of the coupler box, I always cut them off. I think they were designed to be used for mounting on wooden cars back in the day when wooden car kits and scratch builders would use wood to make cars. Those ears don't fit on any plastic car or locomotive that I know of.