Hello
First post here--lurked for awhile, like what I see.

I recently completed a build of a Bowser Casey Jones 10-wheeler. Apparently It is an update of the old Varney kit. It was fun to build, and not difficult to convert to DCC. It runs really well, so I want to install Kadee couplers and see how it pulls.

I seem to remember reading somewhere in the mists of time that one should not install Kadee #5s on metal frames that pick up current, like the tender of this kit. However, the Kadee site mentions #5s for both Bowsers and Varneys. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.kadee.com/conv/holist.pdf">http://www.kadee.com/conv/holist.pdf</a><!-- m -->

Bowser's website mentions installing a #4 in the pilot but nothing about the tender. Anyone install Kadees on one of these? Which one did you use? How did you do it?

Thank you,

Gary

Hi Gary, and to Big Blue.

While I did reply to your post in the MR Forum, I'll repeat it here for the benefit of any others wonder about that situation.

Whichever Kadee coupler you choose, it's likely to be used in the plastic draught gear box provided with the couplers, so there's no need to worry about shorts due to the locomotive being metal.
I checked the Kadee web site and they don't list the Bowser (or Varney) Casey Jones Ten Wheeler. I'd guess that the tender would take a #5, but you may wish to contact Kadee to enquire about their suggestions for the front coupler.

Wayne

Gary

Back in the mists of time (my time -- early 1960s), before magnetic couplers, the Kadee K-5 was what became the #4 and had a metal box. This would have created electrical problems if it met a similar coupler, or certain conditions given that metal underframes were common then. Kadee combined that coupler package with the K-4 as the #4 (MK4, MKD4). The old K-10 (drops into Athearn draft gear boxes!) became the MK 5&10 and is now the #5.
I don't know if there were ever metal boxes for the #5.

I've been around just long enough to remember when the K10 was new.

Thank you for the welcome, gentlemen. I believe I discovered this forum from a link doctorwayne posted on the MR forum. I did post this on the MR forum as well, so apologies if that's bad form.

I took a few pictures of the bottom of the tender:
[attachment=26405]
[attachment=26404]
And one of the loco:
[attachment=26403]

I have lots of Kadee #5s, and I found a bag of #4s, so I think I will grind it off and install the #5 on the tender. While I'm at it, I may grind off that headlight casting.

Update:

I got out the dremel and ground down the box. I ran a tap through the hole to make sure the threads were good. The hole was a little too far back for the #5 box, with its "lip," but I had some rounded boxes.

It was too low, but an off set #27 is right on the money:
[attachment=26401]
[attachment=26402]


On the other forum someone suggested a #28, and that might work in the metal box, but this seems to be fine.

Looks like the coupler height is right on.

I wasn't too crazy about the Varney headlight either, but got carried away a bit when I removed it:



I had two Varney boilers, but no chassis' or tenders, so mounted the boilers on Bachmann Ten Wheeler mechanisms, and used the Bachmann tenders (shortened and narrowed), along with cabs from Bachmann Consolidations...





Wayne

doctorwayne Wrote:I had two Varney boilers, but no chassis' or tenders, so mounted the boilers on Bachmann Ten Wheeler mechanisms, and used the Bachmann tenders (shortened and narrowed), along with cabs from Bachmann Consolidations...





Wayne

Nice! Are the detail parts from the Bachmanns, too?

You've managed to kill two (or three) birds with one stone:

1. The Varney's almost complete lack of detail
2. The Bachmann's inability to pull its own shadow

If you manged to couple the excellent Bachmann mechanism with the Varney weight and didn't have to spend $80 on brass detail parts, I'd call that a win.

I have a Pyle Headlight casting and a Precision Scale Frisco numberboard, so I think I'll go ahead and grind off the headlight and install those. It will be a stand in for one of these:

Seeing that coupler box, I might go for onr of the 21-29 plastic couplers. But you're far ahead of me now.

gna Wrote:....If you manged to couple the excellent Bachmann mechanism with the Varney weight and didn't have to spend $80 on brass detail parts, I'd call that a win.....

I had to check the construction photos to refresh my memory...





Looks like new front steps, class lights, top feed check valves, sand domes, and cross compound air pumps for those locos, plus the plastic headlights and number boards from PSC. Some of the piping is from Bachmann, with the rest bent from wire. The air tanks are lead-filled brass tubing (and there's a block of lead under the cab - I didn't really have anything else to put there, but I didn't want it left open). The whistles and pop valves were from the scrap drawer.
Usually, when I have a locomotive project in mind, I check what I have on-hand, new or used, then pick the rest from the Bowser/Cal-Scale or Precision Scale catalogues.
For an ongoing re-build on another locomotive, I bought a Worthington SA-type feedwater heater system, but used only the cold water pump and the heater unit. The hot water pump needed to be placed in a spot where it wasn't all that visible, so I simply built a stand-in using styrene strip and tubing. I'll find another locomotive for the orphaned hot water pump, and buy or build the other needed parts.

Wayne

The Varney Casey Jones looks good as well as Wayne's construction photos. Bachmann is an excellent source for parts. You can purchase the entire consolidation boiler and cab assembly for dirt cheap and get allot of detail parts out of it. I detailed much of my MDC consolidation with Bachmann parts as well as parts from Wiseman model services on Ebay.

Ground off the headlight. Filled hole with JB Weld.

Looked for Pyle headlight and coonskin headlight bracket, found these:
[attachment=26418]
[attachment=26419]

So I'm trying to decide if I want to grind off the cast-on detail and add these, or if I should leave well enough alone...

Added some details and took it out for a test spin at my friend's layout:

[attachment=26498]

I also took a cell phone video of it in action:

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