01-08-2011, 12:15 PM
FCIN Wrote:Although I'm still using Kadee No. 5's, I won't put a new car into service until it has Kadee's on it. More often than not when I've purchased new cars the past couple of years or so, they all seem to come with plastic McHenry (with and without metal springs) or Accumate type split shank plastic couplers.
For the most part, replacing them has been a snap, EXCEPT, I've picked up 3 or 4 Athearn cars lately that are some of their older models that have been updated with the addition of separate grab irons, etc., but to my horror still used the old style stamped metal snap on coupler box cover! Those things are a pain to get off and you risk damaging the two little plastic lips that hold them in place. I managed to get them changed out okay without damaging anything, but shame on you Athearn! If you're going to upgrade the car with better details, then PLEASE fix the coupler pockets too!
If I decide to start changing to the scale size couplers one of these days, those cars will no doubt have their factory coupler pockets removed completely and replaced with Kadee pockets. Somehow, I don't think they'll hold up to having that stamped metal cover pried off too many times.
At one of our recent club meetings, a member showed off a new tool that A-line has come out with. It is a centering piece made of steel that just fits over the pin on the Athearn coupler with a hole to just fit and guide the correct drill (included with the kit) for doing a 2-56 screw centered on that pin to mount your Kadee coupler. Once done, you don't need to worry about the tabs no longer holding the metal clip in place or the metal clip losing it's tension.