01-07-2011, 03:23 PM
I was doing some switching this afternoon and having a problem with getting two cars coupled. One car was equipped with Kadee 158 and the other with a McHenry. I've been converting all my cars to the Kadee so I though "This won't take long."
Take the truck off, get out the needle nose and start prying the coupler cover off. Boy, this thing is -SNAP- stubborn. Well, it was. Honest.
OK, let's drill and tap the box and be on our way. Find the 2-56 tap and drill bit (that I bought to replace the ones I bought a few years earlier and never could find again). Get the car in the drill press vice, carefully protected by cloth. It won't sit square. Ah, a couple of loose screws (on the vice!). Tighten those up and drilling and tapping proceed according to the manual.
Now it's time (finally) to install the new coupler. Oh, and be careful of the nice delicate stirrup. Place the coupler in the coupler box and hold the cover or the box. Coupler won't move. OK. The cover plate needs to be filed down. It's too thin to hold against the sander so I have to press it against the face of the file to get it to the proper thickness (after multiple test fittings).
Finally ready to attach the coupler -SNAP- there goes the stirrup. Get the coupler installed. Reglue the stirrup. Reglue the other parts that fell of because Front Range kits "don't need to be glued."
45 minutes later the car is equipped with Kadees and I'm ready to shut the lights off for today.
Tom
Take the truck off, get out the needle nose and start prying the coupler cover off. Boy, this thing is -SNAP- stubborn. Well, it was. Honest.
OK, let's drill and tap the box and be on our way. Find the 2-56 tap and drill bit (that I bought to replace the ones I bought a few years earlier and never could find again). Get the car in the drill press vice, carefully protected by cloth. It won't sit square. Ah, a couple of loose screws (on the vice!). Tighten those up and drilling and tapping proceed according to the manual.
Now it's time (finally) to install the new coupler. Oh, and be careful of the nice delicate stirrup. Place the coupler in the coupler box and hold the cover or the box. Coupler won't move. OK. The cover plate needs to be filed down. It's too thin to hold against the sander so I have to press it against the face of the file to get it to the proper thickness (after multiple test fittings).
Finally ready to attach the coupler -SNAP- there goes the stirrup. Get the coupler installed. Reglue the stirrup. Reglue the other parts that fell of because Front Range kits "don't need to be glued."
45 minutes later the car is equipped with Kadees and I'm ready to shut the lights off for today.
Tom
Life is simple - Eat, Drink, Play with trains
Occupation: Professional Old Guy (The government pays me to be old.)
Occupation: Professional Old Guy (The government pays me to be old.)