Installing Kadee's Onto USA Trains Streamliner Passenger Cars!!

[Chuck]

This is something that I've been thinking about doing for years and that is converting the USA Trains streamliner passenger cars over to Kadee couplers. I've had all these cars apart over the years fixing interiors that come loose in shipping, adding people, upgrading lighting, repairing wiring and power switches etc. Always looked at upgrading couplers and though ugh! 

 

I like Kadee Couplers as nice looking with that feather touch coupling action and well the USAT style knuckle couplers are more of a slam bang affair...and my passengers deserve better!

 

And the USAT stock couplers are mounted way too low for me.

 

I started in converting my great aluminum fleet the other day and it turned out to be a rather simple affair!

 

Here's stock coupler compared to a Kadee height gauge which isn't a "set in stone" standard as I use it as more of a reference. I use the oversized "G" couplers and not the small 1:32 couplers. The 1:32 are so small that they'll slide apart vertically when a long car goes thru a dip in the track. 

 

 

My test car will be this PRR RPO as it'll be repainted next Spring.

Stock USA coupler install.

 

 

Remove center screw and pop the cover off. I use 2 small jewelers screwdrivers to disengage cover at rear. If you use a bigger screwdriver it'll break the thin plastic where slot is.

After cover removed then removing spring and coupler reveals coupler body to mount screws.

 

Remove those screws and coupler body. I reassemble couplers then stow away in the cars box.

What's left is the die-cast metal coupler mount. I'm sure this is the same design as what's used on the heavyweights.

 

Remove the 4 mount screws and mount comes off leaving a very nice spot to mount Kadee's!

 

I start with a piece of 1-1/2" wide x 1/8" thick aluminum flat stock that I buy at Menards. A 3' long piece is like $10. Sure it's the same that can be bought about anywhere like Home Depot, Ace Hardware, Farm & Fleet etc. as it's all provided by Hillman.

 

I cut a piece 1-5/8"+ long with hacksaw then square up to size with bench sander.

 

I then mark piece with a line 1/8" up from one end. If you rough the aluminum up first with say a 220 grit sanding block then a line drawn with a mechanical pencil will be a bit easier to see. Could use blue layout ink and scribe the line but then may as well use a milling machine to perfectly drill the holes but hey, this ain't rocket science.

 

After drawing line then I use the coupler mounting bracket to locate mount screw holes. Align the back edge at the line you just drew and fix with clamp while drawing holes with mechanical pencil. 

 

 

I left out that I also drew a centerline for where the Kadee mounting holes will be. I forgot to snap a pic of that layout. I use #907 Kadee's on these cars as they're bigger and beefier where it counts. Others may use the #906's. I plan on this train being at least 12 cars long with a Express boxcar or two at frontend so it's be a heavy hard pulling train.

 

In drill press, the 4 adapter to car body holes are drilled 1/8" and the 2 Kadee mount holes are drilled #33.

 

Here had to notch out the 2 ribs to make room for the 4-40 screw heads that I use to mount coupler to adapter. 

 

All mounted. I used 4-40 machine screws to mount coupler to adapter plate. I had originally planned to thread the adapter for 4-40 screws but decided on thru-hole mounting using nuts.

Gave adapter plates a quick shot of flat black paint as have plenty around here. I changed the 4 x 3mm diameter adapter plate mounting screws from like 6.6mm long to 8mm as I buy those by the 100 count in various lengths up to 16mm long. Black thread cutter/ thread rolling screws as they're VERY hand to have in stock.

 

Opposite end

 

Good shape when checked with height gauge 

 

 Few closing thoughts. It actually took me longer to writeup this posting than to make those 2 adapter mounting plates.

Material price maybe $2 per car esp. when buy the hardware by the 100's.

None of the above is "set in stone" as I may re-mount couplers further "under" the car.

If you wanted would be just as easy to use the stock USA couplers as they'd be raised and they will work with the G Kadee's. Would have to drill and tap the for the original USA coupler box flat top screws.  

[Screwy Nick]

I didn't realize USAT mounted it's couplers so low compared to the KD's.   A very nice and neat installation, and at that price can easily do the whole fleet in less than a day.  Maybe stack and drill several at one time.  Very nice design, and are stronger and cheaper than 'printed' ones. Is that a PRR car you are going to repaint UP?   Sacrilege!       just funnin'            

[Dash 8]

Good job Chuck, reminds me of my 50 tone hopper by Aristo. I had adapted it for the Kadee 920. The plate or filling piece was 3 mm thick. And wheels from Sierra Valley. 

Regards

Jan

[Chuck]

Nick, Yes the USA couplers are mounted way low. Then again the Kadee gauge is set "high" for the "automatic" uncoupling over a track magnet. "Air hoses/ trip ins" are metal and will pull away from each other in theory. I like them because they look like air hoses but other folks cut them off so they don't jam on junk between the rails.

 

Haha...Yes, PRR will become grey and yellow!

 

Jan, yes nice job!

[Screwy Nick]

Yes, I still remember the KD action from my N scale days, looooong ago, and very reliable even that small.  Only have a few in G.