Darned those steam locomotive pilot couplers!

[nachoman]

I like having working couplers on my steam locomotive pilots - but the installation is never easy!

There's usually a problem with the hole in the pilot not being big enough, so I may have to cut or file away at a few details.

And then there is the "cowcatcher" interfering with the trip pin on the coupler. My options are to cut off all the trip pins (all cars have to have them cut off, too), or file away at the cowcatcher for clearance, or extend the coupler away from the pilot.

Now I finally get one that I think will be easy. The hole in the pilot is already the right size. And - it's a switcher pilot so no cowcatcher issues. But now the darned pilot truck hangs up on the coupler box! I'm not sure how to deal with this one. I may have to extend it from the pilot like I did on some other locos.

It's never easy.

[Steamtrains]

I'll rarely use a coupler box on the pilot coupler...I just screw it in place with a tiny screw, and center it manually if required to couple to a car...

[nachoman]

Gus - that's a good idea!

[doctorwayne]

Another option is to use a different Kadee than you'd use on a freight car. If I recall correctly, either the #7 or #8 had a very short draught gear box (these seem to have been replaced by the 30 Series couplers). While those were short shank couplers, too, there's no reason why you couldn't use a longer-shanked coupler with that draught gear.
I've also used those plastic Kadee clones with the centring spring moulded as an integral part of the coupler's shank. Properly installed, it will self-centre without need of the mounting box, and it also gives you an insulated coupling - handy if you're double-heading all metal locomotives. Just make sure to use the version with a coil spring in the knuckle: those with a leaf-type knuckle spring will fail very quickly.

For small pilot openings, like those found on brass locomotives (many are blind openings) you can drill through, then use needle files to enlarge the opening and re-shape it to suit whichever coupler you're using.
In some cases, a regular Kadee of suitable shank length (or its all-plastic equivalent from the 20 Series) can be modified to fit the original opening simply by cutting off the mounting boss on the coupler, then shortening the remaining shank to give the length required. Drill a clearance hole in the shank and use the original #90 screw to hold it in place. While a coupler mounted in this manner will not self-centre (you'll need to train the little plastic brakemen how to kick them into alignment) they'll otherwise work just fine. I've mounted Kadees on brass locos which were equipped with dummy drop- and swing-type couplers, too (although the drop or swing action no longer functioned when converted to Kadees).


Wayne

[nachoman]

thanks Wayne, the whisker coupler is a good idea.

I wound up taking an old #4 which already has a hole in the shank that only needed slight enlarging for an 00-80 screw. I cut off the shank behind the hole, and used a screw to attach it. This is for an HOn3 pilot - and the Kadee HOn3 coupler pretty much needs a coupler box for the knuckle to open, so mounting that kind of coupler without a box wasn't an option. I wish I could use a "scale" head Kadee in it's place, but the shank is not wide enough for my 00-80 screw, and the shank is too long otherwise. The HOn3 couplers will couple to the standard size couplers just fine, it just looks a little large.

[ray_m]

Here are a couple of photos of a modified shank KD coupler like Wayne described.
I have also modified KD #30 series springs to center the couplers too.

[nachoman]

Ray, seeing those photos makes me wonder why Kadee never came out with an "extremely short" coupler shank. It seems like it would be simple enough, and it seems like it would have many applications on locomotive pilots and perhaps the rear coupler on F units.

[modelsof1900]

Here my solution yet for a movable Kadee coupler in front of my NH rail coach - however, very similar to written solutions before.



The pivot point is a short wire set direct befor the front plate of coupler guide - here not good visible behind the coupler rod.



On backside I glued a wire formed to an eye bolt in a hole of shortened shank and then I added a spring for centering the movable coupler.
The spring could be a shorter one or this can be a small flat spring that is set behind a rectangular shortened end of shank. I think that there are many solutions for centering the coupler.

[nkp_174]

Excellent solution! I may have to incorporate something like that into my cars since I'm not planning on using Kadees, but would like self centering.

[Puddlejumper]

I just made the switch to Sargent couplers. This should eliminate any problems with steam locomotive pilots, I'll post some pics of my roster after they have been switched over. One nice thing about Sargents is that they couple to most brands of solid plastic, "fake" couplers, like the ones that are sometimes cast into the front pilot of steam locomotives.

Dave