Ballast Wagons / Kadee Couplings

[Fowler4f]

9 CIE IRM Ballast wagons arrived yesterday. Now to go about fitting Kadees ! From my bad experience of trying to convert Lima Mk1’s with Kadees I came across Matt at Vectis Model Rail. Emailed him yesterday re Ballast wagons and he suggested his Bachmann Prairie NEM converter, Prairie comes with cranked TLC. I have ordered some to see it they suit and I will post the results, if not, I will send Matt a ballast wagon and he will make a suitable converter.

I know Noel has glued No.18’s under NEM pocket on IRM’s advice and it works, but I would rather find another substitute to glueing.

 

[murphaph]

As the ballasts basically ran semi-permanently in fixed rakes it may not make a lot of sense to be spending money on Kadees etc. between each wagon in the rake, when a simple fixed coupling bar will do. They weren't really shunted as they were all going to the quarry or work site together usually. When I eventually have a layout, that's how I'll do it. Kadee on the ends of the fixed rake only. Food for thought maybe.

[Fowler4f]

52 minutes ago, murphaph said:

As the ballasts basically ran semi-permanently in fixed rakes it may not make a lot of sense to be spending money on Kadees etc. between each wagon in the rake, when a simple fixed coupling bar will do. They weren't really shunted as they were all going to the quarry or work site together usually. When I eventually have a layout, that's how I'll do it. Kadee on the ends of the fixed rake only. Food for thought maybe.

Agreed, I also have fixed rakes of BR wagons to which I have fitted Kadees and removed the Trip pins. I have Hunt couplings fitted to my suburban passenger stock with Kadees on each end.

[Noel]

Yea each on to their own, there's no absolute right nor wrong, whatever works. One of the biggest attractions of kadee's for me is being able to pick up any item of rolling stock vertically out of a formation without the usual tangled mess that ensues with TLCs. The closer coupling also nice, but I see the point about fixed rake formations of 2 axle wagons with kadee's on the end. My OCD likes all wagons 100% interchangeable and compatible with other stock.

 

PS: I have ROCO close coupling bars on some mk2 rakes, but to be honest they are a complete PITA.

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by Noel

[murphaph]

I guess it largely depends on how you run your layout. If you regularly need to take stock off the layout and pack it away for any reason then an easy to separate coupling like the Kadee surely makes sense on all the stock that's affected. If your stock is stored in a fiddle yard then maybe not so much, at least not financially. Horses for courses as Noel says.

[NIRCLASS80]

The problem I found with using coupling bars on the small four wheel stock is finding ones flexible enough to stop them dragging each other off the rails at crossovers and curves. 
 

This is on a layout with large radius points and 24 inch minimum radius curves. 
 

I just ended up using Kadees on all of them. Fitting them by sticking onto the bottom of the coupling box. 

[Noel]

Closer coupling yet can be shunted and automatically uncouple using kadee uncoupling magnets

Basically I followed IRMs recommended fix, to glue no 18s to underside of NEM pocket which gives perfect height for interface ability with locos and other rolling stock and uncoupling magnets.

Quick easy solution using superglue. Perfect fit and tests correctly with Kadee height gauge

 

Suggest don't plug into the NEM pockets shown below as incorrect height so won't interchange with other rolling stock nor locks because coupling is too high. Also trip pin too high for magnetic uncoupling to work so a double whammy. Instead apply the IRM fix shown above.

 

This works spot on below: Closer coupling, automatic uncoupling works, compatibility and interchangeable with other rolling stock and locos.

A rake looks more authentic than the large loose gaps the tension lock couplings create, due the closer coupling and buffers are not 2 scale feet apart.

[Fowler4f]

Using cranked NEM pockets to fit Kadees. Still need minor adjustments. Plough vans arrived today after purchase from Bob229 in Classified last weekend.