Adding functional front coupler to 0-6-0

[on30gn15]

A question for Y'all;

Just got a Seaboard 0-6-0 item no. 50746.
It has dummy coupler on pilot beam and not enough material to cut away to make room to add a KayDee coupler box.
At least the way it appears to me.

What are any of your thoughts on changing or modifying pilot beam or entire pilot to add a functional KD coupler?

Thanks in advance for your input. 

FSWood

p.s. am also considering getting the Southern 2-6-2 and doing same to it.

[Alex Butner]

It looks like there is a coupler box behind the beam. I haven't owned a 0-6-0 but I think you could file off the coupler box and glue a kadee coupler in place. I don't know if that will work or not.

[rich1998]

kadee site has a suggestion. http://www.kadee.com/conv/hocc14.htm
you might use a very thin film of contact cement, walthers goo using a toothpick on the couple surface and bottom of the attachment point on the loco. i mean thin. a new batch of glue is good as it has not got thick yet. I have done that but have to be very careful, not ham handed. more is not better
lex

[CNE Runner]

FSWood - I recently replaced the front and rear couplers on a Mantua 0-6-0T and imagine it is similar to the Bachmann locomotive. The Mantua has the [dummy] front coupler in a slot located in the pilot beam and is screwed in place. I widened the 'slot' somewhat with a jeweler's file and added a couple of pieces of styrene (on either side of the coupler attach point) - glued in place with CA. Simply put, I made a coupler draught box in situ. I then used a long shank EZmate Mark II coupler...held in place with a longer 2-56 screw with a polished flat washer between the screw head and the coupler itself. [I used the EZmate coupler because it had the centering springs molded on; although you could use an appropriate Kadee 'whisker' coupler.] This arrangement isn't perfect, and there are some issues with coupler swing, but it is the best one can do in this situation.

Hope this helps,
Ray