Drooping couplers

[Desert Rose]

If your trip pin hangs down and has a habit of catching on the ez-track turnouts causing derailments or car separation you might try a couple of things.

DROOPING COUPLERS.
               
1. DROOPING COUPLER (FIG.1).               
2. TURN CAR UPSIDE DOWN AND PLACE ON A MAINTENANCE CRADLE.               
3. REMOVE GEAR BOX LID (FIG.2).               
4. INSTALL KADEE 0.010 GRAY INSULATING FIBER WASHER ON COUPLER (FIG.2).       
5. FOR NEW CARS INSTALL KADEE 0.010 GRAY INSULATING FIBER WASHER ON COUPLER (FIG.3).       
6. REINSTALL GEAR BOX LID (FIG. 4).               
7. USING A KADEE #206 HO INSULATED MULTI-PURPOSE COUPLER HEIGHT GAUGE FOR HO STANDARD, CHECK CLEARANCE (FIG.5).
8. IF TRIP PIN IS BELOW FOOT PLATE, WITH BLUE BOX CARS ADD ONE KADEE 0.010 GRAY INSULATING FIBER WASHER AND ONE
   KADEE 0.015 RED INSULATING FIBER WASHER ON THE KING PIN BETWEEN THE FRAME AND TRUCK (FIG.6).
9. FOR TYCO BODY COUPLER UPGRADE, ADD TWO KADEE 0.015 RED INSULATING FIBER WASHER ON THE KING PIN BETWEEN THE
    FRAME AND TRUCK (FIG.7).
10. WHEN THE TRIP PIN IS ABOVE THE FOOT PLATE, CHECK FOR CLERANCE ON THE KADEE #321 BETWEEN-THE-RAILS CODE 100
    DELAYED-ACTION MAGNETIC UNCOUPLER (FIG.8).
11. CHECK FOR CLEARANCE ON THE EZ TRACK TURN OUT (FIG.9).

           
FIG.1


FIG.2


FIG.3


FIG.4


FIG.5



FIG.6
   


FIG.7


FIG.8


FIG.9

[Ralph S]

Hummm,
In a different post I second your coupler fix, but I use I use the red Kadee (208) instead of the grey (209).     
Should I rethink use of the red over the grey?  My red ones, seem to work fine, but if the grey ones work better, I'm all for it.  What's your experience with the red ones, if any.

[Desert Rose]

You can use which ever it takes to take the droop out, as long as it doesn't bind. grey is a good start point.

[trainman203]

On most of the cars I put truck washers on, the whole car body sits too high with air visible between the truck and the car, creating a Highwater pants look that is very unrealistic.

On such cars, I find undershot Kadees to be a better solution to the low riding coupler problem.

https://www.amainhobbies.com/kadee-ho-multipurpose-coupler-9-32-under-2pr-kad27/p282812?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsIfn8dfj_gIVPvvjBx0yxQBaEAkYAiABEgKPAPD_BwE

[Geeper]

I use Bachmann over-shank and under-shank couplers with great success, to get proper coupler alignment. Only once did I need to slightly 'bend' the trip pin.

[trainman203]

I use those couplers a lot.  On certain old "blue box" Athearn cars, the whole underframe with the coupler pockets was too low, while the height of the car sides from the rail were correct. Raising the car up on truck washers fixed the coupler height, but put the entire car a scale foot higher above the trucks than prototypical.  And that extra scale foot was nothing but open air between the top of the trucks and the bottom of the car sides that a scale football player could've thrown a scale touchdown pass through, a ridiculous and toy-like high-water pants appearance.  On those cars, undershot Kadees solved the coupler height problem neatly.