[Steve Stockham]

Yes, this is a question but it is also somewhat of a rant (of sorts.) Bachmann has been producing locomotives in 1:20.3 scale for over 10 years now. They have come out with some very nice rolling stock in 1:20.3 (Fn3) but until the K-27 was released the coupler height on the Fn3 engines would not mate with the Fn3 rolling stock! Some of this was understandable as the engines came first so it made sense to have them mate with the 1:22.5 truck mounted couplers (yes, I know they're called gladhands) but now that there is plenty of choices of Fn3 rolling stock one would think that Bachmann would make provisions for adaptors and they have........sort of!

Bachmann (in what I consider typical *ss backwards fashion) devised a coupler to be body mounted to Fn3 cars that is off-set so it will line up with the truck mounted couplers of the earlier 1:22.5 rolling stock. While this "solution" works one way it doesn't address the issue of mating body mount to body mount! Once a body mounted coupler with an off-set coupler installed it is then only good for coupling to truck mounted cars or engines with that height! Again, it is a solution but only a partial one! What about mating Fn3 rolling stock to a Spectrum Porter? NO provision was made for proper coupler height!! What about our Annies? Bachmann keeps telling us that these can represent smaller "catalog" locomotives in 1:20.3! Their answer seems to be "Use the off-set coupler if you want to run our Spectrum freight cars."

I find the whole situation unacceptable! I am told that Kadee couplers will work when body mounted but I don't like Kadees! Plus, this is a permanent solution whereas I may want the ability to change back! The only thing that would seem to make sense is to have an off-set adaptor that off-sets up to the correct body mounted height that could then be attached to locomotives! Bachmann, however, has dismissed this idea which brings us to the Connie.....

The Connie has a body mounted coupler! The coupler is off-set. I haven't tried it yet but if you take a straight coupler and replace the off-set one, will it mate up properly? I DON'T want to make a lot of changes! (I will if I have to but would prefer not to!) Any experience with this would be appreciated.

 

[Bob Pero]

I put Accucraft couplers on my Connie and set the height to match an Accucraft flat car that I have. All the new Spectrum cars seem to couple just fine with this arrangement.

 

[DrVibes]

Steve, I see people wrestling with this dilema and worse, from time to time. It is a shame that we don't have a sort of industry standard for couplers, but there is a simple solution. Get over your aversion to KD"s and use them as YOUR standard. They really are not that bad, and they look beter than the Bachmann coupler, and you will find a KD conversion kit for just about anything! I supose if you have a lot of stock this could be a daunting task or may be just not practical, but for any one just starting out, this is a simple solution. I have seen people use interface cars with a different coupler on each end, for me that would be unacceptable. I will watch with interest to see how this gets resolved.

 

[SlateCreek]

I put an AMS coupler on my #8, and a Kadee on #7. (well, ok, DAVE put the Kadee on #7!) Required a good deal of filing, but it worked pretty well. I gotta get some decals and details on her, and I'll have photos up.

Matthew (OV)

 

[Dougald]

Steve

we are at opposite ends of the rainbow on this one. The first thing I do with any B'mann Fn3 product from Connie to steel EBT hoppers is to trash those crappy B'mann couplers. They are then replaced with Kadees.

I am really irked at B'mann that there products do not include proper mounting pads already molded in for either Kadee or Accucraft couplers. As is usual in the large scale world they prefer their own oddball proprietary approach and as you have discovered, it is not even a standard in their own line.

As Dr Vibe says, bite the bullet Steve, quite whining well OK ranting and get rid of those junky couplers.

Regards ... Doug

 

[llynrice]

I strongly agree with the pro-Kadee responders in this thread. There is no standard among manufacturers and, because the Kadees have worked well for me, I enforce a Kadee standard on every piece of rolling stock I buy. That way, everything I own works just fine with everything else -- no questions asked.

Llyn