# Connecting Link and pin to Kadees



## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

I know I've seen it before. Someone out there modified a kadee coupler to work with link and pin. I just can't remember how. Any ideas? I normally run kadee but have a few logging and mining cars with l/p that i wanna run once in awhile without changing the coupler around.
Thanks for any help!
Terry


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Prototype logging lines handled this problem in several ways. Two common ones were to either remove part of the knuckle or slot it to accept a link and drill it to accept the pin.



















Kadees don't have enough meat in the knuckle to follow strictly prototype practices, but I adapted them to work with a Kadee #1 coupler by drilling a small hole at the knuckle's bend and using a thin piece of brass wire bent into an 'L-shape." 










The link ends up being offset from the coupler center, but this has never caused a problem with car tracking. Then again, I run short logging trains.

This should also work just fine with the larger Kadee G couplers.


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

I tried to show pictures but the old way which I used a month ago didn't work.

Doc


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

The image tags don't work since the last upgrade Doc. Since you're a 1st Class member, the easiest way for you is to use either the "Image Gallery" button or the "Insert Image" button in the "Add Reply" toolbar.


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

OK Terry, let's try again.

A while back I did a conversion. It may not be what you want, but maybe it will provide some ideas. The l&p parts are Ozark and the knuckle came from a Kadee 789 set.





















Doc


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

I did one for my Shay. Is this what you had in mind?

Well forget it! I keep trying to post pics and when I get one, the prior one goes bad. I know how to do it, but the software here is just too screwy to screw with anymore.









Even the "back" button doesn't work right anymore.


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## Bill4373 (Jan 3, 2008)

Dave Hottmann came up with a great idea. He took stiff wire, bent it into a "U" shape. He drilled a hole just in back of the knuckle and inserted one side of the "U" into that hole. I glued mine so it wouldn't fall out. Works like a charm. 

.


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Doc,

That is a very ingenious way for using a Kadee on a link and pin post. 


I wish I could do something similar for my Accucraft Whitcomb. Using link and pins on it and a mating Bachmann ore car has been nothing but trouble for me. I would so much prefer to use Kadees on all.






















However I think if I whittled away a Kadee to fit on my Whitcomb, there wouldn't be enough material left on the coupler shank to give it enough support or strength. The link and pin holes on the Witcomb pilot are much smaller looking then the Ozark link and pin post you used. But some experimental cutting on a Kadee head might be worth a try.


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks dwight thats kinda what i had in mind. 
Doc, i did that for my shay and climax but the loco I'm trying to take care of now has a permanent mount kadee that i can't remove without major surgery. beautiful work on that loco by the way.... 
Todd, if you want you can send a pic to me at my MLS user name @yahoo.com. 
Bill, I'm not sure I'm grasping what ur saying. A pic would be awesome but it sounds like they are hard to post. If you can could you mail it to the above address? 
Thanks everyone for the input so far! 
Terry


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By paintjockey on 19 Apr 2010 01:06 PM 
Thanks dwight thats kinda what i had in mind. 
Doc, i did that for my shay and climax but the loco I'm trying to take care of now has a permanent mount kadee that i can't remove without major surgery. beautiful work on that loco by the way.... 
Todd, if you want you can send a pic to me at my MLS user name @yahoo.com. 
Bill, I'm not sure I'm grasping what ur saying. A pic would be awesome but it sounds like they are hard to post. If you can could you mail it to the above address? 
Thanks everyone for the input so far! 
Terry 

Basically I used the knuckle portion and turned it into a drop (instead of raisded) coupler as the pocket on the Shay is way too high to meet the Kadee gauge any other way. I put a bushing in the center of the Kadee in the hole to compensate for the smaller pin and CA'ed the centering springs to the "tabs." This all sits within the bottom pocket of the Shay.


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