# USAT/Aristo/Kadee copuler conversion, G-scale E Typle



## buckitrain (Feb 18, 2009)

I am in the process of converting my LGB, USAT and Aristo rolling stock (& engines) to one coupler, the new Kadee, Type E (900 series), G scale. I've converted just about all the LGB, hook-n-loops, pretty easy. I am having more difficulty converting the Aristo cars to the 909 Kadees. Until now i've pretty much have been trucking mounting my couplers but after installing a Kadee (906) on a USAT 42 "modern" tank car. I couldn't install a truck mount on the USAT tank car since, the entire tongue is metal so I installed it on the body to see how it would work on the layout. The problem was, the wheel hit the sides on the coupler box, so i turned the truck's backwards (tongue attachment facing inward). Once i did this the car performed alright on the layout, no detrailments yet but I wasn't sure if there was a better way (different coupler box???).


Has anyone installed a Kadee on the 42' USAT tank car, either body or truck.

I am now leaning towards mounting the remainder of my rolling stock, primarily Aristo, on the body. The trucking mounting of the 909s on Aristo rolling stock seems to require to cut away the box to accomodate the axle on the truck. Not sure if i am doing that correctly. Maybe the body mount on my Aristo rolling stock would be better than to perform that modification. I've read the pro and cons of truck vs body mount but after seeing the USAT tank car (w/ body mount) perform I am considering the body mounts from this point on. If I decide on body mounts on the Aristo rolling stock, Kadee calls for the 909. Would i have to purchase another box or is there another modification involved??
Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated on this.
Thanks!!!


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## Ted Doskaris (Oct 7, 2008)

The Kadee 909 is a large upper offset coupler that is typically meant for truck mount application.










I prefer to stay away from offset couplers, not only for the ugly appearance, but for their poor physics with long heavy trains as they would tend to "lever" under load.

I body mount using Kadee CENTER SET type couplers, either the Kadee 906 









(large box, long shank coupler) 

or the Kadee 907.










I mostly use the Kadee 906s, except for special reasons such as on the Aristo flat & Gondola cars and USAT Bay window / Extended vision caboose where I body mount the Kadee 907s - usually in concert with "lowering" the car. Cars longer than "40 foot" types usually require notching the sides of the coupler box for wheel clearance on curves. Also, some cars may require shim spacers or a special bracket to best mount the coupler assemblies.


I've done many Kadee body mount centerset coupler conversions on Aristo, USA Trains and AML cars (and locos, too) and written about them.


Example Aristo 100 ton hopper with Kadee 906:











Example Aristo 40 foot flat car:











Example AML PS2 4750 cuft hopper car:











Example USAT Bay window & Extended vision cabooses:




















Greg E. host the articles on his Web site under the "*TedDoskaris' Vignettes*"
Go through the menu list and pick what may be helpful.

-Ted


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## buckitrain (Feb 18, 2009)

Ted,
Thanks for the response, very informative. I am going to check-out Greg E's site about articles posted there. I am leaning towards the body mounted couplers, 906 or 907 more and more for the remainder of the rolling stock that I need to convert.
Thanks again.
Chris


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Ted's vignettes are referenced throughout my site, but they are also "collected" in one menu:

http://www.elmassian.com/trains/ted-doskaris-vignettes[/b]

Greg
[/b]


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## Ted Doskaris (Oct 7, 2008)

Greg's posted link seems to include appended characters that result in "Error 404" when clicking on it! 

The link without those characters is: 
http://www.elmassian.com/trains/ted-doskaris-vignettes 

-Ted


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

I body mount all 907's, as the 906 dose not look right. If you look at a real freight car the opening where the coupler fits in is not that big. 
Only on TOFC are they like the 906, or a special flat car or a sliding center sill car. 

Don


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Another thing to consider when using the 906 gearbox, is the radius of the curves and switches. Even on a basically short car, USAT center copula caboose in my case, it is set up to use the 906, but since my frt yard has R1 switches, the wheels drag on the 906 gearbox and wants to derail the caboose. So, even with 4 ft radius/ 8 ft diameter curves, body mount couplers can cause problems when mounted to long frt and passenger cars.


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## Ted Doskaris (Oct 7, 2008)

That's why the 906 box is to be trimmed, the location and amount depending on the particular car.
Shown below is an example AML PS2 4750 ft3 hopper. It works best on 10 foot diameter or greater track curves but still can go through my 8 foot diameter rail yard curves.











-Ted


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Great idea Ted. 

I'll have to get my Dremel out and start trimming.


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