# Improving Thomas operation.



## StanleyAmes (Jan 3, 2008)

Thomas comes with loop and hook couplers which are body mounted. 


When a truck mounted loop and hook goes through a curve the trucks guide the loops so there is little movement of the hooks. In a body mounted loop and hook with a long wheelbase car, the hooks are constantly moving which increases the likelihood of problems especially in S curves on R1 track. 


Since my railroad uses knuckle couplers anyway and since Thomas and friends come with a mount and screw holes for a variety of couplers I installed a modified Kadee 830 coupler. As others have pointed out, the 830s simply screws on and are at the correct height. 


On my long AMS 1:20.3 passenger cars I cut back the sides of the Kadee boxes about 1/4 inch. This significantly increases the side to side movement possible for the couplers. I did this mod to the 830 couplers I mounted on Thomas and Annie and now I can go smoothly through R1 S curves under the Christmas tree. 



Thomas is now a really useful locomotive and will see use on our outdoor railroad plowing snow in the next few days. 



Stan Ames


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## Chip (Feb 11, 2008)

Stan: 
What kind of track are you using?
Chip


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Are you going to lower them couplers to mix with any non-Sodorian lifeforms or is yours a dedicated Xmas tree roundy-rounder?


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Non-Sodorian lifeforms 

LOL!


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## StanleyAmes (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By Chip on 23 Dec 2009 09:12 PM 
Stan: 
What kind of track are you using?
Chip For under the tree I am using Bachmann standard track, which is R1. Normally we use Brass track using R2 and R3 but this year we decided to let Thomas and friends use the track they came with.

As for cuopler height my railroad uses the body mount high height so no adaptors were needed.

The key to this is using a coupler that has a lot of side to side swing. Truck mounted couplers do this for you but if you use body mount the coupler itself must have it.

If you have Thoomas it is easy to see the problem and the solution. SImply install an S curve (a curve going one way followed by a curve going the other way with no straight inbetween)

As delivered Thomas coupler to one of his coaches will not transverse this arangement. Nick showed us how repllacing the loop and hook with a protopyical link solved the problem. I simply took this a step further and used Kaydee couplers to have the same effect.


Thomas still needs a sound system and a DCC decoder but I expect hi to be a regular visitor to the SJRP. Percy will likely stay as a Christmass tree loco for now.

Hope that helps

Stan


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Thomas is now a really useful locomotive and will see use on our outdoor railroad plowing snow 
Stan, 
0-6-0T locos do not make good snow plows! The Fat Controller will not be pleased.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Good luck let us know how this works out, this engine is very light, it wouldnt be my first choice for such a use


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