Kadee U25B Couplers
Manufacturer: Kadee Quality Products, 673 Avenue C, White City, OR 97503. Price: 884 ARISTO-CRAFT U-25B locomotive coupler conversion packet $5.45 per set suggested list.
ONCE BEFORE, WE pointed out Kadee® couplers are the "standard by choice" of every scale in our hobby, except the large scales. Virtually every hobbyist in every scale from Z through O replaces stock couplers with Kadees. For some reason, in large scale, no one manufacturer's coupler predominates. But a growing number of modelers is turning to Kadee products because of their consistently outstanding quality, excellent appearance, and smooth, reliable performance.
Kadees look very much the same as real knuckle couplers. The smaller One Scale coupler is accurate for 1:32 scale standard gauge rolling stock and very close to accurate for ARISTO-CRAFT's 1:29 scale models.
Kadees couple mechanically but uncouple magnetically. A curved trip pin drops from the knuckle toward the track. When it passes over an uncoupling magnet, it swings to one side and opens the knuckle. The magnetic attraction between the trip pins of facing couplers holds the cars together until you stop the train and reverse the direction. Then the couplers let go. The system is ingenious.
You may also uncouple Kadees mechanically by inserting a screwdriver into a mating pair of knuckles and twisting. The procedure is less elegant but has many adherents among hobbyists in the smaller scales, particularly those objecting to the unprototypical trip pin. They usually snip off that piece.
Now you know the theory. In practice, Kadee large scale couplers work every bit as well as their small scale counterparts. And once again, with the number 884 conversion packet, the manufacturer has taken the frustration out of installing them on ARISTO-CRAFT U-25B diesels.
Kadee says you'll need a small Phillips screwdriver, a small standard screwdriver, a file, (and a razor saw only if you install the larger "G" scale couplers). We were unable actually to do a conversion because we had no U25-B locomotive sample but the very clear and excellently illustrated instructions suggest the installation is easy: Just remove the original coupler mounting bracket and replace it with Kadee's counterpart using the screws Kadee provides. Remove the small areas on the Kadee coupler draft gear box as in the illustrations we have reproduced. Position the bracket lid, then screw it and a coupler/gearbox assembly in place. End of modification. If you want a more finished appearance, Kadee also has included a faceplate to fill in the large opening on the pilot surrounding the gearbox.
Except for the screws, all parts are very high quality plastic castings. They are free of flash and fit together perfectly. In our experience, the performance of Kadee products is unsurpassed.-RR
