Body mount couplers on Kato E8a

[CNR5529]

Does anyone have tips on replacing the truck mounted Kato coupler on the E8a with a body mount coupler? Any info would help, what coupler to use, how to mount, etc. It looks like 1015s would result in a coupler that sticks out farther than the original kato coupler, which I find already sticks out quite a bit.

[Steveruger45]

Try looking at this link.  It’s not an E8 but should be a useful indication / idea.
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=42884.msg543301;topicseen#msg543301

[peteski]

Replacing the Kato coupler with a short Unimates (or whatever FVM calls them now) is by far the simplest solution, and it makes a huge difference visually.  But they will not work for automatic hand's off uncoupling

[CNR5529]

Try looking at this link.  It’s not an E8 but should be a useful indication / idea.
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=42884.msg543301;topicseen#msg543301

Thanks, it looks like I will have to do something similar, and may have to trim the coupler box back a bit to bring the coupler closer to the carbody.

Replacing the Kato coupler with a short Unimates (or whatever FVM calls them now) is by far the simplest solution, and it makes a huge difference visually.  But they will not work for automatic hand's off uncoupling

Do you mean putting a unimate in the truck coupler mount? I am not opposed to unimates, but as mentioned originally, I would rather have a body mount coupler. This is mainly because this locomotive will be used exclusively with a fleet of passenger cars which also have body mount couplers. Truck mounted couplers combined with those cars tend to cause derailments in crossovers.

Looking online over the last few days, it appears very few people have tried installing a body mount MT coupler on this loco (or at least very few have documented it).

[peteski]

Do you mean putting a unimate in the truck coupler mount? I am not opposed to unimates, but as mentioned originally, I would rather have a body mount coupler. This is mainly because this locomotive will be used exclusively with a fleet of passenger cars which also have body mount couplers. Truck mounted couplers combined with those cars tend to cause derailments in crossovers.

Looking online over the last few days, it appears very few people have tried installing a body mount MT coupler on this loco (or at least very few have documented it).

Yes, Unimates in the rear trucks.  Not sure how they would handle being coupled to passenger cars with long overhang and body mounted couplets.  Probably would be ok on large radius curves.  However since the B-end of these locos has very short overhang (which is what also makes it very difficult to body mount couplers), I don't think it will make much operational difference whether the coupler is body- or truck-mounted.  Nice thing about Unimates in the B-ends is that they allow for very close coupling.  It might be worth experimenting.  Maybe use Unimates between the multiple locos, and then body mount a coupler on the loco which will couple to the first passenger car?

[nkalanaga]

Or, if close coupling is a factor, change the front coupler on the passenger train to a truck mount?

[CNR5529]

This particular locomotive will usually be run solo on shorter passenger trains such as the CPR-B&M Alouette and Red Wing, Montreal-Ottawa day trains, and the Atlantic Limited, so the rear end will need to couple with various cars. Converting my passenger car fleet to truck mounted couplers is not an option I want to pursue at this time, and the cars are already set for close coupling.

I was able to drill and tap the chassis to mount a coupler on shims and will just have to live with the coupler distance in favour of reliable operation, at least for now. The coupler box was trimmed back a bit to allow for the truck to swivel freely. Please excuse the crappy cell phone grab.

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[peteski]

If you have a spare rear truck, I would still recommend that you try the truck-mounted short Unimate.  The conversion is easier and close-coupling.  You have nothing to lose. If it doesn't work, you can always cut off the coupler and body-mount MTL coupler.

[nkalanaga]

No, if it's going to be used on more than one train, changing the passenger cars wouldn't be a good idea.

There is (was?) a body-mounted Unimate.  All it needs is a screw, although there is no centering at all.  For pulling that wouldn't matter.  Given the screw location you should be able to get a scale coupling distance with no trouble.