Mounting Kadee Couplers on Aristocraft FA Units

Hello again
I have fitted the standard 831 Kadee Coupler on the arm at the rear of my Artisto FA1. This is a simple task and it works OK. However, the old problem of the coupler arm sagging has occurred as usual, resulting in unwanted uncoupling and occasional pile- ups.   
Has anyone come up with a method of properly body mounting a Kadee? I know the difference in height between the body and the coupler is quite large but can it be done?
Bill      

I'll ask my mate, he has all his Aristo stock fitted with body mounted Kadees and has no problems

I fitted some this week and not had any problems yet but that pillar mount on the front is a bit feeble looking,
I put solid drawbars at the other ends as I could not be bothered fiddling about, with those swivelling arms,


I used two 6mm bolts and a piece of wiring board to get the right length saved some time  I will make better looking ones soon,

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I used big washers on the front to spread the load and stop it bending, I vave loaded it up with thirty  cars  and no problems yet

 

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you need to make sure that the Kadee coupler is the correct one for an FA1 and it should not sag if it is shimmed properly

Thanks for your help guys but it is the rear end coupling that I want to body mount to replace those swivelling arms that you mention. 
Bill   

Not sure which number it is for the G size Kadees, but as the draft boxes are the same as those on the G#1 then the standard coupler should fit straight on,  the front one is different as it is cranked , but the rear should be a standard straight shank,

Look at Greg Elmassonns site and  George Shreyeres  large scale website, the both have a section on the care and feeding of Kadee  and technical tips with very good pics.couplers

Hello and thanks for the help.
However I do not seem to be explaining myself properly. I want to mount my Kadee on the rear of the F Unit but directly on the body and not on the swivelling arm. The article in George Schreyer's site still talks about using the arm at the rear as hopefully you can see from the attached image. I do not want to do this!!
I cannot find the other site - is there a miss-spelling of the title?
Thanks
Bill     

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Welcome to Greg's web site!-Greg's web site!

I think this link will work,  I cant spell!!

but all you would need to do is make a rigid pillar mount securely fixed, a metal nut would do as a spacer, long screws and nuts would then clamp the whole lot together, thro the loco frame,and shim up with thin plastic sheet,

I did this a while ago on mine but then changed the lot to fixed drawbars,

I have had another look at this tonight,

The swishy bar gives a height of 25mm, so a block or spacer of around 20mm should work,


I think a peice of electricians plastic conduit glued in place with a peice of plastic fixed to it shoud give the right spacing, then long bolts thro the lot into the inside of the car body should give a good strong base and stop it all flexing

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Sounds like a really good idea but could you explain the detail of the construction method a little more? -maybe a sketch 
Thanks
 

I will do it and take some pics tonight as I need to make some blocks for my next project, which will be an FB running as a  calf to an sw

 
 
Success at last!!!
I was thinking about what you said about the dimension of the spacer block and started to have a rummage in my parts drawer. I pulled out a Kadee 884 Conversion Platform which I had just recovered from a U-Boat, and it looked about right.
Off came the car body and the coupler arm and I tried the platform only to find it was a very good fit. I had to enlarge one of its holes and drill out the chassis and low and behold a very good fit with its lugs fitting into the coupler arm circular hole. It is a little tight against the bogie rear but in practice, it runs perfectly. 
 
I have just had the A-B pair pulling 18 trucks around my layout which includes a 3.5 % grade with no problems at all. I have attached a few pics to show you what I have done.     
 
Thanks for all your help.
 
Bill       

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Hi again

this is they basic way I did it  using a G # 835

I use #1 normally and see you use the same,, I have stopped using all the odd looking kits and boxes as they dont actually do any good for me,  so the set you have used is a better job than I did, which is why I took it off, I thought that the G size would be better but wasn't as it did not mix with #1


here are some pics from tonight.

best regards  Pete

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electricity_bill



 
 
Success at last!!!
I was thinking about what you said about the dimension of the spacer block and started to have a rummage in my parts drawer. I pulled out a Kadee 884 Conversion Platform which I had just recovered from a U-Boat, and it looked about right.
Off came the car body and the coupler arm and I tried the platform only to find it was a very good fit. I had to enlarge one of its holes and drill out the chassis and low and behold a very good fit with its lugs fitting into the coupler arm circular hole. It is a little tight against the bogie rear but in practice, it runs perfectly. 
 
I have just had the A-B pair pulling 18 trucks around my layout which includes a 3.5 % grade with no problems at all. I have attached a few pics to show you what I have done.     
 
Thanks for all your help.
 
Bill       

Never thought of using this kit had one in my box of bits mmm

looks a much better way than I did