Slack Action with Kadee Couplers

Jdevleerjr, Some modelers use a small dowel or plastic rod behind the centering spring to reduce the slack. A stiffer spring might be better....

Dennis

Jim, the Atlas couplers have a much stiffer spring. Doubt they are available for separate sale. Put an add in the want section For some adjustacouplers. Someone probably has a surplus of them they are looking to unload from their junk box. If you have some of your own. Disassemble and try out the spring. The centering action is much stiffer and the only problem I see may be sharp curves.

Some of my rolling stock does the same thing on fairly flat surfaces.  I'm thinking it has more to do with the weight of the car as it does with the springs.  I don't see it as much with a longer train but with less than 6 cars I see it most of the time.

I'll try adding a piece of styrene inside the coupler box on some of the cars and see what happens.

It sure looks neat when first pulling off though and watching all the slack being taken out of the train.

You would think that the real thing has the same problems.  Oh,,,, wait, THEY DO! 

That is the beauty of Kadee couplers, in my opinion, since they equal the REAL SLACK ACTION of real railroad freight equipment, especially for the steam era, which I model.

Be pleased with what you have, and welcome to the real world of railroading.

 My own thought on this as it seems more noticeable at different times on downhills. Is that it may be the engines we run in cruise control that have something as well to do with it. Some engines run a little less smooth when trying to maintain an exact speed with the cruise enabled. I've noticed this on some K-Line's as well as some with EOB. This action alone may result in couplers that bunch up and then stretch out. Adding more weight to the cars may help as well.

The slack action comes from 2 sources.  Inter knuckle slop, and soft sprung draft gear. IMO it is far more slack than prototype - particularly the slop between the knuckles.  Little can be done about this as it is inherent in the design of the knuckles.  The new 700 series couplers seem to have a little less slop than the old 805's.  I reduce some of the slack action by replacing the centering springs with a stiffer one.  What you give up by doing this is  delayed uncoupling - a feature I don't use.  Sources for springs include Atlas, Weaver, and old Athearn truck springs.

Ed Rappe

EXACTLY! KEEPS YOUR TRAIN HANDLING SKILLS IN CHECK.

If and when you stop your train on a grade crossing, make sure you keep it stretched out or someone might get out of their car and pull a pin on you Guess what happens when you take off? Your brakeman (or conductor when a 2 man crew) is walking back there to put the train back together.

It is a bit excessive compared to the real thing, unless you have a vehicle train