# Another Kato coupler question.......



## Big_Steve (Feb 21, 2016)

Bought a bunch of used cars at a train show today. They have Rapidos. My Kato has knuckles. I am thinking (your experience needed here) that the best way to connect everything is to either install a Rapido on my last kato car, or a Kato on my first car with Rapidos. Which is better or easier? What is a better idea?

Thanks!


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## MRLdave (Nov 1, 2011)

Find 2 cars (one rapido, one knuckle) that have trucks that look the same, and swap one from each car onto the other,,,,,,you'll end up with 2 conversion cars.


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## Big_Steve (Feb 21, 2016)

I'm an engineer, and I must say that your solution is no where near complicated enough.  Thanks for the idea. My Kato trucks won't fit the rapido cars, so I'll just have to buy one that does. 




MRLdave said:


> Find 2 cars (one rapido, one knuckle) that have trucks that look the same, and swap one from each car onto the other,,,,,,you'll end up with 2 conversion cars.


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## MRLdave (Nov 1, 2011)

OK......pick up a Microtrains or Atlas car, which should couple to the Katos, and do the swap. Having 2 conversion cars will also let you mix the cars a little more.


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## Big_Steve (Feb 21, 2016)

The old cars with Rapidos that I picked up have mostly trucks that attach with one screw and the coupler is attached.

3 of my Katos have the coupler attached to the trucks, and the trucks mount by slipping over a plastic clip. The hole in the Kato trucks is too small to use on a Rapido car, and the hole in the Rapido truck is too large for the Kato clip.

So, would an MT or Atlas truck likely fit the Rapido mount, and vice-versa?

Thanks.



MRLdave said:


> OK......pick up a Microtrains or Atlas car, which should couple to the Katos, and do the swap. Having 2 conversion cars will also let you mix the cars a little more.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Fitting trucks*



Big_Steve said:


> The old cars with Rapidos that I picked up have mostly trucks that attach with one screw and the coupler is attached.
> 
> 3 of my Katos have the coupler attached to the trucks, and the trucks mount by slipping over a plastic clip. The hole in the Kato trucks is too small to use on a Rapido car, and the hole in the Rapido truck is too large for the Kato clip.
> 
> ...


Big Steve;

Micro trains trucks come with adapters to fit several types of cars. You might buy one pair of MT trucks and test them on your equipment. In the long run, most all modelers want mt couplers. Now might be a good time to convert your still limited number of cars.

Traction Fan


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## rrjim1 (Mar 12, 2015)

I have to agree, all the cars that I own that came with Rapido trucks and couples have had them replaced with Kadee/MT trucks and couplers. 
Model Railroading is suppose to be fun and it sure isn't if your rolling stock keep derailing or coming uncoupled all the time.
I also replaced all those crappy Kato couplers with MT couplers. They work with other Kato couplers but don't stay coupled with MT.


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## Big_Steve (Feb 21, 2016)

Thanks for the input. Last night I got a couple of new Kato hoppers that had been on backorder when I got the main set a week or so ago. In with the cars were Rapido couplers. I swapped out one knuckle for a Rapido. Problem solved, at least in the short term. If I start having problems with couplers not playing together well, I'll see about changing out to MT.

Looking forward to getting past rookie status. Like everything else, so much to learn.


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## pmcgurin (Sep 7, 2010)

I have changed some of my Kato freight car trucks to Micro Trains trucks, and in a few cases I just changed one truck out so the car could mate with either. 

Putting a MT coupler only in is the last thing I would do, because the parts are so small and I have trouble handling them. Also, while you should always treat your cars with care, I have had MT couplers break a few times, so I recommend being especially careful not to mate cars hard. Kids playing crashbang with my stuff have written off a few MT couplers.


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## MRLdave (Nov 1, 2011)

A lot depends on how you plan to run..........if you like to put a train together and watch it run, there really isn't a big reason to swap to MT couplers (or equivilant). Most people don't like to admit it, but Rapidos are just as reliable as knuckle couplers. Having said that, they are obviously NOT prototypical and are horribly oversized and especially in older versions, they didn't roll the greatest, but that's the trucks, not the couplers. A lot of my passenger trains still have Rapido couplers and the Rapido equipped cars stay together better than with Knuckle couplers and run closer together..........I traded one train from Rapidos to MTs and hated the results and put the Rapidos trucks back on the cars. I should say that I have swapped out to better wheel sets in the trucks, and I never break up the trains. Which brings up the other side of the coin.........if you plan to do a lot of switching or want to change your trains around a lot, You'll appreciate having standardized couplers. Most knuckle couplers also allow for magnetic uncoupling or uncoupling with an uncoupling tool, which is not an option with Rapidos.


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