# N scale couplers for Kato passenger car



## corp5382 (Feb 14, 2017)

Please give me suggestions. I recently purchased a Kato Pennsy passenger car set. The couplers need replaced. I know Micro Trains appears to be the first choice, but which coupler model would be the best? I am also replacing the coupler on my Kato GG-1 as well. 

I'm new to N scale, as I have been involved with O all of my life. Thank You for any suggestions.


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## Overkast (Jan 16, 2015)

Welcome to Model Train Forum! 

Do you have to replace them since the loco is also Kato? I have a Kato EMD F40PH Amtrak loco and passenger cars, and right now I don't think there's a need for any other loco to be pulling those cars. All my freight cars I do plan to be running Micro-Trains couplers, though. I have 2 Atlas locos with Accumate couplers and they seem to actually link up just fine with the Micro-Trains couplers, so I may not even need to retrofit the locos (still on the fence about that).


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Yes, Micro Trains couplers seem to be the No1 go to for N couplers these days, not so nessecary on passenger cars which you can run in a rake but are useful for switching.

Atlas Accumate couplers are similar which you might lime to consider.


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## Tony35 (Mar 18, 2016)

I would go MTL 
Yes, accumates play well with MTL


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## corp5382 (Feb 14, 2017)

Yes Overkast it is a Kato locomotive. I have to replace thm also because some of the original couplers are broken.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Coupler kits and website*



corp5382 said:


> Yes Overkast it is a Kato locomotive. I have to replace thm also because some of the original couplers are broken.


corps5382;

Micro trains sells many different adapter kits designed to fit specific locomotives. You might want to check their website www.microtrains.com and see if they have a kit designed to fit your Kato locomotive. Failing that, I would body mount a plain micro trains coupler designed to fit about any car. 
For the passenger cars, you could also body mount couplers, unless your using sharp curves (11" radius or lower) If you are, then I would recommend replacing the passenger car's trucks with micro trains passenger car trucks with couplers already attached.

good luck;

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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## Matison (12 mo ago)

Overkast said:


> Welcome to Model Train Forum!
> 
> “Do you have to replace them since the loco is also Kato? I have a Kato EMD F40PH Amtrak loco and passenger cars, and right now I don't think there's a need for any other loco to be pulling those cars”


I don’t have a Kato yet. I’m hoping to get one soon. I’ve tried the lesser expensive cars first and am learning that you get what you pay for. I bought a few used Atlas locomotives, not realizing that their older N models were not very good. 

My best 2 locomotives are a Concor 40-2 and a Tomix EF81. They are quiet and run great at slow speeds
My three not-so-good locomotives are: AHM (Diesel), Atlas (unknown steam), Atlas EMD E8A. These are loud, and don’t move until the throttle is half way. They run fast, and continuously derail. Oh, I forgot to mention the Tyco. It is dead. It is a
Santa Fe, which is a cursed name for me. Anything that I have or had that says Santa Fe will not run.

My freight cars are mixed too: Trix (Italy), Atlas and a few other ones.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

Matison said:


> I don’t have a Kato yet. I’m hoping to get one soon. I’ve tried the lesser expensive cars first and am learning that you get what you pay for. I bought a few used Atlas locomotives, not realizing that their older N models were not very good.
> 
> My best 2 locomotives are a Concor 40-2 and a Tomix EF81. They are quiet and run great at slow speeds
> My three not-so-good locomotives are: AHM (Diesel), Atlas (unknown steam), Atlas EMD E8A. These are loud, and don’t move until the throttle is half way. They run fast, and continuously derail. Oh, I forgot to mention the Tyco. It is dead. It is a
> ...





Matison said:


> I don’t have a Kato yet. I’m hoping to get one soon. I’ve tried the lesser expensive cars first and am learning that you get what you pay for. I bought a few used Atlas locomotives, not realizing that their older N models were not very good.
> 
> My best 2 locomotives are a Concor 40-2 and a Tomix EF81. They are quiet and run great at slow speeds
> My three not-so-good locomotives are: AHM (Diesel), Atlas (unknown steam), Atlas EMD E8A. These are loud, and don’t move until the throttle is half way. They run fast, and continuously derail. Oh, I forgot to mention the Tyco. It is dead. It is a
> ...


Matison;

I don't know if you noticed, but this is an old thread from 2017. However, I see that you posted only a couple of hours ago, so I'll answer.

Older N-scale locomotives (just about any brand) are poor runners. They used cheaper three-pole motors, high gear ratios, and no flywheels. An N-scale loco made in the last twenty years or so, will typically run a lot smoother and quieter, especially at low speeds. The reasons are that they have five-pole motors, lower gear ratios, and flywheels.

Kato was something of a pioneer in making better running N-scale locomotives, even before they started selling under their own name. Two exceptions to the general "It only runs fast & noisy, if it runs at all" trend back then were the "ConCor" Pa-1 diesel and "ConCor" J3A Hudson steamer. Both these slower, quieter, and more reliable, runners were actually manufactured by Kato, not ConCor.
ConCor is primarily an importer, and manufactures only a few nice models of their own. Most ConCor models are made by other companies.
Kato also makes many of the newer "Atlas" diesels. The nice plastic box these "Atlas" diesels come in is a clue. The identical box is used for Kato brand diesels. The boxes of both brands are marked "Made in Japan." Most current model trains are made in China.

I'm a big Kato Fan! Nearly all the locomotives I own are made by Kato. I also have some of their beautiful passenger trains. About the only problem I've ever encountered with Kato locos & cars is their couplers. Kato couplers work very well with more Kato couplers, but not well with other brands of couplers. The Kato couplers just don't stay coupled with other brands reliably.

Micro-Trains makes the best couplers in N-scale. I use only Micro-trains couplers on my freight cars, which are coupled & uncoupled during switching operations. Passenger cars do get some switching, though not as much. For now, I'm leaving the Kato couplers on my Kato passenger cars, since they will be run as complete trains most of the time. If I later get into switching passenger cars, I may replace the Kato couplers with Micro-Trains couplers.

By the way, "Trix" is short for Minitrix, a brand made in Austria.
Rivairossi is an Italian brand that once made decent passenger cars and (for their earlier time) respectable steam locomotives. Today's steamers are a lot better.

Traction Fan 🙂


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## Thelic (Jan 10, 2018)

I'll add to traction fan's experience with Kato.

I have six ES44ACs from Kato and the couplers are a big source of disappointment. Running consists around the Kato M2 Master set (12-3/8" radius) the engines would regularly become uncoupled from each other. If they produced any slack in the corner they would simply let go. This is typical as the lead loco enters the corner and slows as it starts to turn, resulting in the trailing loco pushing briefly. Then upon exiting the corner the lead engine gets onto the tangent first and speeds up slightly escaping from the trailing loco. 

They also occasionally fail to latch even on tangents when pushed together.

I swapped all six to Micro-Trains and the problems went away.

Kato makes a wonderful powertrain though. No complaints there, I will continue to only buy Kato mechanism equipped locos.


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## Matison (12 mo ago)

traction fan said:


> Matison;
> 
> “I don't know if you noticed, but this is an old thread from 2017. However, I see that you posted only a couple of hours ago, so I'll answer.“
> Traction Fan 🙂


Traction Fan: Thanks for the reply. I’m fairly new here, and sometimes end up choosing the wrong category, or cannot find what I’m looking for. I’m slowly getting better at it.

I agree that the Kato’s are very good locomotives. I have an Atlas HO that was made by Kato (I’m pretty sure). I have not used it yet, because I’m working on an N setup during the winter/spring. When it gets warmer, I will probably work on building an HO setup.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

Matison said:


> Traction Fan: Thanks for the reply. I’m fairly new here, and sometimes end up choosing the wrong category, or cannot find what I’m looking for. I’m slowly getting better at it.
> 
> I agree that the Kato’s are very good locomotives. I have an Atlas HO that was made by Kato (I’m pretty sure). I have not used it yet, because I’m working on an N setup during the winter/spring. When it gets warmer, I will probably work on building an HO setup.


Matison;

If you're planning on building a new layout in N-scale now, and maybe another, HO-scale layout later, the attached files may help you. Another good source for new modelers is the book "Getting Started in Model Railroading" by Jeff Wilson. It covers many model railroad topics in simple text, & many color photos. A very good "first book" for any newbie. Yes, Kato does make some drive mechanisms for HO-scale Locomotives. Intermountain, and Stewart, have some HO locos with Kato drives. I think Kato also makes, and sells, a few HO-scale locomotives under their own brand name. I'm not sure, since I have been in N-scale for many years.

Keep having fun;

Traction Fan 🙂


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