# Knuckle Couplers for Model Power 2-8-2 Mikado



## Bone1977 (Jan 17, 2014)

Hey guys. I recently purchased a used Model Power Mikado 2-8-2 with the Vandy style tender. The seller did not include the knuckle coupler so I am stuck with a rapido on the tender. Needless to say this is not a good thing. I have a few convertor cars from one to the other, but none in a UP theme which fits. I've looked all over and cannot find these for sale. I looked at the Kadee site and cannot make heads or tails of it. The Vandy tender looks to be the same as my 4-6-2 Pacificas from MP so I'm thinking they might be compatible?

Bottom line is I'm still a newbie when it comes to couplers and could use some help on this. MP's website shows replacement packs, but they are rapido style and their replacement trucks wont work for the tender as the coupler is body mounted.

Links would be appreciated


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## pmcgurin (Sep 7, 2010)

I don't know a heck of a lot about couplers either, but I was some time ago faced with having to adapt a lot of rolling stock and some locos to knuckle couplers, because I had bought several locos that had knuckle couplers. What I did is most likely not what most would have done. I found that Kato made knuckle couplers in packs of 20, I think, and you could assemble them and work them into a coupler box instead of a Rapido. The hobby store owner I shopped at at that time, about 2002, strongly recommended the Kato packs in lieu of Microtrains couplers. So, I used them and found they would fit into rear coupler boxes on Kato and some other locos and into a lot of rolling stock as well, from Atlas passenger cars to Con-Cor passenger cars to a lot of Bachmann and Life Like locos and rolling stock. I think these are hard to find now, but I have found some by Googling for them. They are still working great. I would bet that experts here would probably recommend against them, though.


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## Bone1977 (Jan 17, 2014)

Thanks for the reply pm. I had to box up all my stuff as I'm getting ready to move so I will address this when I get to my new place. I will keep an eye out


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## powersteamguy1790 (Mar 26, 2012)

You can body mount either a MT-1015 or a MT Z scale #905 coupler on the tender frame. For the front coupler on the steamer use a MT Z scale #905 coupler in the coupler pocket which has to be widened.

Below are MT Z scale #905 couplers mounted in the front coupler boxes of various steam locomotives.


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