How about just replacing the damaged couplers?

I know, it sounds like a silly question but is it worth the effort to try to repair them?

I have zero experience of Kadee, and am just expressing an "obvious" opinion about the problem...

Yep, a practical solution for the problem.

I don't have profound experience with Kadee couplers either. But it bothers me that there's possibly a trick with these couplers which I don't know. So I would be able to repair all the different types of Kadee couplers (there are 10-15 variants for cars different brands) Why else should they provide these tiny replacement springs ?

Hans Martin

This can be handy when replacing springs. It is a plastic "pick" that fits within the spring.

http://kadee.com/htmbord/page309.htm

Hi Justin,

many thanks for posting the link, I knew there must be some sophisticated highly developed tool

Hi Caboose,

There is definitely an issue with Kadee couplers and Märklin NEM pockets. The couplers a a bit loose, and therefore are about 0.5 mm too low. But it depends on the car. I usually place some narrow paper strips under the coupler when I insert it into the NEM pocket. It's ok when it is tightly fastened.

Also the uncoupler horn (i.e. this bent metal stick under the coupler) shuld be bent upwarts a little. Otherwise it will most certainly hang at the pukos of the turnouts, and cause a derailment (or break the coupler or NEM pocket).

Another important thing is the NEM pocket mechanism of most Märklin cars which allows the coupler to sweep to the side in curves. This mechanism is only needed with Märklin short couplers. With Kadee couplers the mechanism should be blocked such that the NEM pocket is fixed in the center position. Otherwise the coupler will move sidewards when there is a pulling force applied.
On most of my cars it sufficed to press the tip of a tooth pick into the mechanism, that's quite easy and can be removed again.

With this amendments I never had any coupler-related derailments, even in R1 curves or when pushing the train backwards. One exception seem to be the streamliner coaches 436xx. It appears they only run flawlessly using M* short couplers. All my efforts to install Kadee couplers here have failed (unless you accept a much larger coupling distance).

I should emphasize that this all applies to cars without buffers (i.e. US models). Kadee couplers + buffers + R1 curves, this seem to be completely incompatible things.

Regards

Hans Martin