Installing Micro-Trains couplers in a Kato locomotive!

Started out easy, but became more of a chore when the coupler heights were too high...Still, not too bad though!
Couplers from Fifer Hobby Supply
www.fiferhobby...
MT00102052 (2004-1) Body Mount Short Shank Kato

[@bb-ov3pi]

I have a new KATO GE P42 and I have used the 2004-1 MT couplers with the KATO clip. hight was right on.

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Very nice!

[@kerorogunso961]

I have been searching high and low for a video showing how to change kato couplers, thank you so much

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

You're welcome, glad you found it useful.

[@cruiservin0212]

Micro trains has the best couplers IMO. Great video!

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Thanks Vinny, yes, I like them the best for N scale.

[@George-nt8uw]

I appreciate your telling me that the height was now correct. I would have preferred a side view of the coupler. "Trust but verify". Ronald Reagan

[@PacTel54321]

Wonderful video. It helped me install the MT couplers on my Atlas GP40-2. No screw or shim was required. I had purchased the small tap from the hobby shop; didn’t need it!

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Glad it helped!

[@acrranscaleandlifejourney4330]

Great tips. Lol that lawn is calling you! Lol

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Thanks! Yeah, broke the lawn mower recently, the HOA is going to disown me...

[@acrranscaleandlifejourney4330]

@@brianpagemodeltrains HOA’s are nuts.

[@stevenV57]

Thanks for this info, I'm about to do the same thing on my exact same loco and this will help. Greetings form San Marcos, Texas.

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Very cool - By the way, I have family down in Seguin - Small world!

[@odenwell]

Thanks for the video. I was able to use 1015-1 couplers without any need to shim. I did have to cut the hole a bit larger and use a screw just like you did. Lines up perfectly.

[@mainecoastrailfan]

Very nice video! I enjoy the videos you produce, they are good quality and very professional

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Thank you, I appreciate that!

[@stephendougherty4108]

Is there a local hobby shop that sells N gauge BAR locomotives there you are aware of? I may have asked you before and I apologize if I did. Either way, thank you!

[@AbelG8781]

Just swapped out some myself on my Kato ACes, 70M's using the assembled versions and what a breeze it was!

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Yes, quite easy when you have the correct parts!

[@AbelG8781]

@@brianpagemodeltrains I forgot to ask, where in Texas are you? I'm down by Houston.

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

@@AbelG8781 I'm over by Fort Worth.

[@AbelG8781]

@@brianpagemodeltrains oh ok, I sometimes visit friends in Dallas. Just subbed to ya!

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Thanks for subscribing. Yeah we have family over in Onalaska, so we're over north of Houston every so often.

[@DW-ts5ki]

The clip is supposed to work even after the knotching. No screw is necessary

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Well, yes, but I used a shim, and the screw holds the shim in place.

[@HumancityJunction]

Another great video.

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Thank you Heath!

[@RoyEltham]

I've done the coupler swap on my KATO C44-9W locos using the 2004-1 parts and it came out spot on with just the simple swap in with the clip. The KATO ES44AC is different though, I ended up using MTL part 1025-1 on mine and they line up well with just using the clip. They are a smidge loose in the space, but that hasn't been a problem so far. If it does give me issues in the future, I'll have to refer back to this vid then.

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

I'm glad the 2004 worked for your loco, Roy, but next time, I'll be using a different part. I'll look into that 1025, thanks for that!

[@richharris9489]

Microtrains says 1015 for that model i did 2 of mine it work for me good luck

[@chazco]

great video. thanks for sharing

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Thanks for watching!

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

Good video keep posting updates up

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Thank you Anfield! Will do.

[@michaelmorgan7893]

The F3 and F7 use that same 2004 on the pilot. The rear couplers are a nightmare unless you stick with the Kato coupler on the talgo on the far ends, and the B units.

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Yeah, good point. I think if I had any A - B units, I'd leave the couplers on them that came with.

[@michaelmorgan7893]

@@brianpagemodeltrains mine had the goofy rapido couplers, because I got mine before Kato made their "Unimate" coupler. Had I waited, within a couple years, Kato came out with those. Because with F units, the only couplers that matter are the pilot, as they normally connect to the train itself, when ran in the A-B-B-A configuration.

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Gotcha. I swapped everything I have to the Micro Trains couplers, but I don't run multiple units - My layout is too small to worry about it.

[@FBMRR]

Excellent demo... i cant wait to my N scale cars. Ill need some magnifiers though.

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

No doubt - So the older cars you're getting are N scale, I'm surprised!

[@FBMRR]

@@brianpagemodeltrains i figured I'd dabble a little bit. Lol maybe a small layout.

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

@@FBMRR Yeah, if I had the space, I'd probably do HO, but I love the little N scales.

[@rachavya]

I shouldn't talk. After all, i have NO layout, at least not yet. However, even if I had your average "big space," there would be an argument for N-scale in a big scale. For example, my Kato Daylight train is 9 feet long in N-scale. Consider how much longer a realistically long coal train would be. In a world where realism calls for length, HO requires a giant room.

[@sherlock1895]

I found the video informative. I would like to know if the other parts could be used without modifications? I’ve never thought it a good idea trying to make something fit that really wasn’t designed to be. Cheers!

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

I think you're right, if I had purchased the correct couplers, I wouldn't have had any problems like that. But I went ahead and used what I had on hand - Probably not the best idea. On the plus side, the couplers came out at the correct height, so I was happy with that.

[@richharris9489]

It takes a 1015

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Thanks, Rich, I'm going to order some.

[@markjohnson1482]

Thanks for the video. How do you decide which of the myriad MT couplers to use?

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Well...Sometimes I didn't use the correct ones. Fortunately, the MT website has some descriptions, as well as Midwest Model Railroad's site. Mainly, I only worried about coupler height, and the ability to get around a curve on the track.

[@richardverghese1353]

need to do one loco but need micro couplers 2003-1 but in the UK,

[@sparky107107]

i don't know. ridding lawn mower , cutting grass and beer in hand.. not sure which I would rather do .. lol

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

LOL Dave - Maybe I did stray from a better course, not sure now...

[@Hero1117a]

Thanks

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Thanks for watching!

[@davebnsfnscale4433]

I use 1015 knuckles in 2004 boxes.never tried 2003 couplers,might be an easy swap

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Yeah, the thing is that the 2004 turned out to be molded higher, so it really messed me up.

[@SD45-ET44AC]

Thanks, lots of questions and everyone being nice and helpful as I’m a newbie. Do micro-trains couplers come magnetic or is there someone else who does magnetic for uncoupling or are the micro trains easy to uncouple?

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Yes, Micro-Trains has magnetic couplers. If you take a look at Midwest Model Railroad or one of the bigger suppliers online, you can see pretty much their whole line of couplers.

[@elleryparsons5766]

Hey Brian. Couldn’t you shim The Rolling Stock Couplers to meet the Coupler on The Locomotive?

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Could, Ellery, but there's just too many combos of rolling stock to do them all.

[@elleryparsons5766]

That was Funny you would want to model Railroad Instead of Mowing lawn Somethimes I feel The same way Sometimes.

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

It was a close call - Doing a video, or mowing with a cup holder and beer, wow, tough choice...

[@doublediamondrailroad5949]

I have a 2004 on a Kato ES44 and it’s too high. It’s because the 2004-1 is an Underslung Coupler. MTL chart says use on SD70’s. 1015 is the one for Gevos.

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Yeah, I had problems finding the correct couplers for the various locomotives, so I tried various ones on all of them. I found the coupler descriptions on MTL couplers to be a bit cryptic.

[@tulyar1043]

Enjoyed this video. Did you fit truscale couplers or the older style ones?

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Glad you liked it! Actually, these were all Magne-Matic Couplers and Conversion couplers.

[@davebnsfnscale4433]

Kato designed that clip well

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Yes they did, and I think if I had used the correct coupler, I might have been able to keep using it.

[@Rustyrailhead]

Did the plow fit after the height adjustment.

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

No, if I remember correctly, I had to take a thin slice off the bottom of the hole for the coupler to go through, but it was easy and it looks fine.

[@KerleyExpress]

That is way to small for me lol great job on it

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Thanks Dwight, I think they are too small for me too!

[@richharris9489]

They are small but i do it its a pain sometimes buts it's worth it.because kato couplers dont work very well.

[@prwbluz]

What size screw did you use??

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

I wish I could tell you, but I just used the screws that came with the couplers (or the screws that were already in the locomotive).

[@rachavya]

Have you converted all rolling stock to Micro-Trains couplers?

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Hi Raphael, I converted all of my original rolling stock to MTL couplers, but I recently bought 24 cars from another model railroader, and I'm still working on those.

[@rachavya]

Thanks for the quick reply. Follow-in Q: When you convert, do you do the extra work to go with body-mounted couplers?

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Well, so far, I've only used body mounted couplers once, on an old caboose. The reason is that on most of my old rolling stock, I wanted the trucks swapped out to MTL anyway, so I just replaced the whole truck assemblies.

[@Rustyrailhead]

Anyone spending the cash to swap out the original couples for MTs are you too switching the wheel sets and using whos?

[@BoxcarJerry]

Curious why you changed them ?

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Hey Jerry, I probably could have kept the Kato couplers, but it was a challenge getting the loco coupled with the MTL coupler cars. And the old Rapido couplers were awful, and didn't look right.

[@NJP76]

​@@brianpagemodeltrains It is true that Kato couplers do not play well with MicroTrain couplers. I have tried this myself and gave up and went to all M/T couplers. I didn't run into the height issue with my conversions though, and was able to use the original clip/pin setup. Unfortunately I do not remember the part number of the kits I used. (Mine were unassembled.) If you want a real challenge, try building some of these little gunners! I can only say that it is a good thing they include extra springs in those kits. But in the end, they look and work great. Love the delayed uncoupling action.

[@Rustyrailhead]

@@NJP76 I saw a video to modify the Kato coupler to play nice but still may go to the switch out.

[@NHseacoast]

Subscribed!k kato couplers are no fun at all!

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

No they aren't - Thanks for subscribing!

[@rdanscale3416]

Brian Page my Brother Awesome Video I've been not too Engaged with the model Railroad world Lately, my Focus has been on Mom back in February this Year she had a Stroke her stay in the Hospital was March 3 she Had therapy done really Good up till May 4 day before my Dads Birthday we went out to get her.. her favorite Hamburger we called to let her know we heading home but she couldn't get to the phone she was laying on her Left Side on my Couch so the food went in the Fridge) my thought wasn't on the Food I kind of went apey and into overdrive dispatch got the EMS Paramedics & Fire to our location in 2 min. They don't mess around.. she went into the ER they did a CT scan it showed a blood clot she was then transferred to Saint Francis Hospital and at 3amish the Surgeon removed the clot she was in Icu for 5 Days there we could stay overnight if we wanted we stayed till about 2 o'clock my Dad was spent so we headed home but came back around 11am that Hospital do they ever have the latest in high tech equipment.. I was told Saint Francis has one of the Best Trauma units in the State & support staff.. when filming a Train going by the Hospital I also captured a Helicopter Landing on the Heli Pad.. Moving onward she was able to Leave after a 10 day stay came back to our City for Therapy at Hutch Regional she just got out yesterday.. she sure hasn't lost her Spunkyness I think hospital stays for her makes her keep me even more inline😬🤭she better not see this i might get the Broom.. But the Video I Enjoyed as do all your Video's Brian check out the Train / Helicopter video and as for Mowing use to want to mow when i was a Kid but dad said no it wasn't that he thought it would be unsafe for my age which was 10 or 12 there was a certain way it had to be Done his way then he had a Brain Fart started letting me Mow and when we moved to Hutch he thought it was humerus when they got the House that had the half acher Yard it didn't take long though that he bought a Rider when he had to Mow it himself.. Wanted to tell ya that one sorry it went a bit long.... Take Care Brother... Allen D

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

I hope your mom gets better, Allen. We're having challenges right now too. My daughter has cancer, and my wife's dad passed away, so model railroading moved down a notch on priorities.

[@meanerkat4339]

Why would you want micro train couplers? They look about as scale as the old rapido couplers. 💩

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Actually, the MT couplers are quite a bit smaller than Rapidos.