couplers on kato dd 16 and russell snow plows

[EF57]

in transit one of the plows’ coupler mounts (Arnold) came off.  instead of a spring there is a tiny brass sheet, which has to be fumbled into little slits and behind tiny pins.  in the meantime it has been deformed.  the dd 16’s couplers work the same way.  now 3 of 4 couplers are off.  very difficult to re-install— and then they tend to fall right out again.  i finally did manage to re-assembe the coupling mounts (after a whole hour) but even with the brass sheets in place, the couplers hang limp and loose.  any hints?  these can’t be the only vehicles that have these things?

[Kiha66]

Those are actually pretty standard for kato modern locomotives.  I'll try to pull apart mine and take some pictures when I get home to show how it should go together.  They seem tricky but if you work on kato models often enough you'll get the hang of them!

[katoftw]

If by limp you mean the rapido is fall towards the track.  Then you put the rapido coupler in upside-down.  The have a little curve upwards on the end to the coupler can only be pushed upwards when installed.  Sounds like those curve are around the wrong way.

 

99% of Kato locos have these coupler mounts.  Very common.  Any instruction sheet for a loco, OR the one that can with your your DD16 has the details to install the couplers. 

[EF57]

kato, you are right (as so often); in fact i recall you having given the same advice to others on a number of occasions.  The problem is that the instructions assume that the brass strip remains in place and don't show how to replace it.  I notice they list it as a replacement part.  does that mean that once it has been bent our of shape, you can just forget it and get another?

[katoftw]

The brass strip is just for centering the coupler.  But you should be able to bend it back into shape.