PA couplers

Overview:

As usual with USA Trains diesels, the couplers are mounted very low, much lower than other G scale trains.

Kadees:

The Kadee site does not list a conversion for the PA/PB, but the coupler pedestal looks very similar to the F units, which use an 831.

On the F units, there is a second hole in the coupler "tang" and you trim the end of of the tang to allow the hole in the 831 to align with the pre-drilled hole in the tang (which is not the hole that is used for the pivot).

There is no such second hole in the PA's tang. I need to measure the coupler location to see where to mount the 831. So far, I have let them stick out quite a bit, and aligned the "button" on the tang with the circular depression on the coupler body. They are a bit far out, but it looks if I mount them in the original hole and trim the tang, the front coupler will interfere with the pilot.

Overall, the large offset coupler looks terrible, and suffers the normal performance problems with the large offset, and the swiveling USAT pedestal will give you fits with re-centering. The centering is done with the traditional USAT "whisker".

Hopefully my friend Ted will design a coupler mount for these beautiful locos, and Colin will make his nice 3d printed pedestals and coupler boxes for Kadee centerset couplers.