I bought a "new" Milwaukee Road FP7. What all should be in the box? Does Kato supply an instruction/exploded diagram with their new locos? Thanks. Doug
I'm not sure if this is a universal statement but it *SEEMS* that the older Katos came with an folded pamphlet with the instructions / exploded parts diagram and the newer ones don't. I have two SD70MACs, same road name so I can be as consistent like-for-like as possible. The earlier release has the pamphlet, the new one about eight(?) years later, does not have the pamphlet. The new one was released last year. Of course there should be a parts bag for trip pins, air hoses and number boards if your loco has those options.
I know the trip pins are missing. I don't know if there are supposed to be other parts included. Those issues aren't that important. It's just that it was presented as new. Doug
The Kato site has the following parts diagram, but it's missing the annotations for the various part numbers. http://www.katousa.com/PDF/N-parts-FP7.pdf The parts catalog/ordering page is the same for the F3, F7 and FP7 and does list some FP7 specific parts.
Thanks for the diagram. I found the couplers on the Kato site and ordered some. I assume the trucks just snap together? Doug
Someone may have beat me to this. Most parts diagrams can be found on the internet. A google search will help you find them. Yep, they did and good advice as well.
I found the download page on Kato's site to get the diagram but it says the page doesn't exist., even if I change the URL to match the above, it does nothing. Doug
Is there something in particular that you need the parts diagram for? Part numbers are mostly available in the Kato parts system. For the FP7's, I believe that the number boards are a newer (better) design than earlier F units. Also, the passenger pilot requires a different floor board, that is not listed on their parts listing. The freight pilot floorboard will not provide a robust mounting for the coupler retaining clip. Some of the Burlington freight scheme F3's (which had a passenger pilot) were delivered from the factory with the wrong floorboard. Also Doug, the URL in the post above is a live link for me. I click it and it brings up the exploded parts diagram.
Actually no, I don't really need the diagram, critically, but it worked to get it from the link above. Also, if I put the URL right in my browser window, it goes. I wanted to see how the trucks are mounted to see if I can possibly remove the rear one to get the replacement coupler in there without removing the shell and the attendant front coupler reinstall headache it involves. Barring that, has anybody ever tried to remove the shell without removing the front coupler first? It almost looks like you could release the back first and slide the chassis up (or down if the unit is upright) and back to miss the coupler. Thanks, Doug
I would think that is the case. That's how you would get the F7A shells off. https://tcsdcc.com/installation/n-scale/1637 https://tcsdcc.com/installation/n-scale/1631
No. It's a booby trap. If you try to remove a Kato F unit shell without first removing the coupler, it will spring the trap and the coupler, clip and spring may never be seen again. What is this replacement coupler that you are installing, and why do you think it requires you to remove the truck?
Those links are really funny. They tell how easy it is to install a decoder without even acknowledging the existence of a front coupler (and the level of pain required to reinstall it in a Kato F unit). Notice how no photo even includes a front coupler, even the "before" photo? But seriously. I am old, have fat fingers, no patience and no modeling skills. If I can (eventually) get a Kato F unit front coupler reinstalled, than so can you!! (I don't care who "you" are) Pro tip: lay down a towel and place the locomotive upside down in the foam cradle from its jewel box. That provides one of the 3.5 hands required to install the front coupler. If you're one of those guys who absolutely insists upon throwing away the jewel box/insert before your locomotive ever hits the rails, than I've got nothing.... I will further add that the time it takes me to reinstall a Kato F unit front coupler is directly proportional to how long it's been since I last did one. One week? Maybe five minutes. One month? Ten. One year? Get a beer, pet the cat and turn on some music. Longer? Logon to the forum for some support from friends. Bottom line: we'll all get through this if we stick together. Kato gold is worth it!
Thanks, NJ. Yes, looking at the loco some more, I see there isn't enough clearance between the front coupler assembly and the chassis to get the chassis out without bearing on the assembly and popping it loose. I will be installing the rear (ordered from Kato) coupler as it wasn't included with the loco when I received it. There is a clip with a pin on it on which the coupler mounts and a spring keeps the coupler centered and together. The clip installs from the top of the truck and there isn't enough clearance between the top of the truck and chassis to lift the clip out. At least that's the way I see it. Now, if anybody has a shorter, easier way, I'd love to hear it. I do want to be clear that I have been doing close, intricate work on N scale stuff since 1967 and used to be undaunted in doing so. It's just that, at age 68, my dexterity has really taken a hit lately and any shortcuts to reduce steps is really welcome. And, I have kept every single jewel box i have ever had, including the one from my first Atlas N scale car from 1967, the red Norfolk Southern composite gondola. Doug
I know I've removed the factory rear couplers (cover plate, coupler and spring) without removing the truck, so hopefully the reverse would be true. In those cases, I believe that I always did remove the shells to improve access. In most or all of those cases, it was to replace the factory Kato coupler with a Kato Close Coupling Knuckle Coupler. I generally do this with passenger power, also installing diaphragms to close the gap between locos. Any time I buy a new Kato F3 or F7, I routinely remove the shell and apply a thin layer of Microscale Kristal Klear over the rear of the number board inserts to "glue" them into place. I've never lost one, but have received new locos with one loose in the box. This shouldn't be necessary with the FP7, as they tooled some number board improvements whereby the number board inserts are installed into deeper pockets, which are then installed into the shell. I also don't believe that the PA, E7 or E8/9 shells have this concern, as those are also tooled differently. I'm curious to see if the new Milw Rd F7 coming out this fall has been changed, as the passenger pilot may have necessitated a new mold at the factory. I'm not sure how much of Kato's tooling involves "design reuse" versus new designs/tooling.
The coupler I will be installing is the two piece one, as shown on the exploded view, that fits over a pin or post in the clip and then a spring keeps the two halves together and allows the two halves to move apart for coupling. I'll have to check to be sure the number boards are secure in my F7s. I haven't lost one yet. Doug
Yes, I'm very familiar with all Kato couplers. I'm assuming you know that the installation sequence is: a) insert coupler and twist 90 degrees b) install cover (what you call "clip") c) insert spring As I mentioned, the FP7s have an improved design number board and I don't believe that they are at risk like the F3s and F7s. I think that the F3 and F7 molds being used to this day were from the original releases when there were no number board inserts (just blank plastic), and that at some point they modified them to form the cutout (which is really shallow and thus doesn't always provide a good basis for the friction fit, push in inserts.
These couplers aren't like the ones in your picture above. They aren't the typical "T" shank couplers. They are two piece and are kind of "T" shanked when put together but have a couple of little lips at ninety degrees from the "T" and there is a hole in the shank which fits over a post. The spring is in front and pushes on the two parts of the coupler. Since the hole in the shank has to fit over the post, they can't just be put in and twisted like normal "T" shank couplers. Here is what they look like (from their site): Doug
