These couplers feature the same coupler head design used in the compatible shank couplers. However, these have a shank narrow enough to be used in true scale size draft gear boxes. Couplers are supplied with highly prototypical Accurail® PROTO HO scale size draft gear boxes and mounting screws.
Sergent Engineering narrow shank couplers are a screw-on upgrade for the traditional
knuckle couplers included on many recently released HO scale cars and locomotives.
To find out if a particular car
will easily accept the narrow draft gear box, temporarily remove the wide factory
installed box. Cars that are easily adaptable will have a total of
three holes for draft gear box mounting. The larger center hole is used for the
mounting of the wide "standard" draft gear box that the car probably came with
from the factory. Many recently released models also have two additional smaller
holes. The Atlas® reefer shown here
is an example of such a model.
These smaller holes are used to mount the more prototypical draft gear box supplied
with the Sergent Engineering narrow shank couplers. If the draft gear box on your
model is not removable,
or is an integral part of the underframe as is the case on many older models, do not
be dismayed. A Sergent Engineering Compatible Shank type coupler will likely
drop right in to the existing draft gear box. Sergent Engineering also offers Assembly
and Installation kits to assist in retrofitting the more prototypical narrow shank couplers
to any model. Read on...
The most common type E coupler is available in both assembled and kit form. The assembled couplers are handy if you would rather spend your modeling time doing something other than assembling couplers. The kit version is easy to assemble and a bit less expensive. Some customers report that the kit couplers they assemble operate more smoothy than our factory assembled versions.
Shelf E and F couplers are currently available in assembled form only.
| Part # | Description | Price | Status | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EN87A | 
4 Assembled Die Cast AAR Type E Couplers in scale size box |
$11.00 | Stock Item |
|
| EN87K |
6 Easy-to-Assemble Die Cast AAR Type E with scale size box |
$9.50 | Stock Item |
|
| EN87KB |
144 Easy-to-Assemble Die Cast AAR Type E with scale size box |
$114.00 | Stock Item |
|
| SBEN87A | 
4 Assembled Lower Shelf E Couplers with scale size box (1968-current) |
$14.00 | Out of Stock |
|
| SEN87A | 
4 Assembled Double Shelf Type SE Couplers with scale size box (1975-current) |
$17.00 | Stock Item |
|
| FN87A | 
4 Assembled Type F Couplers with scale size box (1954-current) |
$17.00 | Stock Item |
|
| SFN87A | 
4 Assembled Type SF Couplers with scale size box (1975-current) |
$17.00 | Out of Stock |
|
An MS uncoupling wand is required to operate the couplers.
This wand is simply a custom made industrial strength magnetic rod which lifts the
internal steel
ball in the coupler allowing it to open. The wand has a wire attached to one end aid
in aligning couplers in preparation for a tie as well. We don't recommend
building your own uncoupling wand from magnets you may have lying around. Customers
who have tried this have reported less than satisfactory results.A magnet that is
too strong will prevent the couplers from later locking after uncoupling. A magnet
that is too weak won't unlock the couplers reliably.
Click here to see how to use the uncoupling wand.
| Part # | Description | Price | Status | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS | Local Uncoupling Tool | $6.00 | Stock Item |
|
Type E couplers are pretty forgiving as far a coupler height goes. Tightlock couplers
(type F and H) are not. This Sergent Engineering coupler height gauge is a go/no-go type
gauge so there is no need to guess whether or not coupler height is close enough. If the
knuckle slips into the groove on the gauge, you are good to go. Limits for the gauge are
of course based on the 32.5" to 34.5" prototype limits. The gauge is cast in tooling resin
so dimensions won't creep over time.
| Part # | Description | Price | Status | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG87 | Coupler Height Gauge | $5.00 | Stock Item |
|
The IFN Installation kit contains metal templates and an appropriate drill for accurately locating draft gear box mounting holes on rolling stock. It works equally well for all Sergent Engineering narrow shank couplers.
If you plan to assemble lots of EN87K kits you'll want an AFN Assembly Toolkit. Realize that this is not the same as the AFC Assembly fixture for compatible shank couplers. The AFN toolkit contains all necessary tools to do production line type assembly of the EN87K kits. The included assembly fixture is used to hold the coupler together as it is assembled.
You'll probably want a couple of extra ball and spring packets, too. Even though Sergent Engineering will gladly replace these small parts at no charge if they happen to get lost during assembly, you might want them more quickly than we can send replacements. These are cheap and nice to have on hand.
| Part # | Description | Price | Status | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFN | Installation tools for EN87 | $5.00 | Stock Item |
|
| AFN | Assembly tools for EN87K | $16.00 | Stock Item |
|
| BP87 | Spare Ball Bearing and Spring Pack for EC87/EN87 | $1.00 | Stock Item |
|
Couplers that have the cut lever attached on top are referred to
as "top operating" Couplers that have the cut lever attached at the bottom
are referred to as "bottom operating". The type E coupler
modeled by the EN87 was always available as a bottom operating coupler,
even though the top operating version seems to have been preferred initially.
Sergent Engineering offers two items to assist the modeler in adding these special
details.
The BCL87 contains 10 etched brass cut lever linkages. These linkages fit into slots on the bottom of the coupler as shown in the picture. These brass etchings fit the E, SBE, and SE style couplers. The cut levers (not included) should be inserted through this linkage in a manner that allows the coupler to swing from side to side.
Type F couplers are almost always bottom operated and the linkage is mostly hidden by the coupler casting. A "J" shaped small diameter wire can be used to simulate the linkage for these couplers. The Sergent Engineering type F coupler head provides a shallow locating hole for this wire.
For those that desire to model top operating couplers, Sergent Engineering offers drilled top coupler castings which will accept lift rings. This option should be ordered at the same time coupler kits are ordered. Lift rings should be installed prior to assembly of the couplers since there is a risk that glue used to attach the rings may also make its way to the locking ball inside the coupler. For this reason, the drilled tops are only an option for kits - not assembled couplers.
Holes in top castings are created with a #80 drill. We recommend either bending your own eyebolts from 0.010" wire or using Grandt Line #5085 eyebolts (or #86085 if you would rather have the equivalent in brass) for this application.
| Part # | Description | Price | Status | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BCL87 | 10 Etched Cut Lever Linkages for EC87/EN87 | $2.00 | Stock Item |
|
| DRLEN | Drilled Top Option for one pkg EN87K | $1.00 | Add 1 week for delivery |
|