EC87KD

Compatible Shank Couplers

Sergent Engineering compatible shank couplers feature a shank that allows them to be a drop-in upgrades for the traditional knuckle couplers included on most HO scale cars and locomotives.


Die Cast Couplers

Picture Part # Description Price Status Buy Now
EC87D EC87KD 6 Easy-to-Assemble Die Cast AAR Type E Couplers with compatible shank (If you're new to our couplers and wonder what you need to try first -- this is it!) Original Sergent Style. $20.00 In Stock
EC87KB 100 Easy-to-Assemble Die Cast AAR Type E Couplers with compatible shank. Original Serget Style. $150.00 Pre-Order
SBEC87D SBEC87KD 6 Easy-to-Assemble Die Cast Lower Shelf E Couplers with compatible shank (1968-current). Original Sergent Style. $20.00 In Stock
RC87D RC87K 6 Easy-to-Assemble Die Cast Sharon Couplers with compatible shank (up to about 1940). Original Sergent Style. Note that we do not recommend assembly of these kits without the AFRC assembly fixture listed below. See instructions here. $10.00 In Stock

Hybrid Couplers

Picture Part # Description Price Status Buy Now
EC87P100D EC87P100KH 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type E Couplers with +0.100" extended compatible shank. Shank is investment cast. Knuckle and bottom cover are die cast. Original Sergent Style. $20.00 In Stock
EC87P130KH 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type E Couplers with +0.130" extended compatible shank. Shank is investment cast. Knuckle and bottom cover are die cast. Original Sergent Style. $20.00 In Stock
EC87M040D EC87M040KH 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type E Couplers with -0.040" shortened compatible shank. Shank is investment cast. Knuckle and bottom cover are die cast. Original Sergent Style. $20.00 In Stock
SBEC87P100D SBEC87P100KH 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type Lower Shelf E Couplers with +0.100" extended compatible shank. Shank is investment cast. Knuckle and bottom cover are die cast. Original Sergent Style. $20.00 In Stock
SBEC87P130KH 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type Lower Shelf E Couplers with +0.130" extended compatible shank. Shank is investment cast. Knuckle and bottom cover are die cast. Original Sergent Style. $20.00 In Stock
SBEC87M040D SBEC87M040KH 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type Lower Shelf E Couplers with -0.040" shortened compatible shank. Shank is investment cast. Knuckle and bottom cover are die cast. Original Sergent Style. $20.00 In Stock
SEC87D SEC87KH 6 Easy-to-Assemble Double Shelf SE Couplers with compatible shank (1975-current). Shank is investment cast. Knuckle and bottom cover are die cast. Original Sergent Style. $20.00 In Stock

Investment Cast Couplers

Type E couplers now come with a option for either top or bottom operating depending on the coupler style. Please be aware these are cosmetic only and still function with a internal magnet.

As these small details are scaled down from the prototype they are extremely small and fragile. Because of the nature of these not all of the added details may have been rendered properly during cast. If you are not okay with this please order the non-detailed versions.

Picture Part # Description Price Status Buy Now
EC87K EC87K 6 Easy-to-Assemble AAR Type E Couplers with compatible shank (If you're new to our couplers and wonder what you need to try first -- this is it!) $15.00 In Stock
EC87TK 6 Easy-to-Assemble Top Operating AAR Type E Couplers with compatible shank. $16.00 In Stock
EC87BK 6 Easy-to-Assemble Bottom Operating AAR Type E Couplers with compatible shank. $16.00 In Stock
EC87P100K EC87P100K 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type E Couplers with +0.100" extended compatible shank. $15.00 In Stock
EC87P100TK 6 Easy-to-Assemble Top Operating Type E Couplers with +0.100" extended compatible shank. $16.00 In Stock
EC87P100BK 6 Easy-to-Assemble Bottom Operating Type E Couplers with +0.100" extended compatible shank. $16.00 In Stock
EC87P130K 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type E Couplers with +0.130" extended compatible shank. $15.00 In Stock
EC87P130TK 6 Easy-to-Assemble Top Operating Type E Couplers with +0.130" extended compatible shank. $16.00 In Stock
EC87P130BK 6 Easy-to-Assemble Bottom Operating Type E Couplers with +0.130" extended compatible shank. $16.00 In Stock
EC87M040K EC87M040K 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type E Couplers with -0.040" shortened compatible shank. $15.00 In Stock
EC87M040TK 6 Easy-to-Assemble Top Operating Type E Couplers with -0.040" shortened compatible shank. $16.00 In Stock
EC87M040BK 6 Easy-to-Assemble Bottom Operating Type E Couplers with -0.040" shortened compatible shank. $16.00 In Stock
SBEC87K SBEC87K 6 Easy-to-Assemble Lower Shelf E Couplers with compatible shank (1968-current). $15.00 In Stock
SBEC87BK 6 Easy-to-Assemble Bottom Operating Lower Shelf E Couplers with compatible shank (1968-current). $16.00 In Stock
SBEC87P100K SBEC87P100K 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type Lower Shelf E Couplers with +0.100" extended compatible shank. $15.00 In Stock
SBEC87P100BK 6 Easy-to-Assemble Bottom Operating Type Lower Shelf E Couplers with +0.100" extended compatible shank. $16.00 In Stock
SBEC87P130K 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type Lower Shelf E Couplers with +0.130" extended compatible shank. $15.00 In Stock
SBEC87P130BK 6 Easy-to-Assemble Bottom Operating Type Lower Shelf E Couplers with +0.130" extended compatible shank. $16.00 In Stock
SBEC87M040K SBEC87M040K 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type Lower Shelf E Couplers with -0.040" shortened compatible shank. $15.00 In Stock
SBEC87M040BK 6 Easy-to-Assemble Bottom Operating Type Lower Shelf E Couplers with -0.040" shortened compatible shank. $16.00 In Stock
SEC87K SEC87K 6 Easy-to-Assemble Double Shelf SE Couplers with compatible shank (1975-current). $15.00 In Stock
SEC87BK 6 Easy-to-Assemble Bottom Operating Double Shelf SE Couplers with compatible shank (1975-current). $16.00 In Stock
FC87K FC87K 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type F Couplers with compatible shank (1954-current). $15.00 In Stock
FC87P100K 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type F Couplers with long compatible shank (1954-current). $15.00 In Stock
FC87M040K 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type F Couplers with short compatible shank (1954-current). $15.00 In Stock
AMTC87K AMTC87K 6 Easy-to-Assemble "Spear" Couplers with compatible shank (2023-current). Prototypical for SC44s and ALCs. $15.00 In Stock
AMTC87P100K 6 Easy-to-Assemble "Spear" Couplers with long compatible shank (2023-current). Prototypical for SC44s and ALCs. $15.00 In Stock
AMTC87M040K 6 Easy-to-Assemble "Spear" Couplers with short compatible shank (2023-current). Prototypical for SC44s and ALCs. $15.00 In Stock
HC87K HC87K 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type H Couplers with compatible shank (1940-current). $15.00 In Stock
HC87P100K 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type H Couplers with long compatible shank (1940-current). $15.00 In Stock
HC87M040K 6 Easy-to-Assemble Type H Couplers with short compatible shank (1940-current). $15.00 In Stock

Our couplers do not come pre blackened. This is so we can accommodate customers that may not want to handle parts that have had any chemical treatment. If you would like your couplers chemically blackened before they are sent to you please specify so in your order. Each pack costs $1.00 to blacken.

Please make sure you adjust the quantity in your cart to match the amount of couplers you want blackend. If this quantity does not match we will refund the BLK and dispatch your order unblackend.


Part # Description Price Status Buy Now
BLK Chemical Blackening per pack $1.00 In Stock

Die Cast, Hybrid, or Investment Cast?

Die Cast Couplers

Our die cast couplers utilize the exact same tooling Sergent Enginnering used for decades. This means that our die cast couplers are 100% identical to a Sergent die cast coupler. You will notice that the castings are very consistant and uniform with little clean up required by the end user for a perfect fit. These couplers also have the same short comings as a original Sergent coupler, notably the alignment pin goes through the shank and can be seen from the top of the coupler. Our investment cast couplers remedy this.

Hybrid Couplers

These couplers are a mix between our die cast couplers and our investment cast couplers. These are primarily offered where a die cast part would be too costly to make. The shanks are all investment cast parts. The knuckle and bottom cover are die cast. These potentially need a small amount of clean up on the shank. This is how Sergent Engineering made their specialty couplers like their SEC87K. We continue this tradition with our hybrid couplers. If you want orginal Sergent style specialty couplers than these are the style for you. These couplers also have the alignment pin going through the shank and viewable from the top of the coupler.

Investment Cast Couplers

Our investment cast couplers use the same techniques used by Sergent Engineering to manufacture their tightlock couplers. We use a investment cast shank and bottom cover with a die cast knuckle to ensure consistant operation. We tried using investment cast knuckles but could not get consistant results that we were happy with. All investment cast couplers boast increased prototypical accuracy by eliminating the alignment pin going through the entire shank. Now this pin only goes half way through the shank. This allows for alignment still but keeps the top smooth and free of any holes that needs filling. You'll notice that the investment castings aren't as clean those that come from the die casting process. What this means in terms of assembling couplers from investment cast parts is that you'll have to pay more attention detail than you do with die cast parts. This isn't a huge deal, but do expect to spend more time assembling and checking these couplers than you do with the EC87KD and EN87KD couplers. Investment casting is a multi-day process and is very labor intensive on me. I have strict times I need to do specific actions for this process. Investment casting also is not cheap. Material gets consumed in the form of our 3D printed resin masters, and the investment powder required to make a mold of the masters. These materials are expensive and if we have a bad run are wasted. Prices reflect what we feel is fair for our time and labor.


Pricing last revised: May 4th 2024