I couldn't tell you - I've run that one with DP from the beginning, just more prototypical for my scenario...most of my trains are 50-60 cars...I don't have a pull apart issue but there are a few cars that will occasionally cause a problem - usually with Accumates...
Randy, I have bags of the the low profile wheels from my conversion to FVM wheels. Let me know if you want them!
Distributed power rocks! Well done Jim! I have run up to 92 cars using head end power of an ABBA set of IM FT's I have run a 145 car train with 3 SD90's on the head end up a 2% grade And on the big layout I have run 4 SD70's on point followed by 160 cars with 4 SD70's at the midpoint and another 150 cars with 3 SD70's on the tail. Only problems ever seen were due to the Accumate couplers, this is the big reason I no longer buy anything from Atlas.
#001 02 300.....True-Scale Coupler w/short shank (2 pr) ...........$3.45 #001 02 301.....True-Scale Coupler w/long shank (2 pr)...............$3.45 #001 10 300.....True-Scale Coupler w/short shank (10 pr) .......$15.95 #001 10 301.....True-Scale Coupler w/long shank (10 pr)...........$15.95
I see a 10 pack in my future as soon as they are available, probably followed by more if they work out.
At least one dealer has them listed on their site, already, so there's no excuse for the others not to have it. Perhaps you need to choose a different dealer.
A dealer having it listed and a dealer having it available are two very different things. Many dealers post the new MT cars at the beginning of the month, however they don't get stock for 7-10 days after announcements.
Unless they're one of the very few dealers with real time inventory quantities on their site, you really can't be sure if an item is in stock or not. A MTL employee posted on another site that the couplers started shipping yesterday, so it's unlikely that any dealer has them in stock, yet.
Please remember, the Micro News is meant to be mailed out on or near the first of the month. I know that Micro Trains is sending out the new couplers with the dealer's standing order.....today.
They look good and I hope you didn't eradicate the "Slack" feature. Nothing like operating realistically functioning trains.