I know some have, but how do they hold up to long trains, like 20+ car coal drags? Seems like the extra weight would be tough on them.
As being in the hobby as long as I have, I know several people that use Z scale couplers exclusively on their trains. Sometimes they have short local trains and others they have long through freights and to my knowledge have no major issues.
I have them in the pilots of all my ATSF cab units...no problems whatsoever...apparently, they have the RDA cut into them...no uncoupling... in fact, I have them in my ATSF VO-1000 and FM H16-44...they look beautiful and operate well...it IS important to do whatever is necessary to get them at the proper height in relation to N scale MT's...once they're at the correct height, no worries. I have no intemtion of converting everything i have to Z sclae coupers...just the conditions where the coupler is very obvious to the unit...as in the E, F, and PA units... sincerely, Bruce
I've run them in 50+ car trains with no problems. As has been mentioned you do have to take more care getting them the correct height because they are smaller.
50-60 cars with most weighted to NMRA practice is about the limit in my experience. The Z couplers will normally just give but won't be destroyed. Center them at N scale coupler centerline level and you will have no problems in mixing Ns and Zs in operation. They'll also uncouple magnetically without changing the trip pin in any way.