Hi All! I am new to the hobby and looking for my first loco I really want to do "Southern Railway" livery and found this Bachmann Alco RS-3: https://www.trainworld.com/manufact...on-board-southern-2137-black-gray-dulux-gold/ It is advertised with "E-Z Mate® Mark II couplers" Will these work with Micro Trains magnematic freight cars? I plan to generally keep rolling stock on Micro Trains only. (Yes I searched, but didn't find anything regarding Bachmann EZ Mate Mark II + MTL couplers) What other loco brands couplers play nice with MTL magnematic? I read that Atlas also has knuckle couplers that work with MTL Any other "Southern Railway" livery N scale locos that members have had good luck with? Thanks!!
Also looking at this loco, but it does not seem to be released yet: https://www.trainworld.com/manufact...257-as-delivered-green-paragon3-sound-dc-dcc/
When buying locos, always check Mark's website to see how they are. Mark does an excellent job reviewing rating them. He also tells you the problem areas of each locos, if any. www.spookshow.net The Bachmann gets a B and the Broadway Limited gets a F. I trust his rating 100%!
Wow! Great site I am glad you provided it! An F grade definitely is enough to turn me off that model! How would you suggest I find out if the Bachmann EZ Mate Mark II couplers work with MTL Magnematic couplers? I checked the MTL conversions site and did not find a conversion kit for this model. I have searched around online but haven't found a "compatibility matrix" between coupler types.
Oh, sorry, forgot to answer that part. Yes, the Bachmann will work with Micro-Trains coupler. They will automatically couple but I'm not sure about magnetic uncoupling. About two months ago I bought my first Bachmanns. Coincidentally also from Trainworld. Picked up two S4's at very good prices. They couple with Micro-Trains and Atlas Accumates with no issues. I don't do magnetic including this my statement above. Before this my entire fleet has been either Atlas or Kato.
My small fleet of 44 and 70 tonners are all equipped with the EZ mate coupler while all my cars are equipped with MTs and no issues coupling.
Ugh! Late night typing in bed! LOL! I meant to say that I don't do magnetic uncoupling thus my statement above. BTW, the S4 is rated A by Mark and he is spot on with that. They run so quiet and their slow speed is unbelievable. I can get them to crawl one tie at a time! Mine are DCC from the factory. Excellent switchers!
There are several couplers that have been released that are "compatible." I suspect that aging MT patents are the reason. Everytime I read this, I soon read posts that one won't, or one explodes into many parts or one looks as stupid as an HO coupler with the silly spring on the outside. If you get something with one of these "compatible" couplers, use it and see what happens. For every it explodes post I see another saying it works just fine.
Mixing "knuckle" couplers from different N scale manufacturers generally works pretty well for coupling. And uncoupling can generally work with a pick for any combination that is intended to be magnetically uncoupled. (But, types like "Unimates" don't have movable knuckles are only disconnected by lifting one car.) Magnetic uncoupling is a different (and sometimes difficult) issue. Micro Trains magnetic couplers uncouple pretty well when mated with other Micro Trains couplers. But, mixing magnetic coupler brands makes magnetic uncoupling much more difficult to achieve reliability. I am currently trying some Bachmann under-the-ties permanent supermagnets to see if they more reliably uncouple mixed brands. Those are wider than the between-the-rails magnets, and pull the pins much farther to the sides. That seems to make them more reliable for both uncoupling and "delayed" uncoupling, where you uncouple over the magnet and then push the cars farther down the track without them recouping, so that you can spot a car anywhere on a spur with just one magnet at the entrance. But, permanent magnets on a through track are usually a problem, because the "slinky effect" due to the location of the springs in Micro Trains magnetic couplers can make a bit of slack happen in the connections while they are over the magnet when a train is being pulled over them. It has always amazed me that cars that I can't make uncouple reliably when I try to uncouple them cannot reliably pass over the same magnet when I do not try to uncouple them! I am planning to see if I can make an electromagnet version of the Bachmann under-the-ties permanent magnet for use on through tracks. But, don't hold your breath on reading my results, because my to-do list seems to be rapidly expanding, and the don't-do list from the current virus fight is impeding progress on the do-list items.
How do the Bachman S 4 units pull, as in how many cars can they pull (and push, if different) on a level layout? Thanks in advance.
Get acquainted with Spookshow's website. Look up any locomotive you wish. http://www.spookshow.net/locos.html
I found that Bachmann E-Z Mate couplers work well with my MTL's. I also found that Atlas and many other makes may or may not work with MTL's. They are rather inconsistant, but E-Z always seems to work for me as long as nobody moved the metal make believe hose which uses the magnet to operate properly. I use the regular Atlas Track Magnetic Uncoupler tracks. I also have found that MTL's may need tweaking at times. Mike
The Bachmann EZ Mates work well with MT couplers. If you wanted a smaller alternative that is drop in, use the Atlas N scale couplers. They drop right in.
