Couplers

I am re-entering the hobby after 25 years. All the equipment I own has Rapido couplers. Now, there seem to be many couplers used. There also seem to be incompatability problems. Where can I find out what is compatable with what? Where can I buy replacement couplers? Any changes I make have to be easy.

 

Welcome to the board. I too am just getting back into the hobby after about the same amount of time. Alot has changed for the better. Back when I was modeling I converted over to micro trains (kadee back then) they always worked well, and I have already change over the equiptment I plan on using now. And if you do it from the start the cost isn't bad.

 

Ditto the above positive responses about Micro Trains. The easiest way to convert your fleet is to buy bulk packs of the truck mounted couplers, and replace the whole truck on your cars. It's cheaper in the long run vs. buying individual packages of truck mounted couplers.

 

The couplers most commonly used in N-Scale these days is the "knuckle" couplers as manufactured by Micro-Trains Line and Accumate. There is a larger variety of M-TL couplers available and they also provide an online conversion dictionary that gives you the vital information. Knuckle couplers are shaped like shallow "C"s. If you put your hands together and (one upside down, one right side up) and clasp them, this is how the knuckle coupler works.

Rapidos, as you know are large square "C"s and will not couple with any knuckle coupler. Kato and MDC Roundhouse also have their versions of the knuckle couplers but M-TL and Atlas seem to offer the best. Most brands knuckle couplers will couple with most other brands. It's a one-to-one thing. They might work, they might not.

 

there's nothing better than MicroTrains. I even swap Accumates for MTs. Accumate have less slack but they usually uncouple if the train is longer than a few cars. Never had this problem with MT trucks/couplers.

By now almost all of my 200 locos and 1000 cars have MT trucks and/or couplers

 

I agree that MT’s are the “Gold” standard, but my issue with MTs is that Gold may be cheaper to purchase.

I try to use MT’s when possible, but Accumates now make up a majority of my couplers. Cost is my main issue. MT’s come with a price tag, and I have not been very successful at finding reasonable discounts for them (as compared with Accumates).

Accumates have some drawbacks. The main one is they don’t seem to have the strength that MT couplers have. If my train exceeds 25-30 cars, then chances are one of my Accumate couplers will uncouple under the strain. But as I can’t run trains much over 25 cars on my layout, this is not an issue for me. When running longer trains at an NTRAK show, I use MT equipped cars in the front and Accumates behind them. Works fine.

There have also been reports of the trip pins falling out of the Accumate couplers (or hanging up on turnouts). I understand that this was a problem with their first generation of Accumates, and it has been resolved. I have not experienced this problem on any of the newer replacement Accumates that I have purchased. However, it has occurred on a couple of Atlas cars that came with Accumates (probably from the first generation). I will credit Atlas for quickly replacing the couple of “problem couplers” that I had.

Spacing is another drawback for Accumates. The coupler is a bit long, and tends to leave a larger gap between cars that it should. However, my experiences show that this varies among manufacturers. It all depends on were the bolster pin hole is placed. For instance - My Delaware Valley hoppers look a little off with Accumates, but my LL 50 boxcars look right at home with them.

Accumates also only come in three different styles, and no “Bulk Packs” (if you don’t consider the blister pack a bulk pack - which is still cheaper than the MT bulk packs!). MT has much more variety.

So there you have my (rather long) dissertation on Couplers. MT is best (for a price), but Accumates can be a cheap (and workable) alternative.

 

Excellent points, Bruce. M/T's do work very well, and I use them on the majority of my rolling stock as well.

I do like the appearance of the Accumates, however, and am running them on my Atlas cars that came equipped with them. One nice feature is that they come in a 36" proto wheel size, which to me really look a lot better on the cars that should have this size. M/T so far does not make a 36" wheel truck.

Newer Accumates I am using have not had problems with pins falling out, pins hitting switches, or coupler boxes coming apart. But earlier ones did show some of these problems on my layout.

If Atlas really has corrected the pin problems, and can tighten up the spacing between Accumate-coupled cars, they can be a very attractive alternative.

But if M/T comes out with 36" wheel trucks, that would make the Accumate vs. M/T decision a little harder.

It would be great to see both companies improve their products where needed so that we have 2 excellent choices. Al.

 

As a rule, I prefer MTs. They have different sorts of trucks for the freight cars that have truck mounted coplers. They have truck mounts for the passenger cars. They have various body mounts where truck mounts do not work well. There are times, however, where the designated MT application does not work well.

It is at this point that you must go to Unimates, MDC, Kato, Accumates, the C-C passenger car knuckle couplers (the ones that come on the corrugated side cars) or even the knuckle couplers that come on LL or MP locomotives (did I get all of them?).

If magnetic uncoupling is what you require, you will need to work around the other brands. One way to do this is to use a 'handle', a car equipped with the magnetic couplers and leave it coupled to your switcher. This is but one example. There will bew other situations or ways to work around something.

Unimates stay coupled the best. It is a 'swap-out/swap-in ' matter to replace the Rapidos. They do not uncouple magnetically, they do not 'kiss couple'.

MDCs work well in few situations. None of these situations involve their cars or locomotives, unless the MDC is on a car coupled to one of the foregoing. if they are working properly, they will 'kiss couple' but will not uncouple magnetically.

Katos are a 'swap out/in ' propsition as well, unless you are using the locomotive couplers, but they often are if the locomotive has body mounts. On some of the couplers, be sure to remove the spring when you take out the Rapido. They will usually kiss couple. The Kato supposedly has a magnetic coupler, but I have never seen it work well.

Accumates tend to be satisfactory on the Atlas locomotives. They tend to discombobulate on cars. They are not difficult to re-assemble, I just wish that they would stay assembled. I am not sure if they will work magnetically, I have heard it both ways. They will kiss couple.

The C-C passenger car couplers are useless on their passenger cars. They have other applications, such as nose couplers on E-R sharks. They will not stay coupled to each other, but will stay coupled to any other brand.

The LL and MP 'dummy knuckle' couplers have applications. The height on the MP pacific is acceptable: you will be able to use it for doublehaeading (if you get rid of the Rapido on the tender; 1023 for USRA standard, 1015/16 for Vanderbilt). On the LL E-units, they are not the correct height, except for the E-6. I never checked on the FM or ALCo cab units that the LL recently re-issued because the MT conversion is so simple,;I just went to the MTS. There are other applications for these couplers, but it goes on a case-by-case, trial-and-error basis.

All of the aforementioned couplers will couple to each other, except for the Rapidos. As for staying coupled, just re-read the commentary. This is only my experience. Others may have different experience.

 

I'm going to say an amen to what Nathan said about replacing the whole truck. I was looking into replacing some couplers on a few cars, so I priced it out. For just the truck mounted coupler (depending on which type) it costs roughly $4 for 2 pairs of couplers. That is $1 per coupler. For the assembled coupler and truck it costs roughly $3.50 for one pair. That is $1.75 per coupler/truck. Maybe I'm alone in this, but my hands shake a bit and trying to assemble MT couplers is like torture to me. To assemble one coupler and attach it to a car takes me between 15 and 30 minutes. It takes me approximately 1 minute to snap on the pre-assembled truck. So for just an extra 75 cents I have purchased between 14 to 29 minutes more of my life. And an immeasurable amount of sanity. Not a bad deal. Also as was stated, if you buy bulk the cost goes down.

If you're not going to stick with a coupler (which is generally a Rapido) then the truck is probably not as fine either. (ie: Bachmann-MP-etc.) So you get that benefit too. So for an extra 75 cents you also have a pre-assembled coupler and better truck along with more life and sanity.

Jacob