m/t dane n sorry bout lower case, i am eating the school lunch i forgot ------------------ TAMR2860-AKA BC Rail King TAMR2860@Canada.com for TAMR info. To send a general TRAIN! E-Mail send to BCRailKing@Canada.com
I am anxious to have a look at the accumates and more particularly their cost. Currently, I am planning to torpedo the rapidos and go with a more realistic coupler. Of course functionality will ceratinly weigh into the decision as to what coupler I settle upon. I do not believe the accumates are available separately yet or are they?
The photo's I've seen of the Accumates make them look pretty real, but looks can be deceiving. I won't compare them until I've used them.
I haven't seen the accumate yet, but I live near Micro Trains, have over 80 MT cars, and I always support my local industries, so I guess I'll vote MT Home: www.tunnel13.com layout: SP's Newberg Branch in N scale ------------------ espee2
Atlas plans on using the accumates on all its new releases. The SD35 and the 23,500 gal tank are supposed to be the first to be factory equipped. There was a review posted on another board by someone who somehow got an advance look at the Accumates. review was very positive especially regarding rolling qualities. We will see.
Wouldn't it be lovely not to have to change all our trucks and couplers everytime we buy a car? Fingers crossed - NO! can't type with them crossed Will have to cross something else ------------------ Alan The perfect combination - BNSF and N Scale! www.ac-models.com Andersley Western Railroad Alan's American Gallery Alan's European Gallery Alan's British Steam Gallery
It would be nice! Happy Railroading! Dane N. ------------------ TAMR2860-AKA BC Rail King TAMR2860@Canada.com for TAMR info. To send a general TRAIN! E-Mail send to BCRailKing@Canada.com
Hi There, June 3rd,2000. Micro Trains Verses Accumates. Lets See Now. This makes it 4 Coupler Brands. My My. When I made the Switch Years Ago. We only had 2 Choices. KDs or Unimates. My "Pocket Book" made the Decision for Me. Unimates. Then came Inter Mountain Trucks, and now its Accumates for Atlas Cars or any other Similar Brands. What about Con Cor or Red Caboose, Deluxe, Or MDC. etc. Where do we all go from here. Between KDs, Unimates and what InterMountains I have I'll go with the Atlas Accumates if I buy any more Atlas Cars but I'll B Picky if I buy other Railroad Car Brands. I think to B Fair with Outselves, We will all have to Make Induvidual Choices based on "How Many Cars,We all Have" It sure Ain't 40 - 50 Cars. Right? If I'm Correct I'm like a Lot of N Scalers, we have say "Several Hundred Cars,like 500 or more" we have all Bought over the Years. Right,Lets not kid Ourselves Either, It Costs Money if we all make Switches over to new Couplers. We can all rave about the new Accumate Couplers etc, but for a lot of US I say Lets Stick with what we have on hand and make the best with what we all have as Individuals have on hand. Save Money and lets make the best of what we got. Comments any one? E mail me at - grandtrunkent@RRmail.com My Toonies Worth ($2s) Thanks Guys, ------------------ Best Regards, Andrew, Calgay
It seems to me that MDC already makes a knuckle type coupler. The Mighty Darn Compatible. ------------------ The future of N Scale's Lookin so bright I gotta wear shades!! ! [This message has been edited by Grantha (edited 04 June 2000).]
Being that I am fairly new into N scale (about five months) I hardly have anything. I have seven locomotives. Three BN box cars with rapido couplers, one converted bachman car with Microtrains trucks and coupler, and a covered grain hopper with Microtrains. Two of my locos have Microtrains, the rest are Rapido. I have about about 34 cars on order from Omaha Cowboy. These are all rapido. I have been planning on going with Microtrains as my standard truck and coupler. Do the Unimates work with automatic uncoupling (magnetic couplers)? I would buy all Microtrains if they made all the cars I want. Fact is, I will be buying from all of them. They all produce something the other guys do not. The only down side to the hobby for me right now is the ton of cash I have been spending "ramping up" Between the locomotive blitzkrig and rolling stock, there are no funds left for layout building or new truck and couplers. So it looks like I will be running a train or two of Microtrains and the rest Rapido (yuck). Those microtrains couplers work real smooth, I like them. Matt
I beleive accumate are fully compatable with microtrains couplers. I make a point of ordering couplers whenever I buy a new locomotive or rollingstock that way I share the pain with the purchase of the new equipment rather than having to spend a lot of money at once for couplers. I have never run any of my equipment before I have installed microtrains couplers. I am glad to see Atlas are supplying new locomotives with accumate couplers that saves me from buying additional couplers. I'm sure the new Trainmaster loco will come equipped with accumate couplers. Unfortunately I won't be buying a trainmaster, I don't live in the past like others (he he Gats) oops might have to start a "modern power" thread again . Only joking, but it will be nice being able to buy locomotives and rollingstock already installed with automatic knuckle couplers Paul ------------------ http://members.optusnet.com.au/~pcassar/index
any news on the accumates yet? I see some were going to try them, but news? ------------------ RR: K, C, & Bird Butt Railroad - SP, NS, and ROCK admirer. Its a coal mining region of a place far far away, that runs, SP, NS, and some CSX.. Also some Custom RARE Bird RR sd40-2's coming! Era: Time stands still round these parts, and we have everything from Steam, to Diesels of today.
The Accumates were included with the SD35's. Looked great. Maybe even better tham MT's. Worked well with MT's. But does not have the inline spring and thus eliminates that yoyo effect. It will be interesting to see what effect it will have on MT's pricing- if any. Anothewr interesting point. Atlas enters the coupler market and next week, at the N scale collectors convention, MT is supposed to announce they will enter the locomotive market.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Inkaneer: The Accumates were included with the SD35's. Looked great. Maybe even better tham MT's. ... Atlas enters the coupler market and next week, at the N scale collectors convention, MT is supposed to announce they will enter the locomotive market.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Competition is great. Microtrains have worked with a monopoly for too long in the coupler market. Hopefully, this will bring pricing down. And perhaps MT will bring their rep for detail to their locomotive releases. Keep those Atlas critiques coming. It is very interesting to get other opinions on these. ------------------ Grant grantha@Canada.com CEO Wascana Sherwood Lines [This message has been edited by Grantha (edited 18 June 2000).]
Well, I've seen the Accumates on the SD 35's and on the new Atlas Tank Car. The Good: They look nice, operate well and couple with the Micro-Trains. The Bad: The shanks are too long on the Tank Car. The Ugly: Well, did I say the shanks were too long? I hope they get that worked out. Other than that, it's good to have another automatic N-scale Coupler on the market. ------------------ RAILROADING-TO-THE-MAX, Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Style! Brent Tidaback, Member #234
I got my first real try of the AccuMate and my review would be about the same as Maxwell Plant's, however I did not have the problem with the shank being to long. I kinda liked the looks personnally, but I know they are out of scale. If they were not goin do MicroTrains, they could have made no better choice than Accumates. I am also a fan (even though I don't use it) of the fact that Atlas provided both couplers. I know that many will not need this nice feuture, but fpr those who do it is great, becuase they do not have to snoop around for those big couplers. (sorry, total name blank!). Over all, on the Dane-O-scale, I would give these couplers a solid 8 out of 10, with Micro trains a 9 out of 10. The one nice thing about M/Ts is that they are so popular that it isn't an issue to get parts for them if you damage one, or just plain want new ones, but in terms of Accumates they have not caught on enough for my loacl shops to supply everything. Happy Railroading!! Dane N. ------------------ BC Rail King TAMR2860@Canada.com for TAMR info. BCRailKing@Canada.com
I HAVENT EVEN SEEN THEM YET!!!! :MAD: ------------------ Craig Martyn BLMA(best looking models around) Custom painting and detailing AND N scale detail parts!!!
They take even longer to get over here, Craig. Matt has an SD35 on order, should be here soon so we will have our first sight of them, then. ------------------ Alan The perfect combination - BNSF and N Scale! www.ac-models.com Andersley Western Railroad Alan's American Gallery Alan's European Gallery Alan's British Steam Gallery
