Here is a shot mounted to a Model Power Mike. I removed the small post in the pocket and drilled a hole for the screw. I had to file a tiny bit to get the shanks to float freely. You could get them to function by gluing small polystyrene rectangles on either side of the wiskers. Until we can come up with a smaller box...
They will be a little stiff for that...at least at first. I have some I've been using for awhile and they are a bit looser and I have "Hands Free'd" them, but I can't guarantee it wont take a little force to get them together.
Thanks Joe, for the reply. Looks like I'll be giving these a go. I really like the looks of them. Wolf
Joe, with every photo you post, you are making it more and more difficult to find a reason to NOT replace a junk box mixture of body and truck mounted MTL's. When do you expect to have the complete line posted on your website, and available to retailers?
Thanks...I got more pictures LOL They will be available October 1st and sometime before that I can let everyone know pricing and quantities for packaging. Thanks again
Thanks Joe. That is what I hope to do with my Bachmann Connies, but with the addition of the pieces you mention to make the couplers function. One question: Have you checked for pilot wheel clearance on the Mike, yet? If there is potential interference, what radius curve gets too small? And, how will the "small polystyrene rectangles [to be added] on either side of the wiskers" affect those issues?
Like I said, I'm a magnetic guy, but I'll still get some to tinker with for sure. That will be the easiest way to answer a whole lot of questions here. I haven't seen any photos of trying to couple that with a 905 head, but it looks like you might be able to make it work. I've had really good results with 905's on a wide variety of N scale stuff including delay uncoupling. They are standard recommended equipment on my Climax kits and V&T ore cars. I'm also one of the guys using Red Caboose dummies on at least one end of a locomotive typically assigned to MU deals just to prevent false uncoupling. They really take a beating and don't false uncouple, so I'll be curious how these do. Visually sure hard to beat, but that's why I have Z's as pretty much standard lead couplers now.
Yeah, I hear you. I got the Unimate/Precision Master/Red Caboose dummies on my ABBA sets of LifeLike FA/B 1's as well as my sharks and F7's. If the MT Tru Scale coupler couples as close as my present arrangement then I'll change them out. Definitely doing the MT heavyweights and stack train.
"You could get them to function by gluing small polystyrene rectangles on either side of the wiskers." Joe - would it be easier just to drill some very small holes and press fit in a short length of stiff piano wire on each side?
That will cover half of the Atlas locomotives I have so I can get rid of the Accumates. Then I can start working on the freight and passenger cars.
I was considering these new couplers mainly for close coupling of the several dozen life-life Alco FA units on my roster. I hadn't even thought about replacing the Accumates on all of my Atlas locos. Oy!
I have had so many problems with the Accumates that I do not run anything with them at all any more. I would rather go back to Rapido couplers before using Accumates. My hope is that these new couplers will be more cost effective than the current MT replacement couplers. I used up all my Uni-Mates already and never seem to see them for sale anymore, so I was looking for a new alternative.
It's very confusing trying to keep track of the status of Unimates. The Inter-Mountain site (still) claims that they are in stock and to contact your dealer: http://www.intermountain-railway.com/distrib/redcaboose/redcaboosen.htm Then the Red Caboose site says that their N scale product line has been sold to Fox Valley: http://www.red-caboose.com/ In any event, is there going to be a Great True-Scale-athon to rival the Great Unimate-athon? http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/the-great-unimate-athon.55090/
