I am relatively new back to N scale railroading and I have mostly Rapido type couplers I know most of you will frown on this, but hey I’m new again, Born again so to speak. I have several Micro Train cars with MT couplers that I plan on adding Rapido on one side to connect the Rapido Couplers. I can then add MT and Rapido at the same time, I also have added several MT magnets in ties on spurs of the track. I also have a set of Rix Pix for the Rapido Couplers, all this said, I have noticed the Atlas couplers of Accumate brand, do they connect to MT couplers, they look similar and I like some of their cars, what do you suggest?
Please advise you veteran Model Railroaders!
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I don’t have Accumate couplers, but everything I have read states that they will couple with MT’s. However, they will NOT uncouple with the MT magnets.
You can use the Rix Pix to uncouple MT’s. Might also work on the Accumates. Otherwise, changing Accumates to MT’s should be a simple process.
The two brands will mate with one another fine, but not quite as easily as they do with their own brand.
I know nothing of the rix pix. I have found that a round toothpick woorks well to uncouple both brands of knuckle couplers, the same way the HO guys use bamboo kabob skewers.
I recomend you get rid of the rapido couplers ASAP. Even if you have to convert just one end of a few cars, to serve as adapters for a while. Micro Trains sell packages of trucks with built in couplers. I don’t recomend replacing MT couplers with rapidos, though.
I convert everything over to Micro Train couplers and trucks and add metal wheels for added weight.
Since I use Code 55 track I can’t use the MT magnets, but I wouldn’t anyway.
I’ve bought a bag of 100 skewing sticks from my local super market and, after using a pencil to graphite the points, find these work very well for manual un-coupling.
It’s a fact that MT couplers work BEST with other MT couplers. Everything else ends up in the trash.
gtr
i converted all my n equipment to microtrains couplers many years ago. i use a rixpix to uncouple. my newer cars and locomotives have accumates on them. they need more force to couple together even to mt’s and they also uncouple by themselves often. i don’t use the magnets as i use the rixpix for uncoupling but the rixpix does not work well for the accumates. so i’ll be converting them to mt’s too. i used to use the bamboo skewers but the rixpix is better. i also have trouble with the accumates on my ho equipment and i’ll be switching them to kaydees too. i wouldn’t change an mt coupler to rapido. do the opposite . change one of your cars with the rapido’s to an mt and use it as an adaptor car
I’ve had no problems with the different types of non-Rapido (I hate those things!) couplers on my various N scale locomotives and cars. Atlas and MT couplers work fine with each other. I took the easy way out in converting some of my freight cars–I just removed the stock truck, and replaced it with an Atlas one.