Hello again, I have a question about couplers - Is there one standard to hobby? One that is all around best or is the new and up comming coupler?
I plan on doing alot of coupling and uncoupling of freight cars.
thanks, ennout [:)]
Easy - Kadee couplers and/or their many clones.
Bob Boudreau
For HO scale there is the Kadee Coupler. Some recommend the #4 or #5, I have the #4 standard coupler which is an all-metal coupler that is great for mounting on wooden floored car kits and can also be used on cast-on draft gear with an adapter plate.I purchased them over 10 years ago and still have a box full. I may be tranistioning to the #5 though. The #5 is the Universal Mage-Matic and it has an insulated plastic gear box, it seems to bethe most popular coupler conversion kit today. You can buy them built or as a kit.
Just my [2c]…
Ryan
That’s what I thought, but I see some of these new loco’s have something different on them. I am not sure of what the name was now. I 'll have look again.
As I mentioned, they are Kadee clones - plastic versions of the Kadee coupler that are cheaper for the manufacturers to install on new equipment. They should all work with Kadees and with each other, although they may not be as reliable with their plastic springs and bodies. There have been reports of these clones not closing properly after being coupled together for some time, as the plastic springs may loose their tension.
Bob Boudreau
Standard? What’s that? Wouldn’t it be great if it actually existed, then you could go to a hobby shop and buy any coupler, any car, any building, part, etc. etc. etc. and it would work on your layout, also it would be nice if there was more than one company making couplers. take a look at SERGENT couplers also. Just look at computers today, 5000 programmers installing programs not using “standard” operating procedures.
Thanks again guys, I am learning !
I hope that I don’t ask too many dumb questions. I try to go thru the post looking for my question before I post it.
In the US market:
The KD has become the de facto standard - beating out the X2f plastic horn hook.
Today equipment comes imitation KD’s or X2f’s. You will have to buy KD’s
aftermarket, since they will not license OEM.
KD makes an assortment for those wishing to upgrade.They cost approx. $1.50 a car.
Most models today come with Bachmann EZ mates. They work for a while, but I always replace them with KDs as soon as I can.
the feature about KD’s is delayed uncoupling, you uncouple over a ramp, the couplers are forced open to the side,and you pu***he car on to the resting spot., then pull away uncoupled.
You had to convert equipment like crazy to KD if you wanted good operation other than toy circle running with horn hook/X2F. and that sometimes is a job in itself.
I’m glad the industry switched. At least it makes it easier to change to a KD.
As for Kadee (HO scale), the #5 has long been the ‘general purpose’ coupler, and it did (and does) pretty much fit almost all the rolling stock out there. For locomotives there are other Kadees coupler types, and there are ‘conversion charts’ on Kadee’s website http://www.kadee.com listing what number couplers work for what locomotive.
Also, a lot of people like the nearer-to-scale size #58s, which fits where-ever a #5 would fit.
Finally, if you are running modern era tank cars (I think post 1980?), remember you need to use shelf couplers (which on the prototype help reduce the chance of couplers coming apart and puncturing the tanks) - apparently this is the Kadee #118 (this rule may apply only to hazardous material carrying tank cars).
I am getting the impression that you just want infomation for information’s sake -'" If were going to buy, what would I buy?" 1. You havent presented any needed application 2. You have had your questions answered 3.yet You come up withe same questions: to wit
“IF I were going to buy A (key word - singular) coupler, what would I buy?” - my quotes, not your’s.
THE US 'SANDARD - if there is one - is KADEE. It comes in various shank’s to fit various cars. Now it’s up to you to apply that information - if you are going to- but I repeat myself.
Let us know your applicaton and solutions. You’ll find us helpful.
As you can see, Kadee’s are the standard, however McHenry also makes a quality clone. P2K and Bachmann EZ Mates look like Kadee’s on first glance, but usually break after the first hard bump. Sometimes you won’t be able to see what happened to them, they just kinda quit working all of a sudden. I didn’t notice any mentions of Kadee’s MagneMatic system. The way this works is you put a magnet between the rails or in the roadbed, and if you stop the couplers over the magnet they will uncouple, however you can go across the magnet if you don’t stop.
Hope this helps,
Greg
Kadee, hands down.
Often imitated, never duplicated! [^]
Kaydees. My fleet has had McHenry, Accu-Mate, E-Z Mate, E-Z Mate II each of which have failed me. They have bent , broke or disassembled themselves. My Kaydees just keep on ticking. No failures. I suspect that I will have one fail sometime in the future but they’ll have gone many more miles then I got out of the clones.
Yup, from everyting I have read, been told, seen, and operated with, the metal Kadees are the way to go.
One thing though regarding engines: I have been told by numerous folks, that alof the newer engines come with plastic types for problems of engines grounding out with the DCC setups and running them in a consist. (The metal to metal contact can cuase shorts) I wish I knew more about that or how common of a problem it really is. Myabe something to research or someone else chip if they know anything.
Good luck,
John k
Kadee makes a coupler with non-conductive material for mounting on metal engine frames. Some locomotives use the frame to carry electricity to the motor. If you have a metal coupler mounted to this metal frame and the trip pin were to drag across a turnout rail, it could short out. Also, two locos coupled together with metal couplers could short if each one’s frame was a different polarity.