Getting started, realized that I knew little about couplers. I am developing an N scale layout and have a couple of objectives for coupling/uncoupling:
Hands off. I prefer sitting back and electronically directing the uncoupling process. What is available to do this? What seems to be the best/popular approach?
One manufacturer or is this unrealistic. For example I purchased my first loco (KATO GE C44-9W) without thinking about coupling issues. Are there any? What is the recommended approach when building up a fleet of locomotives and rolling stock?
As you are modeling in N scale, most of your equipment will have Kadee or generic couplers, which can be uncoupled by a magnet placed under or on the track. You can use either a permanent magnet, or an electro-magnet.
All of the couplers should be compatible, but you may find out, that the odd car needs a replacement coupler, so it is a bit of a question of trial and error.
Microtrains-the standard that all others are based on. They are reliable and they have conversions for all the locos and rolling stock out there.
Microtrains wana bes. This includes Acumates, Atlas, and other clones that have tried to re-invent the wheel. They each have their place (for example, the Short shank Accumates are great for close coupling F-units, but useless when it comes to rolling stock), but for the most part, they are lacking.
Kato knuckle. These are great looking couplers (closes to scale size) and can be had very cheaply. However, they are unreliable and tend to uncouple.
McHenry’s. These are the newest player on the market and they have actually re-invented the wheel. They are a knuckle type coupler that actually mimics an HO scale coupler, but in N scale. IMHO, the best out there as of yet…they are the most reliable coupler. However, they need to be body mounted and you cannot as of yet purchase compatable draft gear boxes without having to buy entire coupler assemblies. Oh, and silly tight radaii are no longer an option with these couplers.
Rapidos (not to be confused with our dear Canadaian passenger car company). They are outdated, but some people still use them. Who knows why…they look horrible, operate terribly…ect.
Quibble, quibble [:D] FOr whatever reason, Kadee spun off the N and Z scale stuff as Micro-Trains (probably taxes).
Ugly though they are, the Rapido couples actually work pretty well. For many years they were standard equipment on all N scale cars and locos. I’m going to guess the main reason they worked was they usually had a metal spring, not the flimsy plastic but in the equivalent HO scale X2f coupler.
Knuckle couplers look more liek the real thing, and these days are de-facto standard. For my HO equipment I use ONLY Kadee couplers, none of the knock-off has impressed me witht heir operation or design. Not sure of the same holds true in N scale, you might want to check out various types and if at all possible standardize on one brand for the most reliabl operation. There does seem to be less variation in design with the N scale couplers, so this may not be as important as it is with HO.
when i started in Nscale i used what was called Kadee couplers , now Micro Trains and as far as i am concerned they are the only way to go. I have tried using the others with these but with limited success. I have electric ones on the main lines and magnets on the sidings. If you put the magnets on the mainline you will get random uncoupling , if you catch a bit of slack the train will uncouple.
Can’t argue about the appearance, but I was always happy with them, and I do a fair amount of switching. I had made my own uncoupling tool and could uncouple the Rapido couplers without having to lift one of the cars. Well, most of the time, but from time to time some of my knuckle couplers will get persnickety and I’ve finally just lifted the car.
The reason I changed is because just about all equipment now comes with some type of knuckle coupler. My equipment has a mix of manufacturers and usually don’t have much trouble. The few couplers that have given me trouble have been Micro-Trains coulers that came on Micro-Trains cars. I’m still pleased with M-T couplers/trucks though, it’s what I use when I need to replace couplers/trucks.
The company name Kadee is from the initials of the two founding brothers, Keith and Dale Edwards.
One of them (Keith?) still runs the Kadee company, which makes couplers and other products for HO through G scale, and the other split off and formed the Micro-Trains line to specialize in N and Z scale products.
