Does anyone use these? I know they are mostly on tank cars that were built after a certain date or required to installed after a certain date. I can’t remember.
They look like they would be an operational headache.
I use them. They present no particular issues other than the fact that you need an uncoupling tool or under track magnet to get them apart because they function like the prototype–they don’t come apart when they shouldn’t. They also compensate to some degree for poorly laid track, although I see no excuse for the latter. John Timm
I used to use the Kadee-esque double shelf couplers on all my tank cars and the single lower shelf couplers for covered hoppers. I now use Sergent Enginnering Couplers for everything. They are actually less forgiving than Kadees or the like but are exactly to scale (or really close anyway) and a bit smaller than Kadee #58’s. They work perfectly and I have no problems with the shelf couplers at all, they just look awesome!
Don
I use them on a set of Bachmann Spectrum passenger cars and tank cars.
I see real shelf couplers on lots of rolling stock now, not just tank cars. I think the FRA has mandated an eventual switchover to shelf couplers on all rolling stock.
A lot of railroads are converting rolling stock to shelf couplers as it goes into the shop for maintenance or the addition of the mandatory yellow reflective markings on the sides.
I’d like to see Kadee come up with shelf couplers in all the varieties that they do for the venerable number 5, and as a Whisker coupler.
I’ve been slowly converting to Kadee 119 shelf couplers, these are whisker couplers. I’ll only be doing the tank cars that are on my layout, I’m sticking with #5’s for all my passenger cars, rolling stock and anything else I run at train shows. The reason is these things are a real pain in the rear to uncouple unless you have a Rix magnetic fork tool. Using a pick or simply picking up two cars and trying to uncouple them is difficult.