I ran across a website featuring a coupler that I’ve not heard of before - Sergent. The site claims that it’s the most realistic model coupler available. It does not use a trip pin like KDs. I’ll not go into details but if you’re interested here’s the site: http://www.sergentengineering.com/ I’d be interested in knowing if anyone has any knowledge or experience with this item. the goat
They have been around for several years. They will NOT mate with a Kadee, and the coupler face must ber opened to couple(just like the real thing). Kadee’s have that knuckle spring that ‘opens’ the knucke when pushed together. Also, there are very few mounting options available. The coupler is very nice, and I suspect it would look good on contest models.
Jim
I know a guy that uses these couplers and they are superior to the KD in looks and operates as well by using a uncoupling wand and like the KD coupers these couplers are a drop in fit for most brands of cars.
The downside of the Sergent is in installing them. Since ther still is no real defacto standard for coupler box height from the various manufacturers, Kadee makes a wide variety of couplers with centered, overset, and underset shanks to help accomodate these differences. As far as I know, there is only one Sergent coupler, so you would have to alter the coupler box to adjust the height. Otherwise, I think I would have switched already. I really like the concept. I use skewers to uncouple my Kadees anyway, not magnets, so using the magnet wand for the Sergents would be exactly the same. It’s getting better- most newer cars will take a Kadee #5 and come out at the right height, but a lot of locos do not. One of these days… --Randy
I have a friend who is planning to use the Sergent couplers because they look so realistic. Like said above, you must uncouple them with a magnet wand which means you have to do some extra planning when designing your layout, in particular, where you locate your industrial spurs. What I’m saying is that you must be able to reach into your scenes to get the wand over the coupler. I have an industry on my wharf where it would be impossible to reach in with a wand to uncouple before pushing a car into a siding. I’ve tried uncoupling the Sergent couplers and it takes a little practice, however, it’s not much different that using a skewer on Kadee couplers.
Hope this helps.
Mondo
But if you start with cars that have a standard #5 coupler matched in height to the KD coupler height guage there is no problem. Offset heads are just the easy way to fix improper coupler height. So far none of the cars I own have needed that.
I have 2 pairs of them. They do look great, and are very realistic. The downside is putting them together, which is not easy to get them just right. Or you can order them already assembled. I like the look but unless you plan to use all couplers like that, a few Sergents in a train with all Kadee’s doesn’t look right and they are hard to notice. I will take the Kadee’s anyday. Kadee’s are cheap, look good, work with uncoupler magnets and are very reliable. The Sergents I have on very detailed OMI cars that do not get run often.
FORGOT SOMETHING
Sergents DO NOT center themselves like a Kadee does. You have to push the coupler to the center to couple it up just like the real cars.
I don’t have any, but I have done some reading & visited their website. If I ever get a place to install the Walthers rotary car dumper I bought some years ago, Sargeant makes a true rotary coupler - so you could actually dump a load of gravel/coal/wood chips etc. There was an article recently - I think on this forum - about making a Walthers dumper work.
I’m still sitting here trying to figure out about reaching across with a magnetic wand to uncouple, this opposed to reaching across with a non-magnet skewer to uncouple??? it’s both reaching, I still don’t get it??? can you explain?
I understand your confusion so I’ll try and explain. For most of my uncoupling, where I can easily reach a car on the mainline and use a skewer to uncouple, that’s what I’ll do. However, for a couple of industries, like on my wharf, where I can’t reach in without smashing something, I will use Kadee magnets between the rails. So, with Kadees, you have the option of uncoupling with a skewere OR using an uncoupling magnet.
Mondo