Athearns announces a new run of F7’s in its RTR series. It’s specifically mentioned that these units will have magnetically operated couplers. Now what does that mean? It must mean something other than Kadee or one of the others newer knuckle couplers because these are old hat (not meant in a negative sense because I love 'm). Has Athearrn developped a new kind of
coupler or is it just a sales slogan?
Who knows the answer?
Sounds like new-to-them old-hat.
All “magnetically operated coupler” means is that the coupler has a curved metal pin which can be separated by a between-the-tracks magnet or electromagnet. Most good knuckle couplers (such as Kadees) have such a pin, the cheaper ones do not.