I know HO KDs are the standard of the hobby. However, I notice many RTR cars come with Accumate and there is also a brand named McHenry. Do all these work compatibility with each other or are there problems. I am just wondering if it is necessary to change out all RTR cars to KD. Thanks for any advise.
Bachmann, Lifelike, Intermountain, McHenry, Accumate and Kaydee all make knuckle couplers, all a little different, but all, if properly set, are compatable with the other.
IMHO, Kaydee’s are the cream of the crop, but I do use all of the others in certain applications.
Rotor
The only real problem that mixing couplers brings up is normally on tight curves or S curves where the couplers are at their max. Other than that ROTOR is right on.
You just can’t use any knuckle couplers with horn-hook couplers.
(as a side note… it’s Kadee not kaydee)
Kadee…yeah I know. It says so on the sticker in the front window of my store. Not sure what I was thinking. I guess I can chalk it up to Oldtimers, or at least a brain fart! [;)]
Rotor
Thanks, that answers my question. I started into N scale but am changing to HO because I just can’t see N very well. I know in that scale they said the best way was to go Micro Trains couplers since Accumate wouldn’t hold up well and stay coupled to MT couplers. Sounds like in HO they all hold up fairly well. I know I will prefer KD but it is good to know I don’t have to change out every car. Thanks
Rotor,
This is off-topic, but I just love that Wankel in your posts. I have admired them for years but still don’t see how the rotor turns the center shaft. That motion just doesn’t appear to engage that shaft sufficiently to cause it to turn. I’m sittin’ here mesmerized by it but it still doesn’t make sense. (I’m a pretty good mechanic, member of the Society of Automotive Engineers, had some engineering training, and I just don’t see it. It’s sort of like the continuously-variable transmission that was demonstrated about 15 years ago in Detroit. Although you could watch the mechanism, it just didn’t make sense that it worked, but it did!)
Sorry for the diversion. I just had to make the comment.
Mark C.
I mix KD and Mc Henry with little trouble. I haven’t decided which one I hate less yet.
I had way less trouble with horn hooks ,but you know how that goes…
Avoid ones with plastic springs at the back of the knuckle. They fatigue, sometimes in just days if left tight against a bumping post or jacknifed between locomotives on a curve.
Thanks Mark!
BTW…you got mail!
Rotor
all knuckle couplers are compatible, however the all metal KDs are superior to all the others. generally stay away from the ones that have a small plastic strip to close the knuckle instead of a spring. after a few hard couplings the strip gets bent to the point where it wont properly couple anymore. the plastic couplers with a metal spring I will use but if you are running longer trains keep your plastic couplers near the end. Not too long ago I was on a mission to run a 150 car freight at the club. I did it, but ended up with a handfull of broken plastic couplers. All the KDs held up fine. You definently want KDs on engines.
RANT: Let’s get the Manufacturers to bring back the X2F horn hook couplers to put an end to this whining over their choice of “cheap” horn hook couplers once and for all. Even if the mfgs supplier no couplers, the price per car or loco would not drop a dime. What we really need is a campainge to get standard coupler boxs on all cars and on both ends of locomotives!!!
Will
PS KD’s rule, dogs drool!
I put KD’s on all of my rolling stock. I like the all metal aspect of the KD. I have only broken two couplers and they were both plastic. Snapped in half when the car thought it could fly and hit the floor. Never have had a KD coupler break. I am looking forward to the new KD coupler coming out that has the permenant metal whiskers. Seems like a good idea.
Terry
I’m in the process of changing all of my newer freight cars to Kadee’s. Accumate and E-Z mate just don’t hold up under running conditions–the Accumates tend to ‘split’ on a heavy train going downhill–and I run lots of heavy trains–and the E-Z Mate plastic springs tend to fatigue quite easily. I’ve got McHenrys on some of my older passenger equipment, and so far they’ve held up quite well, but for the freight cars, it’s going to be Kadee and nothing else from here on out.
Tom
