Well, I just had a first- I unpacked the coaches from the first release of Walthers’ Hiawatha cars and discovered that I didn’t have to do anything at all to them before being able to run them (yes, they still need to have the grabs installed, but that doesn’t keep them from being operable). If my sample of three coaches is any indication, they just might have their ongoing problems with couplers on their streamlined cars licked:
They were the right height
They had metal coil knuckle springs
They had metal knuckles
Every single Walthers streamlined passenger car I’ve had in the past required that I replace the coupler to compensate for height issues and/or replace the plastic couplers which had those gawdawful plastic-finger knuckle springs.
It looks like they got it right this time.
Good job, Walthers! I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of the set!
Nope not Kadees, but what appears to be an actually useable clone (I said “good” couplers, not “great” couplers…). They are clearly not Kadee brand, but look to be a clone that doesn’t take the fatal shortcuts all of the previous ones have.
Frankly, I was most amazed that the mounting height was right, straight out of the box.
Are you sure they are metal and not plastic couplers? I have a friend that is collecting a set of those cars and he swapped out his couplers for Kadee’s. I’ll ask him if his were metal the next time I see him.
Sounds like they are using the same couplers they used on the Proto-2000 Emprire Builder F units. I was so surprised, and was hoping this coupler would be used on future cars.
I had already swapped out the couplers on one locomotive and was starting the second when I noticed that I couldn’t tell at a glance which was the coupler I had just taken off and which was the Kadee I was ready to install. When one really looks, it is obvious. They are definitely metal.
The first Kadee compatible coupler I’ve been happy with.