Notes on body-mount couplers (work-in-progress)

[Packer]

Great idea Leo!!  (Getting the polarity to match would be a trick though...)

two micromini-magnets, or a magnet with 2 poles. Have one pole farthest away from the car it's mounted to, and the other closer.
                       
Something like this: car| _N/S | car
                           car| ^S/N | car

The issue is where to find said tiny magnets. The hose itself could be magnetized with the micromini magnet, it might mess around with the trip pins (if one uses them) or cause the hoses to connect towards the base.

[Craig Martyn]

Great idea Leo!!  (Getting the polarity to match would be a trick though...)

This whole thread is really just a thinly-veiled wish list for Craig's development team.  If Craig hooked up with "Full Throttle" Will, they could take the world by storm.  At least our corner of the world.  

And I'm reading and watching...      Great work everyone!  Glad we are finally seeing little improvements in N Scale that so many have been waiting for... 

Our next freight car announcement (coming in a few weeks) will have everything situated properly - ride height, trucks (a new style!), body-mounted couplers, etc.  Can't wait!

[bicknell]

So, Craig, when do we get working airlines and air brakes, which I'm sure will require new BLMA super-detailed trucks?  I guess you'll also need a retrofit air compressor to install in locomotives, along with DCC control, of course.



One day, maybe one day....

[Robbman]

There wasn't enough clearance for the BLMA truck to swing - the offset bolster on the MTL truck helps here. 

That offset bolster is the problem... in order to put the centerline of the MT 1015 in line with the last side stake (which is where the bolster is on the proto), the model's bolster has to be moved... which precludes using a correct 100T truck on it.

[Andrew Hutchinson]

This is a really neat thread and I hope that you guys are successful in attaining the full throttle coupler at a reasonable price if that is indeed the best way to go.

Regarding airhoses, I think it was at about the same time that I read the Dave Davis Great Model Railroads article and the Jim Smith Wright article from one of the UK mags. There is a PDF of the UK article floating around on one of the yahoo freight car groups, though I am not sure which one. Both articles used fridge magnet flecks. I couldn't find the bungee cord they were using in a size small enough for N and turned to thread soaked in PVA glue (you can get the glue at art supply stores) with the magnet flecks attached to the end. They do work ie the PVA  coated string was flexible enough to join the two hoses together but they DO need a solid mount and that can depend a lot on the type of draft gear you are trying to use. When I asked around on one of the other N scale lists I was told that Mr. Davis had presented some equipment with the magnetic hoses at Naperville some time ago. I was really hoping that he would be there so I could pick his brain on the subject but unfortunately I didn't get to run into him.


Andrew Hutchinson   

[James Costello]

That offset bolster is the problem... in order to put the centerline of the MT 1015 in line with the last side stake (which is where the bolster is on the proto), the model's bolster has to be moved... which precludes using a correct 100T truck on it.

I know what you are saying.... but moving the bolster on a fleet of coal hoppers in order to use a correct truck isn't realistic nor is it a good use of my time, especially when we don't have a "correct" (ie, scale) body mount coupler to go on it. So yes, the design of the Trainworx hopper is the "problem" (more so than the MTL truck).

Until such time that BLMA or anyone else makes a "correct" 4 bay (western) 100T coal hopper that enables the use of a "correct" 100T truck, the MTL offset bolster is not a problem, but a solution.

One can only hope that manufacturers start designing their future projects to enable the use of the BLMA trucks and body mount couplers.

[bbussey]

Well, we already have a number of manufacturers who design their products with body-mounted couplers.  As new product innovations (such as the BLMA trucks) become available, they will be incorporated in future products when appropriate.  This has happened with various coupler and truck designs in the past, so there is no reason to believe this won't continue.

[Mark5]

So, Craig, when do we get working airlines and air brakes, which I'm sure will require new BLMA super-detailed trucks?  I guess you'll also need a retrofit air compressor to install in locomotives, along with DCC control, of course.

After we get rotating roller bearings.

[bicknell]

This actually reminds me of something I do really want to see with magnets.

I want working diaphragms on passenger cars that have little magnets in them to keep them together so they look right.

[lock4244]

After we get rotating roller bearings.

I've been slowly adding BLMA trucks to select cars (mostly Bluford 86'ers, which gives the a real nice look BTW) and I'll be damned if I'll change them again to ones with rotating bearings! Still waiting for the bulkpacks, Craig...

Someone needs to come out with an automatic scale coupler for body mounting (in bulk packs without a truck)... and no slinky. Working air hoses, rotating bearings are all fine and good, but lets get that coupler first.

[Mark5]

I still want a coupler that works that gives close coupling on the two Kato SD40-2s that I own. The MTLs leave a huge long jump between units.

This will probably only be solved by tooling a new SD40-2 with scale hoods.  :

[Mr. G]

I've been slowly adding BLMA trucks to select cars (mostly Bluford 86'ers, which gives the a real nice look BTW) and I'll be damned if I'll change them again to ones with rotating bearings! Still waiting for the bulkpacks, Craig...

Someone needs to come out with an automatic scale coupler for body mounting (in bulk packs without a truck)... and no slinky. Working air hoses, rotating bearings are all fine and good, but lets get that coupler first.

And while we're dreaming, I'll take some quality turnouts.

[pfs]

And while we're dreaming, I'll take some quality turnouts.

http://www.handlaidtrack.com/

[lock4244]

And while we're dreaming, I'll take some quality turnouts.

There are some innovators that have appeared on the N scale mfg scene who have, dare I say, re-invigorated N scale. They have shown a remarkable ability to zero in on the things that are lacking; that have stalled N scale. The RTR rapido coupler days once seemed universal unless it was MTL. The idea that only the larger mfg's can bring a locomotive to market has been shattered. Body mounted couplers are now appearing on RTR cars (and a real hats off to Bluford and their 86'ers... the high degree of thought that went into that body mount design is evident - compare their 86'er to the TWX cars out of the box). That a scale (or closer to scale) automatic coupler is probably on someone's radar, or already on CAD somewhere, is likely. It is probably closer than we think.

Heck, it may be waiting to be announced on an upcoming release.

[Robbman]

I know what you are saying.... but moving the bolster on a fleet of coal hoppers in order to use a correct truck isn't realistic nor is it a good use of my time, especially when we don't have a "correct" (ie, scale) body mount coupler to go on it. So yes, the design of the Trainworx hopper is the "problem" (more so than the MTL truck).

Until such time that BLMA or anyone else makes a "correct" 4 bay (western) 100T coal hopper that enables the use of a "correct" 100T truck, the MTL offset bolster is not a problem, but a solution.

One can only hope that manufacturers start designing their future projects to enable the use of the BLMA trucks and body mount couplers.

I'd actually blame the truck more-so than the car, that pffset on the 1015 is quite... well.. .useless... though given there were other trucks (even in MT's own line) that don't have that offset... I guess you could blame car design decisions too.