What CouplersYou Using?

[One of One-Sixty]

After having to replace everything I had train wise, I am finding that what I thought I knew about couplers is even more limited as I stepped away from the hobby due to what happened.  So now I am replacing my trains and so far most of what I have replaced have been commuter/passenger cars which I have been using Kato's Traction type couplers.  What couplers are you using for your freight rolling stock and engines?

How are the Accumates that Atlas uses for their products?

[Brakie]

I use MT,Atlas Accumate couplers and the new McHenry coupler with the knuckle spring..So far I haven't had any problems with Accumates and McHenry couplers on my temporary switching  layouts and when/if these couplers start to fail I'll replace 'em with MTs.

[christoph]

I also use MTL, Accumates and McHenry couplers, they work well with each other.
The early Accumates sometimes "exploded", which means they fell apart when in use, but this problem has long been solved by Atlas.

[up1950s]

Body mounted MTL 1015's and 2004's , both in 1015 boxes .

[JSL]

They are all okay. MTL are still the most realiable in my book.

[mirage]

Me too uses Atlas, MTL and a few McHenrys and didn't have any problems so far;-)

Perhaps BLMA will bring out couplers matching to their 70t and 100t trucks some day?

[TiVoPrince]

Whatever
comes on the cars.  Until a proper coupler comes along I'm not inclined to make wholesale changes until a closer to scale product comes along...

[Mr. G]

Whatever
comes on the cars.  Until a proper coupler comes along I'm not inclined to make wholesale changes until a closer to scale product comes along...

I'm doing the same.  I'm just messing with a temporary switching layout now too.  Probably not enough heavy use to really put my couplers to the test, so I don't really feel like doing a total change-out for one brand or another.  Should BLMA come out with a good-looking, reliable coupler that doesn't slinky, then I'll give in.  Until then, though, no one coupler is good enough to warrant the change.

[GaryHinshaw]

I'm getting really addicted to the Full Throttle Z scale couplers...   :-\

I'd love to see them - or their moral equivalent - available separately.  As I continue to work with them, I keep thinking that the basic box and coupler could be universal (one set of tooling), and that a line of etched wrappers/holders could be offered separately to provide various mounting options.

-gfh

P.S. Maybe a small variety of coupler options: short shank, long shank, shelf style... but all fitting in a universal box, like the Full Throttle box.

[DKS]

I'm getting really addicted to the Full Throttle Z scale couplers...   :-\

I'd love to see them - or their moral equivalent - available separately.  As I continue to work with them, I keep thinking that the basic box and coupler could be universal (one set of tooling), and that a line of etched wrappers/holders could be offered separately to provide various mounting options.

-gfh

P.S. Maybe a small variety of coupler options: short shank, long shank, shelf style... but all fitting in a universal box, like the Full Throttle box.

Hang in there...

[esa123]

I'm like everyone else on here - accumates, McHenry's, and MT's all play well together for the most part. I did try converting a couple of dozen freight cars using MT Z-scale couplers and found that they looked really good (shortened the coupling distance well). One problem was that since I have a switching layout the close coupling distance did become somewhat of a problem as it was very easy to "bump" cars back/forth too much during operations while uncoupling. Also, Z scale couplers look great on N scale engines but be careful of your turning radius as the slow plows tend to rub the engine in front of them if you don't have wider curves. Unless you're really in need of converting things I would wait like everyone else for a more universal housing and scale sized coupler to come out!

Erik

[Ian MacMillan]

I really like the looks of the Full Throttle couplers from Gary's thread. I too wish they were available without the trucks so I could go wild and get my cars all body mounted.

[Philip H]

I really like the looks of the Full Throttle couplers from Gary's thread. I too wish they were available without the trucks so I could go wild and get my cars all body mounted.

Me too - maybe Craig will get Full Throttle to let him sell thm in bulk packs, along with the bulk packs of trucks we keep hollerin' for!

[One of One-Sixty]

Alright thanks, I will hold off on doing any converting and just focusing on converting my passenger cars over.