New N Scale Coupler Announced! NZT

[Frank Amato]

No doubt!  A realistic shank length will greatly improve the spacing distance of many of my RTR cars.

  Frank

[tom mann]

Good luck with this project!  I also would like to beta test these, especially if they look as good as the HO scale Sergeants.

[hpwrick]

Gosh,   NMRA Ninja's, Railwire Hazers and now MTL Special Ops.   Just what is the world of railroad modeling coming to?

I'm perfectly happy with MTL but anything that allows me short coupling I'ma all for.

[Ian MacMillan]

And Ian, it's also totally different from what you saw, too.

Awesome...because if it is an improvement over what you showed me, this project is going to epic. I look forward to seeing how this progresses and being able to provide any feedback.

[BCR 570]

David:

I wish you all the best with this project and will be interested to see the results. 

Tim

[nkalanaga]

"An N scale knuckle different in size from existing knuckles could create interoperability problems."
Or maybe not, if it's designed right.  I use MT Z/Nn3 on my Atlas ore cars, and they couple fine with the MT N couplers on other cars.  Installation is a little fussier, as everything has to line up right, but they couple and run fine.  I haven't tried magnetic uncoupling as I've never used use it.

For those wanting a Z coupler as a drop-in replacement for N, I can see where that could be a problem.  On the other hand, a Z coupler in a box with the same mounting dimensions as a MT 1015, or whatever, should be easy.  Put the screw in the same place, and the top of the box at the same height, and swapping them would be easy.  Plus, it would have the smaller draft gear of the Z coupler, which would look better than putting it in the existing box.

[delamaize]

OK. I'm excited now. Count me.down on the beta list if you need more beta testers!

[joebalto]

lets see last year was switch to DCC and now they may be coming out with a new and improved coupler. If its an easy install at a fair price I guess I can user about 800 pair or so..

[robert3985]

Okay.  Z-scale couplers for my N scale equipment.  Would be nice to have close to prototype sized N-scale couplers (Z-scale couplers with N-scale mounting) in several different styles for mounting on engines and cars.  BUT, I'll take what I can get, just like I do now.

DKS, I hope you are planning on doing them in something different than shiny black!  Brown isn't really the correct color either as all prototype couplers I've seen are a semi-dark, warm gray.  MMmmmmmm...that'd be a vast improvement.

I know that sometimes, a colored plastic of the same type isn't as strong as the pure black.  Hope that's not a problem here.

I applaud your decision to make 'em in the USA!  I think it's about time much manufacturing came home, and soon, it might actually be cheaper to do it here than in China.  I'm willing to pay a little more for USA designed and manufactured products.

Cheers!
Bob Gilmore

[Chris333]

If they weren't shiney how would you de-mold them?  You could sand blast fine texture on the mold, but that might give you problems.  If it works then yeah that would be great. Color as well, no black and no neon orange rust like MT.  If you want I can take the densitometer out to a real coupler and get a color reading.

[peteski]

Color as well, no black and no neon orange rust like MT.  If you want I can take the densitometer out to a real coupler and get a color reading.

You want to use a densitometer to get the correct color?  Will that make everybody happy?  You know there are many colors of 1:1 couplers:  Dry rust, wet rust, dusty rust, oily rust, clean fresh rust, west-coast and east-coast rust and many, many more variations of coupler color. 

[Chris333]

So I'll do 10 different couplers and do the average?   

[RAILCAT]

Apart from the intricacies of getting the tooling correct
and fulfilling the needs and expectancies of the modellers is not
the machinery for assembling the tiny little blighter's
a big challenge?

[ednadolski]

I also would like to beta test these

David, if you're taking names, please sign me up too.       Perhaps a signup on the NZT page is worth considering?

One more suggestion -- any interest in a non-operating, low-cost bulk coupler?

Ed

[wm3798]

Obviously, there should be an adapter that provides for use in the standard pilot box most locomotive manufacturers are using.

Lee