Has Anyone Ever Seen or Heard of the GOEMON N Scale Coupler?

[tom mann]

How come this came out of nowhere?  How come this is like the only non-Kato model railroad item not made in China? Why is the little sign hand-lettered?

Google search for Goemon n scale coupler brings up several hits - so it is not all *THAT* new - we just didn't know about it.

Ok, I did Google it and the other mention is on Trainboard started on the same day by the same author as this thread. The other hits are for various ways to get to the ebay listing.

So someone designs a coupler with no prior announcement, and has it manufactured in Japan (and not the usual, cheaper China), and then doesn't even announce when it's available? Or post photos of it installed? And it's discovered by by accident?

[Altoona]

I've been talking to the seller... they are acting as a US seller for the Japanese MFG...

They said someone just bought 10.. (Maybe someone here.. )

Right now Price is PER COUPLER.. not per pair..

I'm trying to get them to relist as pairs and have bulk discounts (for pairs)

And (right now) shipping is flat up to 100 (couplers).

~Ian

I admitted it, I'm the one that brought 10

Judd Barton

[Chris333]

You know there are people with injection molding machines in their garages.

[learmoia]

I admitted it, I'm the one that brought 10

Judd Barton

Haa..!  COOL

I think your getting 5 pair.. (10 couplers).. 

Let us know..

[johnb]

Really?  My brain must be wired differently...  I only associate Pokemon with 11 year olds wasting time.   

you should have seen all of the adults playing pokemon go at my office....

[peteski]

Ok, I did Google it and the other mention is on Trainboard started on the same day by the same author as this thread. The other hits are for various ways to get to the ebay listing.

So someone designs a coupler with no prior announcement, and has it manufactured in Japan (and not the usual, cheaper China), and then doesn't even announce when it's available? Or post photos of it installed? And it's discovered by by accident?

If you look at that nice hand drawing, it is dated Dec. 2016, so yes, it is a fairly new development. It appears that this was in fact a stealthy development.  The grammar in the text also seems to indicate a non-native English speaker.

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[Chris333]

They seem nice, it says please.

[learmoia]

They seem nice, it says please.

That's how they get ya.. 

Oh forgot to mention.. the eBay person mentione "Mr. Ito" as the person involved..

Jinkies!

~Ian

[Philip H]

You know there are people with injection molding machines in their garages.

Right, but @peteski is hopelessly behind on projects.

[peteski]

Right, but @peteski is hopelessly behind on projects.

Man, you know me really well! 

I ordered 10 of them from Streamlined Backshop and asked for more info.  Here are the results:

Bryan, can you provide any info about the manufacturer of the GOEMON couplers?  They just seemed to pop out of nowhere.
Who makes these and do you know if there are any plans to  sell these in bulk?
Will the manufacturer offer a complete coupler (including the coupler box and spring)?

As they are, they are rather pricey (since Micro-Trains couplers have to sacrificed to build a complete GOEMON coupler).  Also, are there any plans to produce a version which would be compatible with the Micro Trains 1015 coupler box?

As for the couplers, they were created by Seiichi Ito of Tokyo, Japan.  I was contacted via cold call from the US Agent in Seattle? upon referral by one of my clients.  The agent is not a modeler so does not know about trains or parts.  I will forward feedback for their consideration.

I have honestly not tried them yet so cannot compare to anything.

I know the customer well enough and the expenditure for a small lot was low enough that if he sent the guy my way I just ordered a couple to what happens.  Interesting to get a few comments about it here this week.

I suppose its like anything.  If there is enough demand and even an ounce of profit they might do other projects.
I hope that (assuming that these work well) Mr. Ito does not go the way of Leo VonKallen and his promising line of N-2-IT modular buildings.  But model railroader or not, Mr. Ito must know enough about N scale couplers and parts to produce his version of the MTL coupler. 

[CNR5529]

I was contacted via cold call from the US Agent in Seattle? upon referral by one of my clients.  The agent is not a modeler so does not know about trains or parts.  I will forward feedback for their consideration.

Interesting that the designer/manufacturer is not a model railroader.

I understood that as the US agent was not a model railroader, not that the coupler designer was not a model railroader. Either way, thanks for the update from Streamlined Backshop.

[haasmarc]

Do the same thing to the 905 Z scale coupler and I will be in big trouble.

[peteski]

I understood that as the US agent was not a model railroader, not that the coupler designer was not a model railroader. Either way, thanks for the update from Streamlined Backshop.

Duh!  So much for my reading comprehension - fixed my post.  Hopefully the agent will pass the comments to Mr. Ito.

[tom mann]

As for the couplers, they were created by Seiichi Ito of Tokyo, Japan.  I was contacted via cold call from the US Agent in Seattle? upon referral by one of my clients.  The agent is not a modeler so does not know about trains or parts.  I will forward feedback for their consideration.

This sounds like it's from a WWII-era south pacific espionage novel.

[peteski]

This sounds like it's from a WWII-era south pacific espionage novel.

Um, you are closer than you realize!

From Wikipedia
Seiichi Itō (伊藤 整一 Itō Seiichi?, July 26, 1890 – April 7, 1945) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and commander of the battleship Yamato on its final mission towards the end of World War II.