Proto:48 Coupler Operation Demo

[ednadolski]

I've been playing around with getting some Protocraft P:48 couplers to work, and took this quick little video to show how they operate.   The cars are nothing special, just some Atlas Trainman cheapies (for O scale) with Protocraft P:48 70-ton roller bearing trucks and some Shapeways 3D printed coupler pockets, but otherwise unmodified.

If you like realistic switching action, it's hard to beat what can be done in P:48

Ed

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh *****.

Couple those with my working air hoses and switching just got a lot more realistic.

/>
Do they still mate with Kadees? Being compatible with friends equipment is the only reason I've been using them, but if they're compatible, that's the end of that.

[CRL]

It’s a drag if the air hoses move the stationary car before they disconnect. Screws up the illusion.

[ednadolski]

It’s a drag if the air hoses move the stationary car.

Yes, literally.  I've played a little bit with those and found they can pull a free-rolling car.  Adding weight or drag doesn't necessarily help, but I'm not done trying.

I'm also looking at how to possibly make an operational pin lifter, but that's been tricky too so far.

Ed

[ednadolski]

Do they still mate with Kadees?

I think you could sort of force them, but not really, at least on the one or two that I've tried.  Rather like trying to get HO Sergents to work with conventional HO couplers.

The KAdees that come on the Atlas cars are fairly stiff, and at the low speed in the vid they are more prone to just push away rather than couple.

N.B, these couplers come with centering springs, but I leave those out after noticing that the can cause the cars to pogo, just like an N-scale MT.

E.

[davefoxx]

I do like that slack action in your video.  Very realistic.  Bernie Kempinski figured out a way to add brakes to his Civil War era fleet.  Is that a possibility with more modern looking cars?

DFF

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I do like that slack action in your video.  Very realistic.  Bernie Kempinski figured out a way to add brakes to his Civil War era fleet.  Is that a possibility with more modern looking cars?

DFF

Trying to figure that out on my caboose is what's currently stalled progress.

I'm trying to think of a good way to do the ratchet and pawl to hold them in place.

I'll admit that it's a lot easier with cars with vertical brake staffs though.

Perhaps the issue could also be solved by encasing the magnet in a glad hand to space them out a bit.

[svedblen]

I do like that slack action in your video.  Very realistic.

+1

[garethashenden]

Ed, You need coupler levers!!

Other Ed, I just bought some Kadee "Prototype" couplers, they're not nearly as good as the Protocraft couplers. There's a lot of slack between the knuckles when they're coupled that isn't there on the Protocraft ones. Protocraft is more than twice the cost. $12/pair vs. $5/pair, but if you've only got a few cars its worth considering.