Quick Coupler Comparison

[turbowhiz]

I gathered up all of the different couplers I could find lying around on my workbench and slapped up this quick comparison, in an attempt to determine a N scale boxing match winner….

(There are some missing links here, but this is all I had lying around)

Left to Right->

N-Possible Scale
MTL True Scale
MTL Z Scale
Kato
VRK
Aurora
Accumate
MTL (Clone)
Small Knuckle McHenry (Athearn)
Big Knuckle McHenry
Bachmann EZ-Mate
Scaletrains “Semi Scale” (High on the Semi… Low on the Scale)
HO Scale Kadee #58 “Scale” (which it isn’t)
HO Scale Kadee #5 (The HO “Traditional Standard”)

Top Profile:



End Profile:




The boxing match title is a real close one… Length is McHenry Longest.. Width is Bachmann .. Scaletrains sort of splits the middle there. They’re all close in size to the HO scale #58 (which is still too large to be scale in HO) especially in their top profile.

[Mark5]

so ... the McHenry or the Bachmann or the ST couplers might be a great choice for ... HO scale! 

[jagged ben]

 

I actually did not realize there were two sizes of McHenry's. 

[robert3985]

@turbowhiz - That's really GREAT info!  This definitely gets bookmarked!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[peteski]

Thanks Turbowhiz!  What the hack is an Aurora coupler?

Some years ago when McHenry introduced their N scale couplers I was so underwhelmed about its size that I did a similar comparison to other popular couplers at that time.  That was on the Atlas forum (gone now), but one of the online hobby shops copied it (with my permission) and posted it on their website, but I don't remember which one it was.  Here is one of those images:

[turbowhiz]

Thanks Turbowhiz!  What the hack is an Aurora coupler?

Some years ago when McHenry introduced their N scale couplers I was so underwhelmed about its size that I did a similar comparison to other popular couplers at that time.  That was on the Atlas forum (gone now), but one of the online hobby shops copied it (with my permission) and posted it on their website, but I don't remember which one it was.

Looks like you have the "Small Knuckle" McHenry in your pictures... It seems that the large knuckle version is present on newer releases as best as I can tell. They also have a "double shelf" version too, it showed up on some recent tank cars, but I couldn't quickly lay my hands on my example. I didn't do the side-side comparison. And my photo's aren't as good as yours either.

The Aurora (Miniatures) coupler. Found on:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=57321

and

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=57320

Its actually pretty decent looking for what it is... It doesn't couple well out of the box, but if you defeat the shank interconnect it fixes that issue supposedly although I'm not sure if it introduces other reliablity issues. In some super casual testing it seems to stay coupled very well, at least in its stock form.

I don't have any BLI couplers, nor the recent(ish) Arnold type on the U25's/SW-1's. [Shout out, I'm looking for a Arnold SW-1. Preferably Penn Central]. I didn't include other cruft like dummy Intermountain or Red Caboose whatnot and such that aren't fully operating. Neglected the Rapido coupler though, that does deserve a spot at the table I think!

[Jesse6669]

I don't suppose you've tried installing any NPossible on Z scale stock?  It would seem a good replacement for the MTL Z's.

[turbowhiz]

I don't suppose you've tried installing any NPossible on Z scale stock?  It would seem a good replacement for the MTL Z's.

I've not gone there (yet!). I'm not sure if you saw this 905 comparison, but in theory the scale box should replace a 905 box pretty much straight up by the looks of it:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=54237.msg820265#msg820265

I've not dropped the Z scale rabbit hole, so I don't know the broad coupler install challenges. One point I'll make is that I'll certainly have shorter overall length parts in the future. I have enough N scale scenarios to develop that further. 

[peteski]

Looks like you have the "Small Knuckle" McHenry in your pictures... It seems that the large knuckle version is present on newer releases as best as I can tell. They also have a "double shelf" version too, it showed up on some recent tank cars, but I couldn't quickly lay my hands on my example. I didn't do the side-side comparison. And my photo's aren't as good as yours either.

The Aurora (Miniatures) coupler. Found on:

Its actually pretty decent looking for what it is... It doesn't couple well out of the box, but if you defeat the shank interconnect it fixes that issue supposedly although I'm not sure if it introduces other reliablity issues. In some super casual testing it seems to stay coupled very well, at least in its stock form.

I don't have any BLI couplers, nor the recent(ish) Arnold type on the U25's/SW-1's. [Shout out, I'm looking for a Arnold SW-1. Preferably Penn Central]. I didn't include other cruft like dummy Intermountain or Red Caboose whatnot and such that aren't fully operating. Neglected the Rapido coupler though, that does deserve a spot at the table I think!

Ah ok. TBH I have seen those threads when they were active but I wasn't very interested in their boxcars. I might have  missed that they also produce their own coupler (that is not just a copy of MTL coupler).  When you mentioned Aurora, all I could think of was


And since that Aurora existed back in early N scale days, I was puzzled that there was an Aurora coupler.

Also, Scale Trains has two variants of their N scale couplers.  The original (used in the Big Blow Turbine) was smaller than the "new and improved" one they started using in the GTEL 4500 Standard Turbine locos. Of course they also seem to occasionally use MTL clones.

[ednadolski]

No Sergents?    
 
ed

[Jimbo]

Some years ago when McHenry introduced their N scale couplers I was so underwhelmed about its size that I did a similar comparison to other popular couplers at that time.  That was on the Atlas forum (gone now), but one of the online hobby shops copied it (with my permission) and posted it on their website, but I don't remember which one it was.  Here is one of those images:

Looks like it was Fifer Hobby?  Was the rest of the information on his site also from you?  I especially like the chart showing the prototype next to the (then) currently-available couplers - it emphasizes how out-of-scale they all are.

https://www.fiferhobby.com/n-scale-coupler-evaluation/

Jim

[peteski]

Yes Jim, the images and text are mine (I'm credited at the top of the article).  I thought it was Fifer, but I looked through the website yesterday and couldn't find that  article.  I looked under Resources/Couplers & Trucks, Product Reviews, And How To.  Where exactly is it hidden?

Also, I estimated the size of a 1:1 AAR coupler as I couldn't find  its exact dimensions, but I think it is close.  Also.as I mentioned, this was geared mainly towards comparing (then new) McHenry to others.

[turbowhiz]

Yes Jim, the images and text are mine (I'm credited at the top of the article).  I thought it was Fifer, but I looked through the website yesterday and couldn't find that  article.  I looked under Resources/Couplers & Trucks, Product Reviews, And How To.  Where exactly is it hidden?

Also, I estimated the size of a 1:1 AAR coupler as I couldn't find  its exact dimensions, but I think it is close.  Also.as I mentioned, this was geared mainly towards comparing (then new) McHenry to others.

The original 1:1 estimate is too generous.

I posted an accurately scaled update of that reference a while back...



The TSC and NP couplers are what they claim, actually scale.

[peteski]

The original 1:1 estimate is too generous.

I posted an accurately scaled update of that reference a while back...
The TSC and NP couplers are what they claim, actually scale.

Thanks!
At the time I did this review (16 years ago!) I couldn't find actual dimensions of 1:1 AAR couplers.  The review was mainly to compare the new McHenry coupler (which I thought was a step backwards in N scale knuckle coupler world) to other N couplers. I threw in the real AAR coupler just to show just how oversize all N scale couplers (and especially McHenry couplers) are.  Actually it looks like my estimate was not too far off.  The TSC and your couplers were still in distant future. 

[Jimbo]

Yes Jim, the images and text are mine (I'm credited at the top of the article).  I thought it was Fifer, but I looked through the website yesterday and couldn't find that  article.  I looked under Resources/Couplers & Trucks, Product Reviews, And How To.  Where exactly is it hidden?

Cool!  Thanks, @peteski - I’ve enjoyed this resource in the past; thanks for sharing!

To find it, select “How to” from the home page and then scroll down to the “locomotives” section.  Your coupler article is the fifth one down… has “MUST SEE” next to the article.  (It’s titled “N scale coupler evaluation”)

Thanks again!!


Jim