Microtrains trucks and couplers

[Maletrain]

The Kato couplers are T-shank, and turn side-to-side in their pockets.  I would be afraid to glue them in a fixed centered position.

What I need to do is use a piece of styrene angle material cut so that it rests on top of the coupler pocket and has a tab that extends down into the front of the pocket slot to keep the coupler from angling upward when in buff.  It is hard to position because there is no hard stop to place it against.  If I have to use epoxy, I will probably go with something that takes a while to set, so that I can do a bunch of them with one mix of the resin and hardener.  But, I would prefer to use something that doesn't require a mixing process.  Not sure what that would be.

[robert3985]

Although I've never glued any Kato couplers with ANY kind of glue, for a fairly slow-setting adhesive, that will just about grip anything, my choice would be a generous application of Canopy Cement after roughing up the surfaces to be glued a bit.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[nkalanaga]

N Scale Supply still lists Barber roller Bearing trucks in stock:
https://www.nscalesupply.com/mtl/mtl-nscaletrucks.html

Single pairs and 10-pair packages.

[Lemosteam]

N Scale Supply still lists Barber roller Bearing trucks in stock:
https://www.nscalesupply.com/mtl/mtl-nscaletrucks.html

Single pairs and 10-pair packages.

@nkalanaga The website lists these as invalid part number when you try to add them to their cart.

(RANT) That has got to be the most antiquated website I have seen since the advent of the internet.  I used to call them just to avoid it back then.

[Sokramiketes]

The Kato couplers are T-shank, and turn side-to-side in their pockets.  I would be afraid to glue them in a fixed centered position.

What I need to do is use a piece of styrene angle material cut so that it rests on top of the coupler pocket and has a tab that extends down into the front of the pocket slot to keep the coupler from angling upward when in buff.  It is hard to position because there is no hard stop to place it against.  If I have to use epoxy, I will probably go with something that takes a while to set, so that I can do a bunch of them with one mix of the resin and hardener.  But, I would prefer to use something that doesn't require a mixing process.  Not sure what that would be.

I think you'd be surprised how little, if any, the couplers move side to side while running.  Shorter cars, talgo truck mounts, space in the knuckles... they don't need to move. 

Regardless, all this consternation about sub-optimal Kato design and fixes.  These could be nPossible equipped already!  <grin>

[Maletrain]

@nkalanaga (about N Scale Supply wesite)

(RANT) That has got to be the most antiquated website I have seen since the advent of the internet.  I used to call them just to avoid it back then.

I actually like their website.  I can look up stuff by manufacturer and product type and see a picture.  I actually use it as an encyclopedia of sorts, to see what used to be available.  (I don't actually buy from them because the hot-head banned me years ago - but buying by copying the product number into a box isn't so difficult.)

[Maletrain]

I think you'd be surprised how little, if any, the couplers move side to side while running.  Shorter cars, talgo truck mounts, space in the knuckles... they don't need to move. 

Just checked them through a Kato Unitrack crossover using #4 turnouts.  The couplers do swing to the opposite far sides of their pockets when the maximum car end offsets occur.  So, the coupler swing does seem to be occurring.  Whether or not it would derail if the couplers can't swing is not clear to me.  But, given the condition of the trackage at the club, I would need to do a test there to see how successful non-swinging couplers would be going around the layout and in the yard, while in the 36 car trains used for Open House running.

I just got a lead (from a helpful TRW member) on some Microtrains couplers.  If that pans out, I am just going to go that route instead of spending the days needed to make the Kato couplers hold on that layout.  Its a matter of what I want to spend my remaining lifetime and remaining money on.

[nkalanaga]

I just tried to order trucks from N Scale Supply, and it accepted the part number.  BUT - it also says "sold out".  That's the main problem I have with their site.  The catalog pages don't show "sold out" for some time after the product is gone.  But that's a minor problem for me.

[Maletrain]

A lot of websites are not showing that their inventory has sold out until long after it has done so.  A few weeks back, I even had telephone assurances that Yankee Dabbler had something in stock that they really didn't.  At least N Scale Supply automatically won't accept the order, whereas MicroTrains site and Yankee Dabble site did accept orders for what they couldn't ship.  At least Microtrains told me within a day of getting back in their office.

So, here I am defending N Scale Supply, even after they banned me.     I guess I am just defending the site construction, not the owner's behavior.

[nkalanaga]

"I guess I am just defending the site construction, not the owner's behavior."

Reasonable behavior.  Even someone you don't like can have a good idea.  Also, I doubt very much that the owner of N Scale Supply wrote the code for the website.  If they did, I'm impressed, as most retail shop owners aren't programmers!

[Lemosteam]

Not hating on them. Just think theirs is antiquated.  They were my primary source of purchases, via phone call.

Four things I prefer on any ordering website:

Visitor ability to see all potential product without having to login first.

Accurate filtering, including an IN STOCK filter (which requires automatic sales inventory tracking), manufacturer, general product type, specific product type, etc.

Traceable link path at the top of the search for reverting to an earlier filter.

Scrollable full filter delivery of product so I can scroll thru all of the product without secondary expansion

[turbowhiz]

Just checked them through a Kato Unitrack crossover using #4 turnouts.  The couplers do swing to the opposite far sides of their pockets when the maximum car end offsets occur.  So, the coupler swing does seem to be occurring.  Whether or not it would derail if the couplers can't swing is not clear to me.  But, given the condition of the trackage at the club, I would need to do a test there to see how successful non-swinging couplers would be going around the layout and in the yard, while in the 36 car trains used for Open House running.

I just got a lead (from a helpful TRW member) on some Microtrains couplers.  If that pans out, I am just going to go that route instead of spending the days needed to make the Kato couplers hold on that layout.  Its a matter of what I want to spend my remaining lifetime and remaining money on.

Since I have a bunch of these cars to convert, and I had the glue out, I had nothing to lose by gluing a couple to test for you.

I tested these on 6” HARD S bends, which is about as bad as you can possibly imagine trackwork wise on coupler swing. Far worse then a #4 crossover. No coupler swing to speak of before glue, it’s just the talgo truck box movement. And they work just fine after gluing too.



Just glop some canopy glue into the top, and you’re done. Fixed coupler, no more vertical motion. And they will still manage the 6” S bends. It’s cheap and simple, and reversible I suppose with some hot water soaking.



MTL trucks are not a drop-in replacement on these cars, so you will need to perform modification to the cars to get them mounted, so if your goal is minimal work at minimal expense.... (And just as a point, NP couplers are cheaper than MTL truck/coupler assemblies, but I digress)

[Sokramiketes]

Thanks for running that idea home, @turbowhiz 

[nickelplate759]

Back to the official subject of this thread - Micro-Trains couplers and trucks have become hard to get without paying usurious prices at places like feeBay.            I've run through my stash of unassembled 1015 couplers and haven't been able to find the bulk packs anywhere.

[pmpexpress]

Back to the official subject of this thread - Micro-Trains couplers and trucks have become hard to get without paying usurious prices at places like feeBay.            I've run through my stash of unassembled 1015 couplers and haven't been able to find the bulk packs anywhere.

The latest N-Scale unobtanium?