Model Railroading > Response to PM RE ScaleTrains Couplers

I received a PM regarding the couplers on the ScaleTrains couplers from my post this past Saturday. Attached is a side-by-side image of a Kadee #58 and a ScaleTrains double shelf coupler from the Trinity 31K Crude Oil tank. The inquiry was directed towards the size of the boss in the coupler box and scale width coupler boxes. The boss opening of the coupler is nearly identical, however the shoulder around the opening is much thinner on the ScaleTrains coupler.

The ScaleTrains coupler in the Rivet Counter series is an all metal scale head coupler. The knuckle coupler in the Operator Series and the Kit Classic series cars are all plastic and are semi-scale, meaning between a #58 series and a #5 series coupler.

The use of the same size boss as the Kadee standard allows the end user to swap out couplers to an industry standard if so desired.

Regards
Russ

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I am responding to this message because I am the person that inquired to Russ about Scaletrain's couplers. Whenever someone announces new couplers it catches my attention---after all I'm still hoping for a "drop-in" coupler for my original Athearn Trinity 5161 covered hoppers.

Therefore I was curious if Scaletrain's coupler would fit my fleet of 5161's which currently have the Accumate couplers glued shut thereby making it a dummy coupler...

P.S. I'd like to add a correction to this message. The original Genesis-series 5161 hoppers had a scale (narrow) coupler box. When Athearn reintroduced this car in their Ready-To-Roll series they changed the coupler box to accommodate the industry's current standard couplers...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/16 14:12 by CSX_ENG.

While scale couplers are nice didnt know but guess will find out what it takes to change them out on my turbine when it gets here. Wish that it was the other way around, take out Kadees and put in scale. Had trouble on my Proto SDs as the coupler conversion to Kadees required me to thin the shank down. Didnt work out too well for me so milled the coupler mount down and drilled a hole and put a screw to hold it in.