Model Railroading > McHenry Couplers.

I make a point of replacing them with Kadee # 158's. Looks like I missed them on an older FP45....They usually just separate, never lost an actual knuckle before. At least no one had to make the walk back, lol.

I was going to toss it, but then decided it would be a great track side detail.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/20 17:27 by ChrisCampi.

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Great idea.

I've done that with Kadees too.

Great idea for a track side display. Years ago, an engineer pulled a drawbar out and they rolled if off to the side next to the main track. Soon, someone painted the engineer’s name and date on it and the drawbar stayed there for years. I’m sure the engineer appreciated his trophy.

Posted from iPhone

LOL - great idea indeed Chris!  I learned the hard way about these on the Onondaga Cutoff, several times - I will take the next few I find and do the same.  Good stuff!

~RGDave

Ozolian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great idea for a track side display. Years ago, an
> engineer pulled a drawbar out and they rolled if
> off to the side next to the main track. Soon,
> someone painted the engineer’s name and date on
> it and the drawbar stayed there for years. I’m
> sure the engineer appreciated his trophy.
>

Classic good fun!
> Posted from iPhone

Great place for all those couplers that are not Kadee I come from the eara when they were pretty much the only replacement.  Those things that come on many RTR units today are worthless and should have been Kadees in the first place would gladly pay extra for them.

You've found an appropriate use for them!

Great idea Chris!  It's a neat little detail that you see all the time along mainlines.  Good reuse of a worthless coupler.
Too bad the Atlas couplers look so clunky.  I replace them right away too since they don't work with the Kaydee 158's.  But I don't think they will even look good as trackside debris.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/15/20 09:12 by wingomann.

This is a good idea but the couplers still look pretty clinky. Accurail kits come with dummy couplers more of a scale size with the knuckles cast into the coupler head. These are the best looking couplers for trackside details. There should be some in most modelers parts box.

Great idea, to make it more authentic you should break off the end of the hook part of the knuckle and paint the remaining stub either all silver to represent a 100% new break or make it 3/4 rust color and 1/4 silver for an old break. 

I have been using  Kadee's for over 50 yeras. AND, they are built in the U.S.A. In may opinion,  the rest of these are junk! ! wag216

wag216 Wrote:
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> I have been using  Kadee's for over 50 yeras.
> AND, they are built in the U.S.A. In may
> opinion,  the rest of these are junk! ! wag216

I'm with wag216. I just received three new passenger cars (a coach, a bagg, and an RPO) from Walthers, N-scale Atlas 60-foot "shorties" in the old green "pre-noodle" Grand Trunk Western paint. Though not absolutely prototypical, they will be very good stand-ins for my Michigan-based model railroad on which GTW passenger services in that paint scheme operated into the 1950s period that I model. The paint and detail on the cars is quite good, and the sale price at Walthers online was terrific. Anything GTW is very hard to come by, particularly in the old green paint scheme, so I was really glad to get these. Really, nice cars, and a nice addition to my pike.

But the Accumate couplers are terrible! A train of only these three cars will separate at the very slightest undulation in the track. They will even separate while being pulled across a long, flat straight section of Kato N-scale Unitrack. And they often fail to couple to, or will separate underway from, the power I use for now until I can find a GTW F-unit -- an Atlas GTW Alco S-2 (a wonderful engine that I love to run -- the DCC control and sound quality are terrific -- fully entertaining, as a good Alco should be!). And it is an engine that has Accumate couplers!!!

I have been unhappy at Accumates in some other cases previously. This seals the deal against them. Most of my equipment has MicroTrains couplers. It will be a wintertime project to convert the rest.

It fries me to no end that some really nice models from a respected supplier like Atlas have such lousy couplers. I know that it's widely done in the hobby to routinely do conversions to Kadee (for HO) or MicroTrains (for N) couplers, but honestly, we shouldn't have to do the replacement and undertake the cost. After being out of the hobby for many years and getting back into it recently (generally with much enjoyment), this is a pet peeve. But in any case, Accumate couplers should perform their basic function well -- coupling up, and staying coupled while underway on good track. Sadly, they often do not do so.

MC
Muskegon, Michigan



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/20 14:44 by ironmtn.

Well gee, everyone who's read this thread understands that many supplied couplers are junk. The point was trying to making lemonaide....Some of you aren't thirsty, lol.

Cheers!

Chris

Aye, when you have lemons . . .

Posted from Android

ChrisCampi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well gee, everyone who's read this thread
> understands that many supplied couplers are junk.
> The point was trying to making lemonaide....Some
> of you aren't thirsty, lol.
>
> Cheers!
>
> Chris

Your use of a knuckle as a piece of trackside junk detail was creative, and the lemonade was quite good.  Full marks for a nice solution. No lack of thirst.

MC
Muskegon, Michigan

Yes, I have had bad luck operating plastic couplers with long trains on grades (particularly with helices). I haven't had any fall apart, but had them snap in the open position.

I am very proud of those two Americans in Oregon that started Kadee with fantastic products at reasonable prices. Though I don't model in N, I think the Micro Trains line is also a great achievement.

I am not a machinist (maybe missed my calling as I like working with various materials, measuring them and making calculations). I was a controller (head financial guy) for a machine shop for 16 years. I was always impressed how folks in the shop solved problems.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/20 11:30 by wabash2800.