I've finally decided after years of resistance to use Micro Train/Accumate style couplers, instead of Rapido. Sometimes I see Kadee, but it's under the Micro Trains name. Is there a difference? With whom will the Micro Train couplers "play nice"? Thanks!
N and HO couplers from Kadee were both made and sold under that name, until the company split. Thereafter the N scale line became known as Micro-Trains. In N scale, both are the same.
These links might help. Kadee - About Kadee and Micro-Trains | The Ultimate in N and Z scale model trains
Kadee/Micro-trains is essentially the same. The couplers are almost identical... I believe on Micro-trains knuckle couplers the reverse-angle draft was started before the split-up of the company into HO and N/Z divisions. Other manufacturers began to offer knuckle couplers in the early 1990s (Intermountain, Precision Masters/Red Caboose, MDC/Roundhouse etc) which would work with the Kadee/Micro-train industry "standard" but were not very reliable. Later in the 1990's Accumate began to market a coupler a bit closer to the Micro-trains "standard" which would work well together. By 2000-2010 McHenry couplers were also a good coupler to mate with Micro-Trains. My complaint with most couplers... regardless of Rapido style or other knuckle styles including Micro-trains... is that they are too large and the coupling distance to not very realistic. I guess these are things we just have to cope with due to the size of the models themselves.
And in spite of what it says on the Micro-Trains page, they did not start manufacturing N scale couplers in the early sixties. It was the late sixties. Doug
That seems about right. One of these days I'll come across the first ad in Model Railroader for these, since I now have the DVD, then we can nail down a more specific date.
The patent (# 3469713) for the split shank coupler was filed for on Nov 13, 1967. So they were working on them some time before then.
This may come in handy for you as well , thanks to Peteski. http://www.fiferhobby.com/html/how_to_id_couplers.html Mike
I was thinking more along the lines of when they were made available for sale to the general public. Had that happened by the date above? Later today, I might trying digging out some old RMC issues, to see what shows in Kadee ads.
It was early 1968 (May?) they were released for sale. Obviously, the development would have gone on for some time before that. Several years ago, when I first read that page on the MT site, I emailed the gal to tell her it was incorrect on that point but she refused to change it, saying their records showed she was correct. It's still wrong. Doug
Do N Scale rolling stock all have a possible Micro Trains truck replacement option, or will I have to go with truck or body conversions in some cases? I guess I'm not totally grasping the Micro-Trains' conversion chart - http://www.micro-trains.com/conversions/sheet004.pdf . I'd like to do full truck replacement if possible in all cases. Thanks!
I have not ran into any car that I could not equip with MT trucks and Couplers. Some are more challenging than others, but able to be done.
Definitely. I would suggest that doing these conversions might not be worth the money, on some older and lesser quality cars.
Just a quick note: I am a faithful user of knuckle couplers of all brands, and Calzephyr's and others impressions are right on to me. But I have learned (the hard way) in some conversions, MicroTrains couplers tend to "droop or operate clumsy" particularly in Kato F units. When that happens I use RedCaboose Unimate couplers which are stonger but not automatic, and are flexible enough for close coupling. That is the great thing in N scale. There are no hard and fast rules, opinions, or information. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willamani
