Micro-Trains Coupler Survey

umtrr-author Aug 1, 2014

  1. umtrr-author

    umtrr-author TrainBoard Member

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    Micro-Trains has posted a coupler survey on their website...

    http://www.micro-trains.com

    Look for and click on the box "Coupler Survey" over near the top of the column on the left hand of the page.

    I hope we don't get into another "slinky" discussion... which is, by the way, included in the survey.
     
  2. John Moore

    John Moore TrainBoard Supporter

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    Should not have to since it is a chance to let your views be known directly to the manufacture and a chance to express what else is needed in your opinion. Looks like some product evaluation and maybe some future development in store. My crystal ball, the new one just obtained from Madam Zarcharitis's Emporium, is predicting a new auto uncoupling system that is electro-magnetic rather than fixed magnets coming in the future.
     
  3. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Hmmm. I wonder if they actually have a new design already in mind?
     
  4. Point353

    Point353 TrainBoard Member

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    Question “7. Would you be interested in a coupler where the hydraulic brake line was connected between couplers?”

    Not quite clear what they’re getting at here.
    Does George Westinghouse know about this?

     
  5. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I saw that. Pondered making a comment, but decided to pass.
     
  6. John Moore

    John Moore TrainBoard Supporter

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    Somebody couldn't spell pneumatic.
     
  7. Point353

    Point353 TrainBoard Member

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    Actually, that would be the homophone/heterograph related to question #6 on the survey.
    "Would you be interested in a knuckle coupler if it had accurate detail, was the correct size, had no slinky effect, but required manual coupling and uncoupling?"
    Obviously this manually operated offshoot of the Magne-Matic will be called the New-Matic.
     
  8. umtrr-author

    umtrr-author TrainBoard Member

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    I mentally substituted "air brake" without even noticing.

    Perhaps we could stick to the positive that MTL is asking for input... but why start now, I suppose.
     
  9. Point353

    Point353 TrainBoard Member

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    As you wish.

    It would appear that the general intent of the survey is to gauge interest in a closer to scale coupler – and what tradeoffs to accomplish that objective might be considered acceptable.

    You wonder if they’re trying to respond to the clamoring for scale-size couplers heard on some other forums. Likely these are the same folks who want shallower wheel flanges and who are desperately awaiting the return of Atlas code 55 track – a market segment that Atlas itself has categorized as rather limited. According to the owner of an LHS, the vast majority of his MTL customers never remove the cars from the boxes, let alone run them.

    As an Ntraker, I noted that one possible tradeoff not addressed by the survey is any resultant reduction in reliable operation with long trains and over trackage of variable quality. Also, as a follow-up to question #2, I would have inquired among other brands of couplers that come standard on other brands of locos and rolling stock, which ones you are least satisfied with or do you most often replace with Micro-Trains couplers.
     
  10. santa fe 56

    santa fe 56 TrainBoard Member

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    Slinky effect does not bother me… in my youth watched many a train pull the slack out before rolling on…..

    What would bother me is a "fine" new coupler head and shoulders better than what I have on my cars now forcing me to rethink the "prospect" of changing out all my old couplers for all the "new" improved sparkly ones… still considering the pain in the butt idea of body mounting all couplers ….. thinking to just do a rolling stock fleet of runners I would never sell… I assume my resale value to a Micro Train Collector would drop if the car is modified in any way…. should I bring up "weathering"…….LOL
     
  11. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Having divested of my collection back in the mid-1980's, the first thing I have done since that time is to immediately change each car acquired to body mount, and clip off the trip pin. That quickly ends "in the box" syndrome for me.
     
  12. Point353

    Point353 TrainBoard Member

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    Speaking of trip pins, on each of the MTL survey forms I've filled out at train shows over the years, the one thing I do request, if nothing else, is for the trip pins be painted/colored black. That particular suggestion continues to be ignored.
     
  13. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I thought they did that at one time? I know they've made them in a more dulled down color than the shiny brassy hue presently sold.
     
  14. paperkite

    paperkite TrainBoard Member

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    Painted black more resembles the air line hose . but in changing mine over to body mount ... not so much . but at least the trains roll a bit better , just make sure the car is up to std weights first, as some of mine were light and tended to string line and not handle the <12 inch radius's ..
     
  15. John Moore

    John Moore TrainBoard Supporter

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    It seems like not too many years back I was busy, spending what then was a small fortune, to retro all my cars with MTs or in the case of my few unit train cars and my fleet of covered wagons to having Unimates on one end and Mts on the ends of the unit trains and noses of the covered wagons. I will be danged if I will do it again especially at todays costs. Back then it was about $2.50 per car. Now it is about $4.00 per car. I am blissfully happy with what I have and I don't anticipate buying many more cars since I just reduced my collection by at least half. Any future purchases for me will have to have MTs on them and as long as the possible new version works with the old I'm good to go.

    And I long ago gave up on individual car boxes realizing that all those boxes took up way too much space. So no boxes no factory air, and all my trip pins are intact and the earlier brass or copper or whatever ones are being painted black as I have the time because at least the black colored ones do resemble airbrake lines.
     
  16. Chris1274

    Chris1274 TrainBoard Member

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    I can't help but wonder if the imminent release of David K. Smith's Protomate coupler is behind this.
     
  17. rogergperkins

    rogergperkins TrainBoard Member

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    I check the MTL web site regularly, so I completed the survey there.
    Because I have substituted z-scale couplers for n-scale in a few applications, I voted for closer to scale size as #1, and auto-uncoupling as #5. I think this is an indication of a shift in upper management methods. Joe has spoken out about MTL plans for sometime on this and other n-scale forums. They have nothing to lose by conducting the survey.
     
  18. Point353

    Point353 TrainBoard Member

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    Not that I recall.
    Perhaps UMTRR-George would know for certain.
     
  19. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    I doubt it.....
     
  20. bill pearce

    bill pearce TrainBoard Member

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    If all that happened was the pulling out of slack, it wouldn't bother me either. What bothers me is when a string of cars begins to bounce back and forth like a pogo stick on its side. That's the slinky effect. Ugh!
     

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