1. Steve Ervin

    Steve Ervin TrainBoard Member

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    :rats: I know this has been beaten to death, but I would like to request input from as many of you as possible. One of my major frustrations with N scale for over 30 years has been couplers. So far in my N scale rebirth of the past 15 years, I have used mostly microtrains couplers. I have also used or have Atlas, Kato, Concor, Bachmann, and even some European non-rapido models. Unfortunately of all of these, the old rapidos hold the best. Last evening I assembled a consist of four PA-PB locos and twelve daylight cars with Kinematic couplers. Installing the kinematics was a snap, and all should be fairly uniform in height because of the restraints of their construction. Before a foot of travel was completed, I had three engine disconnects and four car disconnects. The couplers on the locos are factory installed. So now where do I go next?? If this was your situation, what method(s) would you use to resolve it? I am less concerned about the type of coupler than I am of acquiring a methodology to minimize this problem before I go crazy.

    Regards to everyone,

    Steve Ervin
     
  2. Wal

    Wal TrainBoard Member

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    Steve, the cause of most of my decoupling is with Atlas accumate couplers, and particularly the coupler trip catching on Kato unitrack – the double crossover, and sometimes the switches. Where it is one particular wagon I turn the wagon around to see whether the problem recurs, in most cases it doesn't, and on a few occasions I have removed the coupler pin, and on others, I have replaced the Atlas trucks with Microtrains trucks.

    With my Kato and Atlas diesels, I have replaced some of the couplers with Microtrains. With the Atlas diesels, the Microtrains couplers seem to line up perfectly, but with Kato, without any surgery to the Kato coupler box, the Microtrains couplers seem to be slightly lower than Atlas wagons, but OK with Kato carriages and wagons. However, since installing Microtrains couplers on the Kato diesels (and Atlas ones), I have experienced no decoupling problems.

    With the standard Kato diesel coupler, I have used the medium length coupler rather than the short one to ensure adequate clearance between the diesel and wagons on curves. I notice on recent purchases on Kato diesels (newer issue SD45s), the medium coupler length is being used.

    The other cause of decoupling I have found with unitrack is where the track, especially on tighter curves, is not flush, which can cause the coupler to move up or down sufficiently to cause the decoupling. At these spots I try to get the track to align as flush as possible.
     
  3. DCESharkman

    DCESharkman TrainBoard Member

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    Steve,

    I know your pain having had the same thing happen to me at a show with the Kato PA's and the Morning Daylight.

    Here is what I did.

    First, replace the front coupler with the MicroTrains on both of the A units. Make sure the the coupler is at the right height.

    Second, install Short Unimate couplers on the rear of the A units and on both ends of the B units.

    This arrangement locks in your locomotives and they will never decouple short of a drastic accident or an assist via human hand. After I had fixed the locomotives, I placed them on the track, then added the Daylight cars to test and see which ones may need some work. It turned out that the issue of the locomotives separating caused the cars to have issues. I could not get them to disconnect after fixing the couplers on the PA/PB units.

    I have had almost no issues with MicroTrains couplers. No coupler is perfect. But the Atlas Accumates are like playing Russian Roulette, you never know when they are going to fail. And one will always fail at every inopportune time.
     
  4. OC Engineer JD

    OC Engineer JD Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Yep...Murphys Law! LOL
     
  5. Steve Ervin

    Steve Ervin TrainBoard Member

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    I also use Kato track. The uncoupling occurs on straights. My inclination is to remove the trip pins on everything...something I have started to do. I don't use them. The problem also exists with the kinetics. It will be interesting to see what happens when I get the PA/PB consist up to par. I wonder if I will get the same result was David did. Many thanks for your responses...it will be keeping me busy for a while.

    Steve E.
     
  6. Steve Ervin

    Steve Ervin TrainBoard Member

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    OOPS...sorry about the overly formal signature. Now I have to figure out how to get rid of it!

    Steve E.
     
  7. Bill_H

    Bill_H TrainBoard Member

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    Steve:
    Delete the email address from your signature and delete it from your posts. The spam bots will grab it and use it to send thousands of spam with your email address as the sender.

    Best,
    Bill
     
  8. nscalerone

    nscalerone TrainBoard Member

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    I have a small room sized "Unitrack" layout, and my cure for this has evolved over time.........I use use NOTHING but "MT's", and I trim the pins back about even with the face of the coupler, that way - they don't trip on turnouts, and there is still enough left to uncouple with magnets if you are so inclined.
    I HATE "Accumates" -- I know some folks swear by them, I swear AT them !!! (lol)
     
  9. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    Steve, I took the liberty of removing your email from you sig line. As pointed out, having it there is an invitation to getting a deluge of spam.
     
  10. Delmarvarailfan

    Delmarvarailfan New Member

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    Arrrrrrrrggggh! I just bought a new set of Accumates to replace one that, er, got ripped off manually from my Atlas A&D rebuild boxcar. The old met its demise when trip pin fell out when I was trying to adjust it. Once I got the new one on to replace it, it drooped and I couldn't figure out why. The other old one didn't droop. After spending forty minutes on it, I ripped both the old and the new Accumates off and through them away. I will never use an Atlas Accumate again, and will rip them off every Atlas product I own. Will probably replace the whole truck, because if I have to screw in a coupler box on each boxcar, the car might not survive. Nothing has ever cause this much frustration in this hobby for me thus far. (Whew! Thanks for the vent, I needed that).
     
  11. Inkaneer

    Inkaneer TrainBoard Member

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    Regarding the Atlas Accumate couplers, it seems that they are, for the most part, reliable up to about 20-25 cars. Beyond that uncouplings can occur with increasing frequency. The Micro Trains coupler has been the 'go to' coupler for N scale and while it is not perfect it does work with a lot less of the annoying unwanted, unplanned uncouplings. I typically will run trains of 40-50 cars or more on our Ntrak layout and the standard prescription is to use MT's on all the cars as well as the fronts of the A unit engines with short shank Unimates on the rear of the A units and both ends of any B units. Have never had an ABBA consist uncouple with the Unimates.

    One other point that I believe is important is to maintain consistency. Have all the cars equipped with the same wheelsets, trucks and couplers as well as keeping the weight of the cars consistent will go a long way to improved operation.
     
  12. Pie39

    Pie39 TrainBoard Member

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    Huh, this makes me think. I use almost exclusively Accumates, and I can't recall ever having a problem. I run mostly locals and switch jobs, but also sometimes a 30+ car train. I guess I'll keep pushing my luck :uhoh:
     
  13. DCESharkman

    DCESharkman TrainBoard Member

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    Accumates on their own are more reliable than when mixed with other couplers. They usually fail at the coupler that is connected to a non-Accumate coupler. This is what I have seen time and rime again.
     
  14. maxairedale

    maxairedale TrainBoard Member

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    Almost anything I have with Accumates (most have MT), both locos and cars, is missing at least one of the trip pins if not both.

    It must be magic, they seem to just vanish. :question:

    I have found only a few of the rogue trip pins:

    • Mostly with my track cleaning car that has magnets on it.
    • By the derailment at a switch. The car that lost the pin (leading coupler) was not involved in the derailment only the ones following.
    • One fell out as I was putting a NEW, JUST OUT OF THE BOX car on the layout, it was the easiest one to find. Put it back in thinking that it would stay. WRONG!!!!!!! One lap around the layout and it was gone never to be seen again.
    I'll get around to replacing the couplers some day with a different brand, but until then they run around without trip pins.

    I don't need the pins since I use a pick to uncouple.
     

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