Atlas vs Microtrains couplers: is Atlas as good?

videobruce Oct 2, 2012

  1. LOU D

    LOU D TrainBoard Member

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    Accu Mates scare the poo out of me.I do really nice trackwork,so I'm not really concerned about derailments,my trains pretty much run flawlessly.I do have a few spots on my railroad where there ain't much "earth" between the tracks and the floor.I just love when those worthless Accu mates drop a trip pin,and the locomotive goes flying off the track when it pole vaults on one of those stupid pins.I've had more derailments from those miserable couplers than anything else.I won't run any Atlas cars on my outside mains,I'm actually considering putting magnets under my cabooses..Haven't had a train take a suicide dive yet,not about to,either.Sooner or later,they'll all get replaced..Ever price the stupid things? They a actually cost MORE than MTL's,and you still have to assemble them!!!
     
  2. Allen H

    Allen H TrainBoard Supporter

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    John, I have tried this but I would need enough washers that I then run out of length on the king pin.
    The funny thing is I have several that have MTL trucks on them already. I even took those trucks off them and put them on the other cars and have the same problem. I compared the trucks and the cars and they look to be identical and I don't remember having any problems before.

    I'm stumped. So for now until I have a little more time, I'll use more accumates. But thanks for the advice.

    Allen...
     
  3. oldrk

    oldrk TrainBoard Supporter

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    I body mount MT1015s on those
     
  4. Allen H

    Allen H TrainBoard Supporter

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    Do you tap a screw or glue them?
     
  5. Inkaneer

    Inkaneer TrainBoard Member

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    Actually the only coupler designed by the NMRA was the old HO X2f, better known as the "horn hook" coupler. This thing was the epitome of the old adage, "designed by committee". The N scale Rapido was actually better in operation than the X2f.

    Regarding the MT vs Accumate debate. I will side with MT. I run Ntrak and I have found that on trains longer than about 20-30 cars [depending on type] the Accumates cannot be counted on to stay coupled. Yet I have consistantly run trains with MT couplers twice as long and longer without unwanted uncouplings. Also, I found that the dreaded "slinky' effect with MT's can be eliminated por greatly reduced by adding weight to the cars. The vast majority of them are under the NMRA recommended weight guidelines to begin with.
     
  6. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    Just beating my drum!

    As far as spotting and securing the coupler pocket. At times both a screw and a spot of glue are required.

    I was standing track side and some one, (I suspect a rail fan who's read these threads) came up and said "Check out the slinky action". We were watching a switch move. A Rail, I'ma acquainted with asked me if this was common amongest rail fans. As in common mistake in vernacular. How do you want me to respond? Oh no, that's what it's called? I don't think so. In the world of Rails it is called "Slack". Yes, sometimes the "Slack" you see, as the result of MTL's knuckle couplers is slightly exaggerated but still the same action can be witnessed trackside with freight trains in action, switching moves (not turnout moves), while climbing hills and descending grades and even through slight rises in elevation. The train cars in behind the locomotive will stretch out when climbing a grade and bump and shove when going down hill. For prototypical operations the alleged "Slinky" is simply "Slack" action. I keep wondering why anyone would want to get rid of it? As realistic in action as any 1X1 foot scale... operation can get. Of course I favor realistic operations...right down to the slink...ahh...I mean slack. Me thinks I've been around MR's to long.

    Oh heck, have fun whatever you call it but don't be expecting me to want to give up my MTL SLACK, anytime toooo soon. Grin.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 3, 2012
  7. CNW 1518

    CNW 1518 TrainBoard Member

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    I've had no problems with running trains of 50+ cars that are accumates.
     
  8. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    It all depend on what you percieve a problem to be. It also depends on your experience.

    On a friends HO layout we've had all kinds of uncoupling problems with Accumates. We are currently moving to Kadee knuckle couplers. In N scale on my layout, same story and again resolving the problem with MTL knuckle couplers.
     
  9. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    I use the stock couplers on my Atlas things until the first sign of trouble, and then it's off with the Approxi-Mates (or Accu-Craps as I call them) and hello MTL. This is usually pretty easy on the locomotives, as there is usually either a retention screw or some sort of slide-in panel with a retainer pin in the middle. It's more difficult on some of the cars, but certainly not impossible.

    The thing I like least about Approxi-Mates is that the two coupler halves start sliding apart.
     
  10. Allen H

    Allen H TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thanks Rick
    Do you use a 1015 or 1023?


    +1
    The only time I don't like it is when the last car, or in my case the caboose is bouncing front to back, then a simple wheel retaining spring can take care of that easy enough.

    But each to their own...

    Allen...
     
  11. Grey One

    Grey One TrainBoard Supporter

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    That's what I do. Since I only run 20 car / 5 foot trains I have not noticed any real issues so I don't call them junk.
     
  12. bumthum

    bumthum TrainBoard Member

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    I used Atlas Accumates on my S4 kit and I use it for switching everytime I operate. I've never had any issues... of course my trains are short but I am doing a lot of coupling and uncoupling during each session.

    [​IMG]
     
  13. Inkaneer

    Inkaneer TrainBoard Member

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    A good solution is to use a caboose with electrical pickups in the rear truck to operate the rear markers. The pickups add the necessary resistance to overcome the spring. On modern equipment try using the "FireFly Fred" a totally truck mounted and self contained EOT device that uses track power. Can be moved from car to car just by moving the truck. A guy in our club designed, patented and sells them on Ebay.
     
  14. CNW 1518

    CNW 1518 TrainBoard Member

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    I've had no problems N or HO with accumates.

    Running long trains.. switching.. running on grades.. zero problems.. No random uncoupling.
     
  15. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    With Approxi-Mates, my problem isn't so much random uncoupling but couplers falling apart under very normal conditions.
     
  16. Seated Viper

    Seated Viper TrainBoard Member

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    MOST of my passenger and freight stock is from Atlas. There are some vehicles of other brands, but I've changed them all to MT. I buy the ten pack sets of 1030, bogie mounted units for the freight stock. I have some cars which need to have the little washers fitted, to give a better ride - i.e., so the flanges don't catch the under side of the body. I changed the trucks on my Con-Cor passenger stock to MT trucks. MOST of my locomotives are Atlas, and all of them have MT couplings which a friend has changed over for me.

    Regards,

    Pete Davies
     
  17. subwayaz

    subwayaz TrainBoard Member

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    I wish that Sergents Engineering would make a series of N Scale Couplers; I Love there Couplers in HO okay they don't get along with other brands of Couplers however they do what they are supposed to do and look great doing it.
    Okay I got that off my chest. I was thinking this since I first read this Thread.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 4, 2012
  18. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    Hi guys,

    The 1015's I use almost as a general purpose. I like the 1023's for the my passenger cars. Body mounted, of course.

    You ought to hear the old timers, conductors, tell of their experiences riding the crummie. Lot's of fun and injuries. Descriptive verbage most often used..."Whiplash". Story is told about one brakeman who was standing on the rear platform of the caboose and as the train started off and the slack pulled out he was thrown to the track. Emergency stop to recover him and they almost ran over him while backing up. Well, that's the way the story was told...pehaps exaggerated a bit. I don't think they exaggerated about the slack action. Whiplash!

    Yep, I've seen the same annoying action on behalf of the way car. I tried using a spring between the truck assembly and the wheelset. It would stretch and fly back to the train, stretch and slam up against the train...! Naw, I got tired of that as well. I've added just about .05 oz., to the cabbose and that seems to solve some of the downhill problems. It's pushing the train instead of...well getting slap happy.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 4, 2012
  19. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    Good to hear you aren't having problems. Seems the problems start up as the couplers age. As they get older they loose their resilence and don't knuckle down... causing those unwanted uncouplings. Shoot we kept leaving the conductor and brakeman behind...they didn't seem to mind. Gave them more time to sit at the beanery shooting the breeze.
     
  20. CSX Robert

    CSX Robert TrainBoard Member

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    Every time Micro-Trains "Slinky" action is brought up, somebody claims it is just the same thing as a real train's slack action. Sorry, but no it is not. It also is not just slack exaggerated, either. I have watched plenty of trains in my life, and I have yet to see one where the last car is speeding up and slowing down as the whole train oscillates back and forth like a giant slinky. You couldn't ride in the caboose of some N-scale trains I've seen without getting sea-sick. It is a far cry from slack action.

    I have never had an Accumate "explode", and I don't have any problems with them coming uncoupled, either. They do, however, definitely take more force to couple, sometimes pushing the car along instead of coupling. Unfortunately, there is not yet an ideal coupler in N-scale, they are all a compromise and you have to decide which features mean the most to you.
     

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