Hi Everyone, Over time I've been transitioning my Rapido couplers over to knuckle couplers. Micro Trains to be specific. I use an NMRA height gauge to check the height, but it seems that the knuckle couplers just aren't as reliable as the Rapidos are. Even on cars I bought with knuckle couplers already installed. Once they get too much tension, they separate, which is the opposite of what should happen. The connection should become stronger. If I use a train that has all Rapidos on them, they hold together no matter how long the train. There could be so much drag and weight that the locomotive can't pull them up a 2% grade, but they stay together. Has anyone else experienced this? I also noticed that the same goes for HO with Horn Hook vs. knuckle couplers. Are Kadee couplers more reliable than the Micro Trains? Do they get a better hold of each other? Which brand do you prefer? I've included a poll which should help figure out the preferred coupler. You can strike Kadee from the poll as they only make HO couplers. Thanks for your input!
I have not seen this problem on any of my rolling stock except for when I installed the Microtrains passenger car trucks with the truck mounted couplers. The snap together plastic coupler pocket that comes with them does not hold the split "T" shank MT couplers tight enough, allowing them to climb over each other under tension. I ended up body mounting different couplers.
As far as the poll questions go, you might find a bit of confusion having both Kadee and Micro-Trains listed. Although when initially started in N, their couplers were under the name Kadee, that changed to Micro-Trains about thirty five years ago. These days, the name Kadee is applied to sizes larger than N scale.
I like the MT's. That being said...about half my fleet still have Rapidos...and they work fine. I dont like the look of Rapido on locomotives. I have a 'transition car' to solve the problem of coupling rapadio cars to MT equiped locomotives. Other knuckler couplers that dont play well with the MT's are pretty useless to me. JMO.
I have never had an issue with MTs as far as the truck mounted versions. Body mounts do require some care in mounting to make sure that the coupler box sets level on the underframe and in some cases some shimming to get the right hight or even filing of the underframe. I use a track mounted coupler gauge made by MT to check my coupler height. I have had issues with some of the accumates deciding to come apart at times and have replaced all of them. Also have had the same issue with Kato's coupler. Bmanns coupler will work but I find the oversize undesirable especially on a small loco. For cars run in a small unit of 4 to 6 cars I use Unimates with MT at each end and most of my passenger designed to stay coupled is converted to Unimates.
I prefer the micro-trains knuckle couplers. In most cases when I've converted to them I installed new trucks that come with the MT couplers as part of the assembly. I have usedUnimates on some of my F series and PA series locos because they just wont come apart and if you use the right ones they will close up the coupling distance between the locos. I also have used some now out of production Kato #11-702 knuckle couplers as twist in replacements for the old Rapidos on my Con-Cor passenger cars. Again they are very reliable and give me closer coupling distance.
I've converted all my stock to MT over the years, even when they were still KD. I have a mix of truck and body mount depending on fit, looks, and what I found in the coupler junk box. I've had occasional separations, but I accept that because these are just small models. I figure if they were perfect, then we couldn't afford them....LOL
I have a mix of a lot of everything,although I don't think I have any Mc Henry's..I definitely prefer MTLs,if any of my other couplers give me problems,they get immediately traded with MTL's... On a lot of my unit train stuff,trains that get run in solid consists and get switched as blocks,I run the also forgotten here Uni-Mates with MTL's on the first and last cars.I mostly run Uni's on passenger stuff,too,and between carbody locos for the close coupling.. Don't know what they're called,but I also have hundreds of cars with the knuckle type couplers used on Intermountain and Deluxe cars,I like those,too.
I have all MTs or Atlas accumates.I do not have any problem with them at all. I have run a 70 car train up a 2% grade on a 19in curve with no problems. Even backing up works good, most of my cars are truck mounted couplers. I switched over to knuckle couplers maybe 20 years ago except for some Atlas passenger cars, I seem to remember that rapidos did not back up well, but mostly rapidos are butt ugly in my opinion. ( sorry if you think they look good)
I have used truck mounted Microtrains for 20 years. I have not had any separation problems except where I have a bad rail joint over a baseboard joint that is not level.
Why do I have a feeling the rest of the McHenry couplers met the same fate as The Ark of the Covenant did at the end of the Indiana Jones movie.... http://johnbiver.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Raiders_Of_The_Lost_Ark.jpg
Is this US only? Dapol do E-ZI Shunt now. Anybody used them. They fit NEM pockets and can push while not being coupeled and pull over the release magnet withot de-coupling (well thas what the ads say anyway). Looking for better than Rapido for doing shunting operations.
First, back 30 years ago or so, I started replacing Rapido's with Kadee N-scale talgo trucks and couplers, and turning the flanges down on my lathe to an N-scale version of the RP-25 flange contour. I didn't do this all at once, but everybody in our Ntrak club had several transition cars with a Kadee on one side and a Rapido on the other, which allowed coupling up long trains. Then, I discovered Micro Trains Nn3 couplers, took some prototype measurements and discovered that the Nn3/Z scale MT couplers were accurate in 5 of 6 external measurements to their prototype counterparts in N-scale. I started converting cars by lowering them and body mounting the Nn3/Z scale MT couplers, which worked just fine with the MT and old Kadee N-gauge couplers, so I didn't need to make any transition cars. Back in the Ntrak era, I pulled trains on level track of up to 75 cars using a combination of both the MT Nn3/Z scale couplers and the old MT/Kadee N-gauge couplers without any problems. I've never had an MT/Kadee coupler break or "separate" in my entire 30+ year N-scale experience. However, during transportation, the Nn3/Z scale MT couplers do break inside my cigar boxes if handled roughly, so now I pad the ends with various packing materials when transporting to a show. I also immediately replace any other knuckle couplers with MT Nn3/Z scale couplers nowadays. I haven't had a Rapido coupler in my workshop for....mmmm...maybe 18 years???? A long time. Cheerio! Bob Gilmore
I have noticed that Mt couplers do break in handling,this is one area that I think the Accumates are better, in my experience they are a little tougher. Of course if you have enough space to leave them all on the layout or remember to alight your switchs right so you do not have your Bachmann J ( its very heavy) ram your freight train at a scale 80 mph they do not break often. I will sometime buy some older cars with rapidos from Feebay but will replace them with MTs or accumates trucks right away. On a side note people pay good money for old rapido trucks,I do not know why? may be collectors? However helps pay for my purchase.
I also predominantly use Micro Trains couplers. Have been for about 30 years. Haven't found a reason to switch to any other brand. Whenever I purchase a locomotive or piece of rolling stock (Other than Kato passenger cars) - first thing I do is convert the piece to MT. Regardless of the coupler it came equipped with. Thanks, Wolf
Rapido's Came First Yes the Rapido coupler looks a little funky, but it works. Say what you want about Rapidos, but they did help make N-Scale what it is today. N-Scale didn't go through 10 different types of couplers, like HO-S-O did. You could, and can, buy a piece of rolling stock with a Rapido couple installed. You knew it would work with other pieces of rolling stock with out changing couplers. This idea alone helped out N-Scale immensely! But there was room for improvement, Kadee>Micro-Trains Lines stepped in and the rest is history. The INDIAN RAILWAY has standardized couplers with MTL couplers. When your MTL's are installed and set right, they will work flawlessly. Using electromagnets for uncoupling can make a lot of difference also. And getting away from truck mounted couplers helps too. Going to body/frame mounted couplers makes a world of difference. Also as Robert3985 stated MTL Nn3/Z scale couplers are getting looked at. Scale size means a lot, but do they work OK with standard N-Scale MTL couplers? At this time, changing EVERY MTL standard couple to a Nn3/Z coupler is NOT going to fly in the finance department.
