Recieved some intermountian covered hopers today and they all had accu-mate couplers. The problem is that if you look at them in the wrong way they uncouple. Going up the grade, down, and on level track. Is there a way to fix them? Or should I call intermountian and send them back. Any help would be appreciated.
Jim: Switch out the accumates to MT couplers. I don't have any accumates on any of my cars. They've all been changed over to MT couplers. Stay cool and run steam....
I thought it for a while, so I'll say it and see what you think. There's a hypothetical N scale coupler design that's better than Accumates AND MicroTrains. (And it wouldn't cost too much more to buy.) It would meet the following criteria: 1) Something about the knuckle (a protrusion of some sort) forces loose vertical alignment, enought to prevent vertical separation without causing problems. Better than reverse draft angle. 2) Magnetic uncoupling works the same as it works with MT. (...and as Accumate and Kato are supposed to work, but don't really, or so I've heard.) 3) No "slinky effect" like with MT. (Because the centering springs are similar to Accumate, or an even better hypothetical method). The best design would have slack without springiness, like the prototype. 4) Closer to prototypical size, not too big like current products. I think most would agree that 1 and 2 are equally valuable from a hobbywide point of view, and that 3 and 4 are gravy but very much worth having. It's probably too much to expect a trip-pin that's a better model of an airhose...heehhee. Anyway... Don't get me wrong. I'm just saying I think it's theoretically possible, not easy to bring about in real life. Nor am I knocking MT's coupler. Just hoping for progress...
I don't think it's that difficult to do technically-the key is being able to make money selling them. I wish Kadee would get back into the N coupler business, as MTL's priorities seem to lie elsewhere, probably for the reason cited above.
posted March 15, 2006 12:35 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I thought it for a while, so I'll say it and see what you think. "There's a hypothetical N scale coupler design that's better than Accumates AND MicroTrains. (And it wouldn't cost too much more to buy.) ... Anyway... Don't get me wrong. I'm just saying I think it's theoretically possible, not easy to bring about in real life. Nor am I knocking MT's coupler. Just hoping for progress..." I already got them! I use them on my hypothetical trains that run on my hypothetical track which is on my hypothetical layout which is fully scenicked- hypothetically. I'd show you a picture of it all but I can not locate my hypothetical camera. And I am seriousabout all of this, well, hypothetically that is.
I figure about 3 years or so, and the patent will run out on the Accumates. Once that happens, MicroTrains can copy the Accumate and make it out of good plastic (not that cheap junk Accumate uses)...
Bowser's Accumates are much better than Atlas' in terms of coupling, because the centering action is not as strong. Kadee just came out with a similar coupler in HO that uses a metal hair spring-I think that is the way to go.
I think this is why some N-scalers use MTL Z-scale couplers. </font>[/QUOTE]Yes... Actually, MT Z scale couplers are STILL too big to be an accurate size in N scale!
