I am planning on using MT/Accu-Mate couplers on my freight cars and locomotives. However I am looking for a more economical solution for my passenger cars. I was just wondering if anybody could give me advice on the MDC Roundhouse, Red Caboose Unimate or the Kato couplers. Can I just replace the Rapido couplers with any of the above.
I model eight different passenger trains and have used several different couplers but now only use one. I started out with Micro-trains but didn't like the way they sometimes uncoupled at the wrong time. I then went to unimates because passenger trains shouldn't be uncoupling anyway but didn't like the way you handled the cars to get them to go together. Then I purchased a set of Kato smoothside cars with the Kato couplers and was astounded how they worked and how they looked. So now I have all my cars converted; very easily I might add. They fit right in the Con-cor coupler pockets on both the 4 wheel trucks and the six wheel trucks and best of all the spacing between cars is excellent and if they are coupled properly they don't uncouple at the wrong time, even on poorly laid track. Another plus is all my cars can be coupled to my factory Kato engines without the expense of converting them too. Dale
Good advice, Friscoluvr, I will probably do that with my 3 passenger cars! Welcome to Trainboard to yourself and Werner ------------------ Alan The perfect combination - BNSF and N Scale! www.ac-models.com Andersley Western Railroad Alan's American Gallery Alan's European Gallery Alan's British Steam Gallery
I use the Kato couplers on my Concor smoothside passenger cars also. I'm in the process of converting the wheels to intermountain 36" wheelsets. The MT passenger trucks use 33 inch wheels and I think the Concor wheels are 33" also. The new Concor Budd corrugated side cars need to hahe part of the diaphrams sanded down for the coupler to work. Remove the diaphram from the car and sand the side that goes against the car end. Do not sand the tabs. Or you can remove the diaphram from one end of the car and couple it to a car with diaphram still in place.
I also like the Kato couplers on my passenger stock. Never ever had an uncoupling, even durring a derailment!
I use Kato on most my pass. equipment, but will not let it get close to anything that handles freight or has to have alot of switching! Happy Railroading! Dane N. ------------------ TAMR2860-AKA BC Rail King TAMR2860@Canada.com for TAMR info. To send a general TRAIN! E-Mail send to BCRailKing@Canada.com
Re Kato Couplers. I noticed the Remarks on Kato Couplers for Passenger Cars. I have just the RR Psgr Cars and the Older Con Cor Cars. Nothing New as yet. I'd like More Imformation etc.Can you Guys E Mail me at - grandtrunkent@RRmail.com Thanks Guys. ------------------ Best Regards, Andrew, Calgay
