Proto HO Accumate status...

tunnel88 Sep 15, 2000

  1. tunnel88

    tunnel88 TrainBoard Member

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    Well, i just got back a response from Accurail and nothings changed! Here it is...

    <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Hi Benjamin,
    Unfortunately the status is still unchanged. The tooling dept hasn't
    caught up enough yet to be able to resume working on the Proto coupler.
    I make it a point to nudge and pester them every time there's an email
    about the coupler project so they're aware of how much interest there is in
    it getting done as soon as possible, but tooling work moves at a pace
    that's more like a glacier compared with the rest of our projects.

    Will keep prodding as much as I possibly can.
    Eric Cote
    Accurail Inc.

    At 05:31 AM 9/15/00 +0000, i wrote:
    It's been a few months since i last wrote asking about the progress and
    was told a backlog of production was holding it up but that it would
    eventually be made. I'm just checking on the current status of the project...
    Benjamin <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    I'm blaming the slow union workers on this one! [​IMG] Well, as long as the project doesn't die...
     
  2. Mankind

    Mankind Guest

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    Hmmm...interesting. I dunno if I'd be able to use the Accumate scale couplers on my equipment. I'm a little leery of using plastic couplers, mainly because I run large trains at a club; nothing's worse than seeing your train break in two while going upgrade, and watching, and listening to, all those expensive freight cars fly downhill! [​IMG] I'm kinda wondering what the status of the Kadee semi-scale coupler is...I saw it mentioned in an issue of RMJ a few months ago, and haven't heard anything since....maybe I should send the folks at Kadee a friendly email...

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    Have A Nice Day!
     
  3. tunnel88

    tunnel88 TrainBoard Member

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    I don't know if i mentioned this, but when i emailed them about the Proto 87 wheels a few weeks ago they told me they were on the back burner for those 'semi scale' couplers!

    Broken knuckles? It happens on the prototype as well! [​IMG]

    Forgot to mention- which i've been doing a lot lately!- that one of the best things about the Proto Accumate was the scale draft gear...

    [This message has been edited by tunnel88 (edited 18 September 2000).]
     
  4. Mankind

    Mankind Guest

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    <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by tunnel88:

    Broken knuckles? It happens on the prototype as well! [​IMG]

    [This message has been edited by tunnel88 (edited 18 September 2000).]
    <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


    Quite true....one difference, though, is that the real cars have airbrakes that'll go into emergency; ours don't! [​IMG] For that reason, I've pretty much had to stick with metal couplers for club operations, since they are a heckuva lot more reliable than the plastic ones, and since our trains do a fair amount of climbing, and can be pretty heavy. Take it from me, runaways, especially ones involving kitbashed or scrachtbuilt cars, are no fun, especially if they collide with a train in the block behind you! [​IMG] The new Kadee semi-scale couplers should look nice, and work well on a club layout. I've been thinking about using the Accurail draft-gear boxes with the new Kadee's, whenever either one is released. I've been experimenting with semi-scale wheels, too; I just installed some NWSL ones on my SP SD45R, and man, do they look nice!


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    Have A Nice Day!
     
  5. tunnel88

    tunnel88 TrainBoard Member

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    Hold on! The Kadee couplers use the same center hole as the #5. The Accurail coupler uses a smaller centering hole.

    I've broken McHenry's, Intermountains and the Bachmann copies, but i've never broken an Accumate. Has anyone?

    And regarding those semi scale wheels, you should see the scale ones... [​IMG]
     
  6. Mankind

    Mankind Guest

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    <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by tunnel88:
    Hold on! The Kadee couplers use the same center hole as the #5. The Accurail coupler uses a smaller centering hole.

    I've broken McHenry's, Intermountains and the Bachmann copies, but i've never broken an Accumate. Has anyone?

    And regarding those semi scale wheels, you should see the scale ones... [​IMG]
    <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    Hmm....so much for the Kadee idea. And I know a few people that have broken Accumate couplers...like me! That, and they have an annoying tendency to stick open when a little bit of slack is run through a train; when that happens, you end up leaving a few cars on the mainline! And I've seen the scale wheels...nice, but not really practical for use on a club layout with commercial turnouts. [​IMG] It took a bit of fiddling to get the semi-scale ones to perform reliably. I'll probably use them and scale couplers on models to take to RPM meets (and there's one coming in my area in a couple weeks; I'd better finish something! [​IMG] ), but for everyday running, I'll have to use semi-scale. Just one of those compromises that has to be made for a running model. [​IMG]

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    Have A Nice Day!

    [This message has been edited by Mankind (edited 18 September 2000).]
     

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