Couplers, What's Best

Chaparral

Member
I have a mish mash of N rolling stock, awaiting the day when they will rumble and sway through pristine mountain passes, across magnificent wooden trestles…But, each has a different style/type of coupler, even the diesels.
Some are teeny little prototypical looking, some look like Capt. Hooks’ right hand and others would look OK if I trimmed the moulding flash from them.
The LHS guys response vis a vis the right coupler conversion is tepid, uninspiring.
No remote coupling or magnets and no unusual manoeuvring of cars is anticipated.
Well, maybe a little.
I’d like a sturdy, easily installed coupler that will uncouple when stimulated with the appropriate tool.
I know two things right now:
-The $5.00 grab bags of cars may not have been such a long deal and,
-I’ll have a lot of spare trucks for the scrap yard module.
 

60103

Pooh Bah
There are currently 2 types of N couplers: the "Rapido" type, which is the big clunky one, and the "MicroTrains" (ex-Kadee) which is smaller and looks like a real coupling (but is twice the size) and has a curved metal wire hanging down from it.
It used to be everything came with the Rapidos. MT made some basic coouplers that screwed to the floor, then started making conversion kits for specific problems -- usually locomotives. They also made trucks with couplers mounted and metal underframes with couplers mounted.
I think other people are now making compatibles for the MT type.
The Rapido type didn't have a good uncoupler when I used them; I usually had to lift the cars. MT have a pretty good magnetic system or you can use various little devices for hand uncoupling.
Rapido types vary between manufacturers; I don't know if they're all compatible.
 

Cannonball

More Trains Than Brains
Which comapnies use which?
I don't want to end up buying a bunch of cars that aren't going to work together without modification. (Unless its one I really really want and doesn't match the rest of my rolling stock)
 

railohio

Active Member
Too many different manufacturers to list anymore. Generally, any manufacturer worth buying from is using M-T or Accumate trucks and couplers. Most serious modelers, however, convert everything to M-T trucks and couplers and don't worry about it.
 

Cannonball

More Trains Than Brains
railohio said:
Too many different manufacturers to list anymore. Generally, any manufacturer worth buying from is using M-T or Accumate trucks and couplers. Most serious modelers, however, convert everything to M-T trucks and couplers and don't worry about it.
It seems like there are 4 or 5 different couplers just for M-T.
Is there a standard that will work for most cars?
 
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