Hello. I wonder if there is a trick, or someone can share tips, on how to avoid cars/engines with lifelike and bachman type couplers (I don't know if they have a name) disengaging constantly one from another? Those couplers always seem to be at a different level or at a non matching angle; it is a nightmare to set them, to have them lose after a couple of turns. All help greatly appreciated, thanks.
Except for Kaydee cars, all the common equipment sold has the plastic knuckle couplers. There is no avoiding it. Most of us change the coupler to Kaydee's before putting the car in service. Many of us also change the plastic wheels to metal ones.
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N scale? If so, the cars and locomotives possibly have truck mounted Rapido-type couplers. I experienced some difficulty with Life-Like items. Many were corrected by "jiggling" the coupler to loosen the spring. On some, I replaced the spring with a Micro-Trains spring. I found M-T springs were a bit weaker and permitted more movement of the coupler. And others, I filed the coupler "face" to roughen the surface to reduce slipping of the Delrin surfaces. Some of the LIfe-Like locomotives produced in the early-1990s, when run as multiple units were notorious for coupler problems. I found that a very small bit of rubber cement helped keep them coupled.
Bill Bill's Railroad Empire N Scale Model Railroad:
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If N scale, which of these have the type of couplers which you are experiencing problems...
This locomotive has Rapido-type couplers:
If you have Micro-Trains (or compatible) couplers, the trackwork might be uneven and/or rail joiners not connected properly, and/or uneven track section connections. If you have Rapido-type couplers, see my earlier reply.
Bill Bill's Railroad Empire N Scale Model Railroad:
muselart wrote in news:60e0c082-9117-4358-b845- snipped-for-privacy@c23g2000hsa.googlegroups.com:
Knuckle couplers are the way to go, but they do have a tendency to just let go. Better than derailing entire trains like those bane of the industry horn hooks did.
Kadee and Microtrains both sell coupler gauges. They cost less than $10, and can be a big help making sure your couplers are properly installed.
Good track work also helps prevent coupling problems.
Puckdropper
They are Rapido couplers. Yes, they are N scale Lifelike and Bachman. Thanks!
"Puckdropper" wrote
Isn't Microtrains part of Kadee?
Pete
One good thing about Rapido couplers, they distract the viewer from the unrealistically high Code 80 rail (or for that matter, Code 55).
"P. Roehling" wrote in news:47a957ca$0$30677 $ snipped-for-privacy@roadrunner.com:
For my purposes, no. Kadee does HO scale couplers while Microtrains does N scale.
As I understand it, though, Microtrains started out as part of KD but they split up. (You're free, of course, to do some research.)
Puckdropper
No. The N scale part of Kadee was spun off about 20 years ago. MicroTrains is an independent company.
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History and evolution of Kadee and Micro-Trains...
Bill Bill's Railroad Empire N Scale Model Railroad:
Replace with Kadees or McHenrys.
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You might want to investigate converting to Micro-Trains or Accurail trucks and couplers, or you could relegate the problem cars to the yard and/or industrial tracks.
Bill Bill's Railroad Empire N Scale Model Railroad:
I'd check coupler height. They all need to be the same height in order for them to work optimally. Sometimes this involves raising or lowering the car body if they are body mounted.
Check your trackwork... if you have some dips & spikes (rises) the change in level may affect the height of the couplers one to another and cause a problem.
Make sure that there is little vertical movement in the couplers. Ample horizontal movement (side to side) si probably a good thing but the up & down again will allow the couplers to sag & uncouple.
Make sure there is plenty of side to side movement on them. If not, they can pull each other off the tracks.
Hope this helps...
dlm
Used to be years ago. Keith And Dale Edwards, IIRC. They broke things in two, one took HO and larger. The other took N, and later expanded into rolling stock, Z scale ,and HOn3.
fl@liner
This is a daja-vou all over again. There was a very similar discussion on r.m.r just few months ago.
Here is the full scoop (same as I posted in the last discussion):
Peteski
"Peter W." wrote in news:29ad79b8-86a4-4ea4-ab8a- snipped-for-privacy@y5g2000hsf.googlegroups.com:
We just can't help going full circle. Our 4x8 loops have done it since childhood. Round and round and round and round we go! :-)
Puckdropper
A dogbone shape is a bit more interesting. :-)
My first layout was probably around 4x3 feet and TT gauge. It was an oval with couple of sidings. How's that for marching to the beat of a different drummer?
Peteski
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