Why can't Bachmann products come with knuckle couplers pre-installed. I have bought quite a few of the Bachmann steam and it's a hassle changing the rapidos. Please consider doing this. :) :)
Dave
Do you think they haven't? :D They probably would use them if it weren't for copyright problems. (Why don't you guys just make your own? :P)
Dear David,
All new production items are now delivered with our new knuckle coupler.
Have fun!
the Bach-man
Quote from: the Bach-man on August 11, 2007, 11:33:24 PM
Dear David,
All new production items are now delivered with our new knuckle coupler.
Have fun!
the Bach-man
Now that is great news!!
Thank you Bachmann, Dave
Great news.
I am finding that the Bachmann Spectrum steamers, recent models, I have work very well on my layout with the only minor problem of switching out the couplers.
The wheel sets work well on code 55 track.
Tom
My layout is over 32 years old, going bacl to the days of Tyco with hook and horn couplers and the change over to the new fangled ones has been a pet pive of mine for years. Altas made a 'dead end uncoupler' track that worked fro yrears, now they say they stopped making it.
I am not in favor of cars with two types of couplers, which means that particular car has to stay with that particular locomotive . .. what a way to run a railroad.
Maybe, in my life time, some one will go back to hook and horn couplers witha workable uncoulper track.
A few of my coaches have knuckle couplers but a few are a bit higher than the others. They are all the same cars. How can I fix this?
Are you body mounting the couplers or are you using truck mounted? For truck mounted, the easy solution is to use M-T trucks with couplers. Igf you are body mounting, get yourself a coupler gage from MicroTrains and use the shims supplied with the couplers to set the draft gear box at the correct level..
They are the Athern old time coaches and they are truck-mounted.
Quote from: Edward on September 22, 2007, 03:01:25 PM
My layout is over 32 years old, going bacl to the days of Tyco with hook and horn couplers and the change over to the new fangled ones has been a pet pive of mine for years. Altas made a 'dead end uncoupler' track that worked fro yrears, now they say they stopped making it.
I am not in favor of cars with two types of couplers, which means that particular car has to stay with that particular locomotive . .. what a way to run a railroad.
Maybe, in my life time, some one will go back to hook and horn couplers witha workable uncoulper track.
Horn hooks? in Nscale? Next thing you'll be buying KD's for your Nscale & find the couplers dragging on the rails. Let's quit trying to mix scales!
Quote from: Edward on September 22, 2007, 03:01:25 PM
My layout is over 32 years old, going bacl to the days of Tyco with hook and horn couplers and the change over to the new fangled ones has been a pet pive of mine for years. Altas made a 'dead end uncoupler' track that worked fro yrears, now they say they stopped making it.
I am not in favor of cars with two types of couplers, which means that particular car has to stay with that particular locomotive . .. what a way to run a railroad.
Maybe, in my life time, some one will go back to hook and horn couplers witha workable uncoulper track.
Yup, and then they will announce the return of brass track.
No thanks,
Mike
Now, Glenn and Mike have me more confused than ever.
I have N scale from ConCor, Atlas, Model Power and Bachmann, and they all have horn hook type couplers and so far they are all compatiable, what am I doing wrong ???
Have a nice day.
Edward!
What you have on your various brands are "rapido" type couplers; also fondly referred as "crapidos".(Horn hook type couplers are/were the standard for HorriblyOversized scale, i.e. 1:87.1) Until quite recently, rapidos were the de facto standars for N-scale and their redeeming social quality was that they made cars of all manufacturers compatible. MicroTrains made a knuckle type magnetic coupler under their patent. Since the patent expired, many manufacturers (but not Bachmann) are starting to use them or their clones on their equipment. Some, including Bachmann are using so called "dummy couplers" which will couple with MT's and their clones but will not uncouple magnetically. So basically, you have three types: rapidos which are compatible only with each other; Magnetic knuckle couplers , wich are fully compatible with each other and partially compatible with the third type, the dummy coupler.
Now that I have thoroughly confused you, I am going to tell you that most serious modelers use the magnetic knuckle couplers and that in a few years they will be the new standard for ALL manufacturers.
Quote from: Edward on September 26, 2007, 01:11:04 PM
Now, Glenn and Mike have me more confused than ever.
I have N scale from ConCor, Atlas, Model Power and Bachmann, and they all have horn hook type couplers and so far they are all compatiable, what am I doing wrong ???
Have a nice day.
Edward, the following quote is your post in HO scale.
Quote from: Edward on September 22, 2007, 08:34:05 PM
I have gotten by with hook and horn couplers for over 30 years and am not about to change. Most of my rolling stock goes back to the good ole days of Tyco.
…
Based on HO scale and what you call "hook and horn couplers," I gave you the correct name,
horn hook coupler.
Now with the information you provide here under N Scale… you don’t have horn hook couplers you have
Rapido couplers.
Suggest you rethink
it don’t matter what you call it attitude you expressed with the following
Quote from: Edward on September 23, 2007, 12:53:26 PM
A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet, a Chrystantheum by any other name would be easier to spell.
The same is true with couplers, ...
Quote from: Edward on September 26, 2007, 01:11:04 PM
Now, Glenn and Mike have me more confused than ever.
I have N scale from ConCor, Atlas, Model Power and Bachmann, and they all have horn hook type couplers and so far they are all compatiable, what am I doing wrong ???
Have a nice day.
I've seen posters on this & other Forums forget to read the scales & get them mixed up. AFAIK Tyco never produced anything in Normal scale. Bachmann, Model Power & LifeLike used to make popular trainsets in the Horribly Oversize scale. They were even sold at toy retailers like Toys R Us. Back in the day, you could get cheap train cars decorated for TRU to go with your trainset. The standard NMRA coupler with these & other brands was a horn hook. Most folks call the best replacements for them the KD.
Not sure what I got . ..I have both a HO and and N layout. An Atlas 'Dead End Uncoupler' track handles the HO and a Model Power (Expensive little devils) handles the N.
Some of the cartons state "Equipped with X2F Couplers". Nobody mentioned these yet.
A little research reveals they were invented by Paul Mallory back in the fifties, and he let any one that wanted to use them, and they were referred to as NMRA type.
Any how, I just turned 82 and my grandson just turned 11, so from here on it is going to be up to him.
Thanks for all the help, guys, and have a nice day.
Quote from: Edward on September 28, 2007, 08:41:18 PM
...
Some of the cartons state "Equipped with X2F Couplers". Nobody mentioned these yet.
Used with HO, the
X2F Coupler is commonly known as a
horn hook coupler.
Edward,
If it is convenient, you and your grandson should visit a well stocked model trains store. Model railroading equipment has changed significantly from what you seem to have.
You and your grandson can get some good information from the article about the knuckle couplers in http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=2089
Oh, how I would love to take my Grand son to a real hobby store, but there are none in what you would call close. My method of shopping was to watch the Walther's flyers to see what was available then order from the magazines mail order dealers at a lot lower price.
Then of course, the family would see some thing and say "Grand Dad could use this." So some boxes have never been opened since they were unwrapped.
Again, thanks for everything, and have a nice day . .. Enjoy your trains. (Now, where I have I heard that before?)