Model Forum / General / Railroads / February 2010

Where are you based?

It sounds like the NMRA British Region probably has all the answers to
your questions.

Send a message to marketing@nmrabr.org.uk It will come to me and when I
get the information I will respond either by sending it to someone near
you or by letting you have my personal telephone number

If you (or anyone else) is near Brighton 12-14 February the NMRA will
have its display stand at Model World in the Brighton Centre

PS Are you the same gut who's been posting on the UK site recently? Nice
to see someone asking intelligent questions and getting intelligent
replies

Generally speaking, knuckle couplers of different makes will mate with
each other on straight track, but may have issues on curves. All
couplers will have difficulty coupling on small radiius curves (anything
less than about 20" is small radius IMO.)

Minimum curve should be 10" or therabouts (Atlas min is 9.97") IMO,
minimum radius should be 15" or more, especially is using body-mounted
couplers.

There are several issues with couplers:
a) Track: dipsy-doodling, rollercoaster track will cause unintended
uncoupling. This effect is worse with N, as the coupler heads are about
half the depth of HO couplers.

b) Body versus truck- (bogie-) mounted couplers: Don't mix them , esp.
if using small radii. Worst case is body-mount on a long car and
truck-mount on a short one. Such cars can derail each other.

c) Coupler height: Arnold couplers are especially sensitive to
variations, esp. when track isn't dead level. Either buy or make a
gauge, and ensure all couplers are within about 0.25mm of correct height.

d) Coupler mounting: again, Arnold couplers have more problems than MTL
couplers, mostly because of manufacturing sloppiness (variations in
spring stiffness, mold parting lines/flash where it shouldn't be, etc.)

All in all, I recommend MTL couplers. If you have problems getting them
in the UK, mail me offgroup at noshomosu usual-wierd-sign sympatico li'l
dot ca. I can supply at very good prices.

cheers,
wolf k.

Normally yes but the Atlas coupler boxes tend to fall apart just by
looking at it, and they often loose their trip pin.

It is not tricky at all. A lot of good web shops carry them. I use
http://www.nscalesupply.com/, http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/ and
http://www.wig-wag-trains.com/, no problem at all, and great service
from all of them.

That depends on whether the couplers are truck mounted or body mounted.
40'-50' cars with truck mounted couplers generally traverse 9.75in
radius curves (Atlas minimum fixed radius curve), similar cars with body
mounted couplers may need 11-12in radius curves. Longer cars may need
larger radius curves.

I think 40' cars with truck mounted couplers will run on this track but
you may have problems if your locomotives have body mounted couplers
(this is usual for newer N scale locomotives).

Truck mounted and body mounted couplers generally do not operate well
together on small radius track. The body mounted coupler on a locomotive
may derail the nearest truck on a car with truck mounted couplers due to
the larger swing of the body mounted coupler and the much heavier
locomotive. Changing the locomotive couplers to a type with a longer
shank may prevent this.

Generally I recommend using Micro-Trains couplers as they are sturdier
and more reliable than most other types and come in a large variety of
types. The Micro-Trains web site http://www.micro-trains.com/ has a
coupler conversion chart that covers most N scale locomotives.

I'm  not in N  scale but  your problem more sort of sounds  like the
generic problems that beginners often have  with coupling.
First off,  trying to get only one brand of couplers on all of the  equipmnt
makes  sure that there are no  incompativilities between  makers.  The MTL
coupler not only works very well but it is a much more scale looking coupler
than other designs.
One  of the  big rules is that the track HAS to be smooth and  even.  Kinks
in track, both in  side to  side aangle  and especially in up/down  angle
makee for big problems.   Go out  and look at some real  track  and note how
much it looks like a single  smooth ribbon.   This  means that the roadbed
also needs to be smooth and level.  Joints of all kinds need to be finished
so that ther is no big gap or peak in the rail ends.  It may not seem too
big at the  rail but any  change in height does get magnified  by the car
body and that will throw the  couplers out of alignment with each other.
Basically, if you see equipment go bump over a spot in the track, it is bad
and needs to be inspected and repaired.

--
Bob May

rmay at nethere.com
http: slash /nav.to slash bobmay
http: slash /bobmay dot astronomy.net