Scale coil coupler

"Is it the generally accepted practice to have electrically operated couplers just on locomotives and other cars that already have center rail rollers, such as a caboose?"

AFAIAC, this is the most important thing. I don't think I'd find electro couplers on everything very convenient or practical. I can see too much fiddling with the remote selecting the car and function?

I feel a scale electro coupler on my locomotives would be worth enough to make offering it worthwhile . . . meaning, I'd pay a pretty good sum for this capability.

The market was judged large enough for electro couplers to be offered in the first place! No doubt K-D asked the same "is the market there" before they ever offered O scale couplers in the first place.

People find reasons to predict failure about just about anything new! Will people pay for VL products? Do they want "scale" rolling stock from Lionel and MTH? Lots of folks will say "heck no!" They're the same folks that want to stay with the claws, post-war stuff and conventional running. Truth seems to be NOBODY knows the percentage of 3 railers who install scale couplers! Or how many would like to but just can't get up the gumption to learn how and get it done.

Of course it comes down to how much will scale electro couplers cost, how much of a job will they be to install, and how well will they work?

Arthur P. Bloom posted:

I would like to get some opinions from operators before I stick my neck out and tell you about a scale coupler project that I have been toying with for a few months.

Let me know your thoughts, and I will pass them along to my design guys. We are serious about this, but don't want to spin our wheels on a product for which there would be a small demand.

 

First, I would go along with what Matt says above. I think the train makers know what they are selling and what folks are asking for. If there was a big demand for these, it would be my guess that someone would be offering them on new engines, as in MTH with their scale wheel versions. 

I am not sure how your couplers would work, but one thing that comes to mind is having to address each coupler in someway with a remote in order to un-couple a car. This could be troublesome, IMO. Unless you had some other way to operate them? The Kadee operating map that Matt posted appears to be simple and easy, once you have converted all of your couplers that is. Of course, I imagine conversion would be needed for the use of any new type of coupler.

I am still fairly new to getting back in the hobby so I would defer to the more experienced, but I think the addition of scale remote controlled electro-couplers would be the easiest to operate and make the most sense in the engines only, again, IMO

Then, as much as I think I would like this feature, I have many other things to do on my layout before I get to this point. I started out wanting to control all my switches with the DCS remote. After using the manual switch controllers for a while I changed my mind. It could be that some folks will do the same with the couplers on the rolling stock, myself included?

Anyway, just my thoughts here, and honestly, this is a hard one for me to guess at or get a feel for.

Its much easier to put a few uncouplers around the layout or use a scewer when you need to uncouple. Besides, it's just one more thing to have to fix all the time. I would throw all switches and uncouple all cars by hand if I could. 

Laidoffsick posted:

Its much easier to put a few uncouplers around the layout or use a scewer when you need to uncouple. Besides, it's just one more thing to have to fix all the time. I would throw all switches and uncouple all cars by hand if I could. 

Totally agree!

"I am not sure how your couplers would work, but one thing that comes to mind is having to address each coupler in someway with a remote in order to un-couple a car. This could be troublesome, IMO. Unless you had some other way to operate them?"

The couplers would be as easy to install as the current Kadee types. They would not need track power. They would not need to be addressed by any control system. It would be basically "point and click" operation.  I don't want to give away the whole plot, so I will just say that I am going ahead with the design phase, and if and when I have a suitable system, I will explain a little more.

I will say that I am a little disappointed in the assertion that such a small percentage of railroaders would want to buy such a product. 

Ron H posted:

Laidoffsick posted:

Its much easier to put a few uncouplers around the layout or use a scewer when you need to uncouple. Besides, it's just one more thing to have to fix all the time. I would throw all switches and uncouple all cars by hand if I could. 

Totally agree!

Also agree. The only remote turnouts on the club layout are ones that are hard to reach or the ones that need to be sync'd up with others. Cars are uncoupled manually -- the claws using the tabs and Kadees using a small screwdriver.

Arthur P. Bloom posted:

"I am not sure how your couplers would work, but one thing that comes to mind is having to address each coupler in someway with a remote in order to un-couple a car. This could be troublesome, IMO. Unless you had some other way to operate them?"

The couplers would be as easy to install as the current Kadee types. They would not need track power. They would not need to be addressed by any control system. It would be basically "point and click" operation.  I don't want to give away the whole plot, so I will just say that I am going ahead with the design phase, and if and when I have a suitable system, I will explain a little more.

I will say that I am a little disappointed in the assertion that such a small percentage of railroaders would want to buy such a product. 

Actually I was kind of disappointed in my own thoughts here, the electronics part was a big draw for me to get back into the hobby a few years ago. 

However, the point and click with no power, addressing, etc. makes it sound much more appealing. Similar to Kadees with a switch stick so to speak. Also, if no more difficult than switching to Kadees it sounds very doable as I think folks are already doing that anyway. MTH and now Lionel I believe are also making their products Kadee compatible. I'm sure someone will clarify that. Anyway, good luck and I will be watching to see how things develop.

Well if anyone wants to try out Kadee couplers first hand, Just stop on by my place (southeast Mich.) and operate trains to your hearts content. Now that I have Kadees the switching duties are the most sought after position.                  I'm an email away.

Clem k

My son just built a fifty car train being pulled by a MTH challenger.  I sight to behold and would not be possible with those lobster claws.  That train would break apart in five different places with claws.

I'll video it this weekend and post here.

At this past York show (Oct 2016) I asked the Atlas representative there about the voltages and currents necessary to operate the coupler.  He stated that the couplers are TMCC compatible.

Jan

Jan posted:

At this past York show (Oct 2016) I asked the Atlas representative there about the voltages and currents necessary to operate the coupler.  He stated that the couplers are TMCC compatible.

Jan

Yes, but did the Atlas representative bother to explain that those "Electro-Couplers" must be REALLY slammed together in order to get the knuckle to stay closed and latched? I tried one or two of those Atlas "Electro-Couplers" and could NOT get them to work effectively. I subsequently re-converted those steam locomotives BACK to Kadee couplers.

I do not know how well the MTH "scale electro-couplers" function in the HO world, and I certainly would be willing to try the MTH O Scale version, if and when they can get it to function PROPERLY with PS3. Until then, I'll stick with Kadee couplers!

this is it 50 cars plus in my crappy basement