@timetraveller posted:Newish guy here, but I'm an old guy - 74. Just getting in over the last few months, and starting to buy some rolling stock, used.
I have 7 or 8 Lionel boxcars, one from the 1980s and the rest 1990s. All have the thumbtack coupler.
Question. About what year did Lionel start in with the thumbtack coupler? The two plastic ones I have don't work. They are junk.
How far do I need to go back to get to the original design? Post war, I assume i.e. pre '70?
Any other ideas? Swap to new trucks? Maybe 6-14078 ones?
Bill
Sorry Bill, I can't answer these questions, I just know that thumbtack couplers have been around a while. I don't know the solution either other than finding replacement trucks, not sure if those are still offered as I think the last few catalogs haven't listed them. The ones you listed, 6-14078 have thumbtacks on them(at least in the pictures on Lionel's website), I guess they would be better as far as the trucks, but the thumbtack is there.
I don't know if these topics would help any.
Lionel Going Backward with Couplers <--Mike Reagan responded on this topic
As most of us have said before, we just seem to have the same recurring problem, quality. Recently I just had one of the older milk cars in my fleet, give me uncoupling problems. Not sure why this happened, but the dang car which had been coupled to my Canadian National reefer(I believe), decided to jump ship on me. Both cars are the swivel couplers, so that just confused me as to why it decided to uncouple. Maybe because I am running my improved 18009 NYC Mohawk, it can't handle the Pittman power(I doubt that is the issue). Whatever the issue is, I guess I will eventually figure that out.
It just seems that some of the couplers we have seen come and go have their share of flavor, some really dang sour. I do know some of my 1990's(1980's too) era are fairly decent with no real issues other than them being solid, no swivel to them. The main drawback was the nice and shiny thumbtack coupler which has been the issue of nice sparks on some occasion when used with uncoupling devices(like how 18009's tender coupler shorted out and melted that old spring).
Where was the sweet spot that we had with really improved couplers, was it very late 90's into the mid 2000-2010 maybe? I do know that some of this is dependent upon what type of car it is, I've always been suspect of gondolas as they usually were fixed couplers with no swivel(at least the ones I have seen anyway), passenger cars larger had thumbtacks, and a good portion of hoppers and boxcars too. Only seems like there were a bit with hidden tabs for a number of years, switching back and forth. I think one of my cabooses has hidden tabs from the mid to late 80's I want to say(smoking PRR Caboose). The one thing I do know, I am very wary of rolling stock unless it states in the catalog(or I can see it when buying) what type it is. I've stuck with diecast hoppers most recently, being that I am modeling steam era. I don't know.
