BOB2,
You hit it right on the head-obsession with anything isn't good.
Since getting into O Scale,I had 2 things I said were "absolutes"-shelf couplers & operating ground throws with moving targets. Thanks to All Aboard trains,the switchstands are VERY PLEASANT realities. Truly amazing,these groundthrows are the 1st of their kind in any scale. They work just like the Prototype 'stands. My congratulations to Larry for his years to perseverance & determination.
My problem now is that if these couplers are headed for production,I don't want to start a marketable product to find someone gets ahead of me & I tied up the money for nothing.
As a modeler,I have many 3rail cars sitting in "limbo" with no couplers as I can't afford to put on a Kadee,for instance,then buy a shelf coupler later. What I have for sale in HO&N HAVE TO FUND my O Scale as that's my only form to income for a hobby. So this represents a problem that's unique to me that may not bother other modelers.
I started in HO with flaky looking F2X couplers then graduated to #5 Kadee's then finally #58 scale couplers,then shelf couplers from Kadee,then Sergent introduced an E coupler,then years later came couplers of ALL types,E,F,H and other unique couplers. These included shelf couplers in the E&F styles.
While I still intend to use Protocraft E couplers on freight,most of my fleet is modern that has shelf couplers & to put anything on them other than these couplers is a serious oversight. Atlas couplers especially earlier style Atlas,are junk. So those have to go too.
I renumber freight cars,design buildings,plan benchwork&track,etc.,but there's times as you modelers know,you have a craving to work on other things,which for me,is couplers and nothing else.
I know my shelf couplers over the years seem like a "terrible obsession," but it's not intended to be. MTH,in their history of the tank car's evolution,even lists double shelf couplers as a modern development,so these couplers are refreshingly recognized.
Just my opinions and desires.
As Always,
Al Hummel
