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I'm glad that MTH PS3 engines no longer use the pigtail connectors between powered A units and non-powered (dummy) B and A units.   However, now the only way you can remotely fire the rear protocoupler of a A-A or A-B-A engine is to have lashed-up trailing A unit.   All B units are total dummies and cannot have a protocoupler.   For those of us who prefer A-B or A-B-B engine configs then there is no way to remotely fire a protocoupler on the tail unit.   If you fire/release the rear coupler on a PS3 engine like a F3 or E8 any coupled B or A units will disconnect along with your consist.   Not very realistic.

So.... what if you modified a B unit to connect to your A unit using a MTH PS3 steam wireless drawbar.    Remove the protocoupler from the back of the powered A unit.  Then wire the  drawbar receiver in the A unit to the the protocoupler wire.   Then replace the dummy coupler on the back of the dummy B or A unit with the protocoupler from the powered A unit.   Then wire the protocoupler in the dummy B unit to the wireless drawbar.   End results should be a powered A with dummy B or A connected via a wireless drawbar that lets you fire/uncouple the protocoupler at the tail end of the dummy A or B unit.

What do you think as a hack/mod for PS3 A-B-A/ A-B engine units.   Not applicable to lashed up powered units.

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Have you looked at the steam drawbar closely?  There's mounts on both sides that have to be accommodated, it'll be considerable work.

Why not just use something like the Miniatronics 2 Pin Micro Mini Connector to bring the coupler over?  It's really tiny and will be a bunch easier to install and live with than the blasted "wireless" drawbar!  If you wanted lights, they also have a 4-pin model.

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Is there any interest in a truly wireless-tetherless method to fire a distant protocoupler?  This reminds of the occasional discussion about how to have the directional lights on the last car of a subway consist controlled by the powered front engine car.  One approach is to send a wireless (radio) signal from the head car with the on-off status of the rear lights.  A radio receiver in the last car picks up this signal and sets the lights accordingly.  This requires a powered truck in the receiver car.

By analogy, for the coupler, the radio transmitter would send a signal whenever the rear-coupler of the lead engine is fired.  A receiver in the rear engine (doesn't matter how many engines or cars in between) detects the momentary signal and fires its coupler accordingly. The rear engine requires a powered truck to power the radio receiver as well as the protocoupler.

It's just that radio transmitter and receiver modules are compact and inexpensive.  I'd say maybe $10-15 in modules/parts off of eBay.  But it's not plug-and-play and would require a willingness to work at the component/module level and soldering. 

Just raising the flag to see if anyone salutes...

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