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Coupler Identification Help
Hit the local train shop this week and got a few cars, they are a mix of brands (Atlas, Bachmann, Life Like) but all have a coupler I haven’t seen before. These are rigid knuckle couplers that snap together by pushing the cars together and they release by pulling the cars apart. Can anyone identify them?
I assumed they were MTLs (or some variant) when I purchased them, but once I got them home I noticed how different they were…no hole for the metal pin, solid one piece construction.
Thanks for your help!
Andrew, casey-jones and 3 others8 Comments-
have not seen them before on rolling stock. looks like they are spring loaded as well behind the end sill. kinda looks like a NEM style European coupler. Kadee makes some too but with a full knuckle and a place for the longitudinal spring under the body/behind end sill. I know life-like did some strange version of couplers a long while ago (not the hook horn) but….
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@zak98 The C&O car might have Kato couplers, hard to see. Yes, all of them snap in like the old Rapido couplers. The springs keep them ‘straight’ and in the pocket.
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Yes, they are spring loaded…the brand/trucks are different, it appears the previous owner just changed out the T-shank…the cars all came from the same collection, so easy to reason the previous owner followed similar methodology. Thanks again!
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They look like old Unimates, Red Caboose and/or old MDC/Roundhouse dummy couplers. They are designed to stay coupled together. Be careful pulling them apart, they might break. I use the Red Caboose couplers on cars that are always run as a ‘block’ with Micro Trains on either end for ease of uncoupling. I also use them on ‘rolling scenery’ such as MoW equipment. My MoW equipment is mainly scenery, so I put dummy couplers on them. Here are a few Red Caboose PRR cars with dummy couplers. They look like old Unimates, Red Caboose and/or old MDC/Roundhouse dummy couplers. They are designed to stay coupled together. Be careful pulling them apart, they might break. I use the Red Caboose couplers on cars that are always run as a ‘block’ with Micro Trains on either end for ease of uncoupling. I also use them on ‘rolling scenery’ such as MoW equipment. My MoW equipment is mainly scenery, so I put dummy couplers on them. Here are a few Red Caboose PRR cars with dummy couplers.
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@Tom_Fredenberg That’s a cool concept, cars that run together don’t need to be de-coupled…I will have to change my way of thinking. Cool idea.
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@Hububba I mainly do that on my MoW equipment (as previously stated), older reefers, older coal hoppers and older covered hoppers before I either replaced the trucks with MTL trucks, purchased MTL cars and/or manufacturers started putting MTL-compatible knuckle couplers on their products. Alot of my passenger cars have dummy couplers too (ConCor, Kato).
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Quick Google search for ‘Unimate coupler’ does resemble what these have installed. I am a MTL fan so I’ll have to try and determine what conversion kit is best suited, which is always the most difficult part for me…which kit? 🙂
Thanks for sharing your knowledge1 -
Probably better off changing all the couplers, then you can mix and match as needed
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