New style Bachmann magnetic couplers vs. older horn style

[jbrock27]

I agree with Jeff that some, sometimes, take the hobby too seriously.  I think it is as much, that some people take themselves too seriously.  Myself, I would be one of the last on those lists.

Mark, I'm in agreement with some of the things you say, but not all.   Having HH couplers does not always equate to a lost cause.  For example, older Athearn rolling stock and locos come stock with HH couplers and are easily replaced with knuckle style couplers.  As Mr. Ward is fond of pointing out, the wheels on Athearn rolling stock are RP25 and don't need replacing, unless you want to roll them over a Kadee magnet uncoupler.  Also, older Life Like P2K locos came with HH couplers on them and neither their locos or the Athearn ones mentioned above, have the pizza cutter wheel flanges.  Same goes for older Atlas locos.   You should cite specifically the locos and rolling stock you are referring to, so as not to give the wrong impression.
While 83 code is more realistic than 100 for a lot of people, 100 is more tolerant of running older stock if that is what folks have in their inventory.  And by the way, right now, Dan is using EZ track (code 100) and is trying to find ways to figure out what radius fits where.  He's complained about buying a lot of track in his attempt to do this, so I doubt he is now going to go out and buy code 83 track. Of course, that is up to him.
And while more details are nice, it also makes those finer details more breakable and not appealing to those with kids sharing the layout and those prone to breaking such fine detail parts.
Lastly, while I agree DCC is growing, this does not mean analog (DC) is "disappearing". 

[Doneldon]

Mark-

Jim makes a good point about some older models being worth updating but I think he would agree that most older things aren't worth the time and expense unless the item has some other less tangible value. I've updated a few old cars from when my brother and I first got into HO 55 years ago, for example, just because of the sentimental value. And, you know, as part of a train running by, I don't really notice that the ladders are molded on and the reporting marks aren't as precisely printed as what we see with today's outstanding models.

By the way, even modern RP25 wheel contours don't exactly match the prototype. They, too, are oversize and a slightly different contour than the twelve-inches-to-the-foot wheels. Both the larger-than-scale flanges and altered contour help keep our tiny trains up on the iron (which isn't prototypical, either, regarding material and often size). I have to admit that I admire with awe the true scalers who run their trains with prototypical wheels and rails. They must have some genuinely outstanding track laying skills.
                                                                                                                                                         -- D

[jbrock27]

I would agree Doc that many, depending on make, are not worth purchasing and then updating.  I also agree w/your point about sentimental value, when it does not drain the wallet.  There is a diminishing point of returns.

[Dan S.]

Thanks for all the help with information which I requested. After looking into this in more detail I now see exactly what you all have been saying and I will gladly take your advise and move up to the digital world and the newer Silver Series rolling stock. I guess it really goes back to the old adage "You get what you pay for"! Thanks again Everyone.

[Trainman203]

When I was 16 back in the 60s and didn't have any money I decided to convert to Kadee couplers. I couldn't do it all at once of course.  I figured out that, with the "horn hooks", if you trimmed the trip portion off just below the knuckle and trimmed the extended "horn" back to the knuckle, you ended up with a coupler that would most of the time manually mate with the Kadees.  I had to secure the modified coupler in the center position but it let me get through the transition period and run my cars in any order I chose no matter what coupler was on adjacent cars.

[rogertra]

When I was 16 back in the 60s and didn't have any money I decided to convert to Kadee couplers. I couldn't do it all at once of course.  I figured out that, with the "horn hooks", if you trimmed the trip portion off just below the knuckle and trimmed the extended "horn" back to the knuckle, you ended up with a coupler that would most of the time manually mate with the Kadees.  I had to secure the modified coupler in the center position but it let me get through the transition period and run my cars in any order I chose no matter what coupler was on adjacent cars.

I did about the same thing, using a hobby knife. 

I trimmed the knuckle so that it mated easier with the Kadees, I also removed the trip pin.  However, I left the centering spring in place.

To uncouple, I used a sharpened wooden skewer, something I still use today with Kadees.

Cheers

Roger T.

[jward]

a while back ahm/ihc sold something called a mate a matic or magic mate coupler. they could mate with both types of couplers, but had a serious drawback. they tended to uncoupler when slack rain in on a train, which made them unreliable to say the least. you may still be able to find them online or at a train show. if you do, pass on them, they are not worth the trouble.

[beast101]

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[chieffan]

Growing up in a model railroading family we always called  them conversion cars. Transition cars were bilevel passenger cars with low end doors on one end which were used to connect single level and bilevel cars.

Conversion cars is all I ever heard them called also.  They convert you train from the HH couplers to the knuckle type coupler.

[jbrock27]

...And now you have heard them referred to by another name.

I personally like transition as the word used to describe them, as in going from one thing, to the other; opposed to converting which implies changing one thing to another.

transition: the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.

conversion: cause to change in form, character, or function.

[Doneldon]

Dan-

I agree with Jim's preference for transition as opposed to conversion because I believe it  more accurately describes what we're doing with cars having two kinds of couplers. But I've certainly heard both words widely used and understood.

I do urge you to consider your transition/conversion cars as temporary solutions to the daunting and sometimes expensive task of changing the couplers on a whole fleet of railcars. This is especially true if you plan to operate your railroad like the real ones with switching yards, dropping off and picking up rolling stock at sidings, exchanging cars at interchanges and so on. Having to work all of that around different coupler types quickly becomes not fun. But it won't matter so much if you get your enjoyment out of watching your trains run. There are folks on this board, me included at times, who think that is a less than ideal use of our hobby but, let's face it, sometimes it's a gas just watching our trains run, even if they do pass the same spot every few minutes.
                                                                                                                      -- D

[jbrock27]

I agree with Doc, whether you want to call them either of the above, or late for supper, they are temporary solutions at best.

[jbsmith]

and then Again,,,,
If you have a large fleet of horn hook rolling stock, it would be more cost effective to just install horn-hook couplers on a new loco or two.
If you enjoy casual continuous running the horn-hooks still work well for that.
If you are into serious switching operations, knuckles are the way to go.


Conversion Cars, already mentioned in earlier posts work well too.

[jward]

you might run into problems doing that. newer locomotives are not designed to accept horn hooks so you'd probably have to make modifications. plus, as far as I now, only lifelike still sells horn hooks, and theirs have a small shank like a tyco coupler. most draft gear boxes require  larger shank because they pivot around a 2-56 screw.

[jbrock27]

I agree with Jeff's sentiment JB.   I can't say I would bother going what I would consider backwards and converting from knuckle couplers to horn hook.  I like you, still have several hh outfitted cars and but I don't think hh's even work well for casual running, not to mention the looks, compared to the looks and performance from knuckle couplers.  If an hh car has decent enough looks, it should be considered a candidate for updating (with a cost/benefit analysis.)  If it doesn't meet the criteria, then....