Thanks so much for your information. Now, can anyone tell me why Bachman would make a locomotive with dummy couplers in the first place? Just wondering.

Quote from: railtwister on June 28, 2012, 09:32:48 PM
Well, I finally got around to it, and changed out the couplers on my Bachmann N scale GE 44 ton loco. The new Bachmann magnetic operating knuckle couplers with the short shanks (sku #78503) will fit the 44 tonner as a drop in (actually a screw-in) replacement. The new Bachmann magnetic knuckles match the operating knuckle couplers found on the new locos and cars released in late 2011, and so are bigger than MTL N or Z couplers (probably more than twice correct scale size), but they do seem to work with other brands of N scale magnetic couplers. They are similar to most HO magnetic couplers in that they have a pivoting knuckle with a tiny coiled spring to keep it closed, rather than a split shank design like most N scale magnetic couplers. They are pretty ugly, but an easy no cut, no hack install for the 44 tonner, so I will put up with their ugliness until such time that MTL might make a proper conversion kit for this loco (I'm not holding my breath, since they haven't made any new conversions in several years now, and have discontinued many of the old ones). I still hope...

Bill in FL