Attn. Bach-man, re- couplers

[davidone]

Why can't Bachmann products come with knuckle couplers pre-installed. I have bought quite a few of the Bachmann steam and it's a hassle changing the rapidos. Please consider doing this. 

Dave

[Jake]

Do you think they haven't? They probably would use them if it weren't for copyright problems. (Why don't you guys just make your own?  )

[the Bach-man]

Dear David,
All new production items are now delivered with our new knuckle coupler.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[davidone]

Dear David,
All new production items are now delivered with our new knuckle coupler.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

Now that is great news!!

Thank you Bachmann, Dave

[tjerrard]

Great news.

I am finding that the Bachmann Spectrum steamers, recent models, I have work very well on my layout with the only minor problem of switching out the couplers.

The wheel sets work well on code 55 track.

Tom

[Edward]

My layout is over 32 years old, going bacl to the days of Tyco with hook and horn couplers and the change over to the new fangled ones has been a pet pive of mine for years.  Altas made a 'dead end uncoupler' track that worked fro yrears, now they say they stopped making it.

I am not in favor of cars with two types of couplers, which means that particular car has to stay with that particular locomotive . .. what a way to run a railroad.

Maybe, in my life time, some one will go back to hook and horn couplers witha workable uncoulper track.

[PRRThomas11]

A few of my coaches have knuckle couplers but a few are a bit higher than the others. They are all the same cars. How can I fix this?

[Franz T]

Are you body mounting the couplers or are you using truck mounted? For truck mounted, the easy solution is to use M-T trucks with couplers. Igf you are body mounting, get yourself a coupler gage from MicroTrains and use the shims supplied with the couplers to set the draft gear box at the correct level..

[PRRThomas11]

They are the Athern old time coaches and they are truck-mounted.

[GlennW]

My layout is over 32 years old, going bacl to the days of Tyco with hook and horn couplers and the change over to the new fangled ones has been a pet pive of mine for years.  Altas made a 'dead end uncoupler' track that worked fro yrears, now they say they stopped making it.

I am not in favor of cars with two types of couplers, which means that particular car has to stay with that particular locomotive . .. what a way to run a railroad.

Maybe, in my life time, some one will go back to hook and horn couplers witha workable uncoulper track.

Horn hooks? in Nscale? Next thing you'll be buying KD's for your Nscale & find the couplers dragging on the rails. Let's quit trying to mix scales!

[fieromike]

My layout is over 32 years old, going bacl to the days of Tyco with hook and horn couplers and the change over to the new fangled ones has been a pet pive of mine for years.  Altas made a 'dead end uncoupler' track that worked fro yrears, now they say they stopped making it.

I am not in favor of cars with two types of couplers, which means that particular car has to stay with that particular locomotive . .. what a way to run a railroad.

Maybe, in my life time, some one will go back to hook and horn couplers witha workable uncoulper track.

Yup, and then they will announce the return of brass track.

No thanks,
Mike

[Edward]

Now, Glenn and Mike have me more confused than ever.

I have N scale from ConCor, Atlas, Model Power and Bachmann, and they all have horn hook type couplers and so far they are all compatiable, what am I doing wrong

Have a nice day.

[Franz T]

Edward!

What you have on your various brands are "rapido" type couplers; also fondly referred as "crapidos".(Horn hook type couplers are/were the standard for HorriblyOversized scale, i.e. 1:87.1) Until quite recently, rapidos were the de facto standars for N-scale and their redeeming social quality was that they made cars of all manufacturers compatible. MicroTrains made a knuckle type magnetic coupler under their patent. Since the patent expired, many manufacturers (but not Bachmann) are starting to use them or their clones on their equipment. Some, including Bachmann are using so called "dummy couplers" which will couple with MT's and their clones but will not uncouple magnetically. So basically, you have three types: rapidos which are compatible only with each other; Magnetic knuckle couplers , wich are fully compatible with each other and partially compatible with the third type, the dummy coupler.
Now that I have thoroughly confused you, I am going to tell you that most serious modelers use the magnetic knuckle couplers and that in a few years they will be the new standard for ALL manufacturers.

[Hunt]

Now, Glenn and Mike have me more confused than ever.

I have N scale from ConCor, Atlas, Model Power and Bachmann, and they all have horn hook type couplers and so far they are all compatiable, what am I doing wrong

Have a nice day.

Edward, the following quote is your post in HO scale.

I have gotten by with hook and horn couplers for over 30 years and am not about to change.  Most of my rolling stock goes back to the good ole days of Tyco.
…

Based on HO scale and what you call "hook and horn couplers," I gave you the correct name, horn hook coupler.

Now with the information you provide here under N Scale… you don’t have horn hook couplers you have Rapido couplers. 

Suggest you rethink it don’t matter what you call it attitude you expressed with the following

A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet, a Chrystantheum by any other name would be easier to spell.

The same is true with couplers,  ...

[GlennW]

Now, Glenn and Mike have me more confused than ever.

I have N scale from ConCor, Atlas, Model Power and Bachmann, and they all have horn hook type couplers and so far they are all compatiable, what am I doing wrong

Have a nice day.

I've seen posters on this & other Forums forget to read the scales & get them mixed up. AFAIK Tyco never produced anything in Normal scale. Bachmann, Model Power & LifeLike used to make popular trainsets in the Horribly Oversize scale. They were even sold at toy retailers like Toys R Us. Back in the day, you could get cheap train cars decorated for TRU to go with your trainset. The standard NMRA coupler with these & other brands was a horn hook. Most folks call the best replacements for them the KD.