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3 Responses to Old Couplers
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Jim,
The couplers you have are probably the Rapido style of coupler which was the original type of coupler that came with N gauge equipment back then.
Some current rolling stock & loco manufacturers still use that type (’cause they’re very inexpensive) and they should be able to work with your old equipment.
The knuckle type of coupler comes on other equipment and looks much more realistic. These are NOT compatible AT ALL with the Rapido style of coupler.
So, you have a few choices:
1.) Stick with the Rapido style of coupler and convert any knuckle coupler equipment you may purchase to Rapido couplers (you can buy Rapido couplers on many N scale equipment web sites (I like http://www.modeltrainstuff.com myself)).
2.) Convert all your Rapido equipment to knuckle style couplers (a few cars & locos at a time).
3.) Make a few coupler ‘conversion’ cars that have Rapido style couplers on one end and knuckle style couplers on the other. If you have three or four of these conversion cars, you should be able to run just about anything that you buy although it does look a little odd.
On a side note, converting to all Rapido OR all knuckle style is time consuming and can get expensive (knuckle couplers are more expensive). Installing knuckle couplers and their parts can get difficult and very frustrating due to their small size but I think the improved appearance is well worth it (in my opinion). I suppose it depends on how realistic you want your trains to look.
Rapido couplers don’t look like anything except other Rapido couplers. The up side is that they ARE simple and pretty dependable (operationally speaking) and about half of the rolling stock out there already comes with Rapidos installed.
I hope this lengthy answer is helpful.
Geof
Jim,
I should have mentioned that converting most rolling stock to one style of coupler to another is fairly easy if you have Talgo type trucks on the rolling stock. Almost ALL N scale rolling stock, regardless of manufacturer, has Talgo style trucks. Talgo trucks have the coupler mounted on the truck’s frame so when you switch from one type of coupler to another, all you have to do is to remove a pin or screw and substitute one coupler/truck style for the other.
Conversions on locomotives can be much more difficult since it generally means removing the original coupler and its mounting box from the engine or tender body and remounting an entirely different assembly in its place. Though not impossible, it can require a steady hand and lots of patience. If you have neither, I suggest that you use the conversion car method I mentioned in my earlier posting.
Hope this helps,
Geof
MicroTrains has conversion kits for many older locomotives. The link is here: http://www.micro-trains.com/ConversionsN.php Pull up the chart for your loco’s manufacturer and it will tell you if there is a conversion coupler specifically made for the locomotive.
MicroTrains is the defacto standard for knuckle couplers because they have been at it the longest, but there are others on the market that have their own pros and cons.