Who made this coupler?

[mecgp7]

Can someone tell me who makes/made this coupler? Thanks in advance.

[randgust]

I think that still a Red Caboose coupler; aka Unimates.    They are pretty darn useful in several situations:

1)  Converting Rapido-equipped cars over to knuckles without changing the trucks (like your passenger car truck)
2)  Short-coupling F-units together, they have a very short shank model available
3)  Unit trains where the cost of knuckles would eat you alive and you can use the old trucks
4)  MU consists where one of two couplers on a unit assures you you'll never false uncouple.

See this:  http://www.nscaledivision.com/information_on_couplers.htm

I'm not sure if that's an alternate design or a different manufacturer as its not the 'standard' thumb design, but the shank sure is.

[mecgp7]

Thanks Randgust.
Now the dilemma, keep them on my Con Cor passenger cars or swap out with MTL 1017s OR simply swap out the wheel sets?  Anyone have experience with the Con Cor trucks and swapping out the wheel sets? Recommendations?

[Puddington]

I have body mounted all my passenger cars (over 100) and have never regreted it. The Con Cor truck is fine if you remove the coupler pocket, body mount a MTL coupler (or the coupler of your choice, you can even body mount the coupler from the MTL 1017 and use the truck) You can swap out the wheels for a number of after market metal wheels (FVM 36" work nicely) and you'll have a far better coupling, free rolling car.

Have fun !

[sizemore]

It was Con-Cor's entry into the knuckle coupler market, IIRC. I know its not a Red Caboose or Unimate.

The S.

[Glenn Poole]

It was Con-Cor's entry into the knuckle coupler market, IIRC. I know its not a Red Caboose or Unimate.

The S.

Yea, that is what I think.  and they would NOT stay coupled together.  I changed all mine out for MTs years ago.

[SkipGear]

If you are going to do something different, body mount. The truck mounted couplers on the MTL trucks have too much verticle slop and tend to uncouple even on perfect track when you pull any length of train.

[kelticsylk]

Sort of off topic but...What radius curves are you guys using where you have body mounts. My minimum is about 18". Will that work for 80 foot passenger cars?

[u18b]

I'm thinking that Unimates are much fatter.

That looks like an off-brand coupler that either Life Like, Bachmann or Con Cor has used.
I can't remember which.

I don't think it is Red Caboose/Unimate.

[x600]

Agree, They are not Unimates. I have one in front of me and the "Thumb" on your coupler is way longer than a Unimate.

To answer your other question, I have used the Unimate- Micro-Trains wheel combination in some of my Con Cor passenger cars.
The Con Cor trucks are a little wider than the Micro-Trains Wheel set, so I gently squeeze the side frame of the truck to narrow it. The wheels sets do stay in when done correctly. The Unimates are a good option as the cars tend to stay connected.
I have also used the older Kato 11-702 couplers in the ConCor trucks with good results.
Greg O
mrns.org

[robert3985]

Sort of off topic but...What radius curves are you guys using where you have body mounts. My minimum is about 18". Will that work for 80 foot passenger cars?

18" and above are considered "broad" radii, and should be okay with 80' cars.  My minimum mainline radius is 24, and I have no problems with passenger equipment or long engines with body mounted couplers.

Cheers!!
Bob Gilmore

[mmagliaro]

I put Fox Valley 36" wheelsets in my Con-Cor passenger trucks.  They fit fine, and they roll nicely.  On some Con-Cor
cars, like the heavyweights with 6-wheel trucks, you will need to trim some of the truck detail away or it will bind
on the slightly-larger 36" wheel, but after that, they work fine.

I did have one or two cars that were derailment headaches with the Fox Valley wheels because
those wheels have such fine flanges (.015") and long car, truck-mounted coupler, track that isn't absolutely
dead-level, there would be cases where the truck would lift just enough to lift the lip of a wheelset over the rail.
In those cases, I went with the Atlas 36" metal wheelsets, which have more like a .022" flange, and they are a lot
more forgiving.

[nkalanaga]

MT 1025s, body mounted on 85 ft passenger cars, will work on 16" radius curves, as long as the spacing is great enough to keep the corners from bumping.  If the cars have cast-on diaphragms, that is usually the limiting factor.

Mixed body and truck mounted couplers may or may not work on 16" radius curves.  You'll have to try each combination and see what works.

For what it's worth, the same is true for 89' flatcars...

[spookshow]

If you are going to do something different, body mount. The truck mounted couplers on the MTL trucks have too much verticle slop and tend to uncouple even on perfect track when you pull any length of train.

+1 on that. I have MT trucks on all of my passenger cars and have problems with the head-end cars occasionally uncoupling if I try to pull more than 12-13 cars in a train. Definitely going to switch over to body mounts one of these days.

-Mark