Cure "Exploding" N-Scale Accumates

[hminky]

Never had an Accumate "explode" but it has been suggested on the Web. I was just fixing a cover that wouldn't stay on the truck.

Have a "What-I-Did" at:

http://www.chainsawjunction.com/n-scale/cars/explosions/



Thank you if you visit
Harold

[brokemoto]

That is a pretty good suggestion, especially when you consider that more than a few of us have more than a few of these things in a box somewhere.

The early Accu-Mates did, in fact, have  a nasty habit of discombobulating.  Atlas did, subsequently, address the problem or cause it to be addressed.

We had another guy, who does not post here any more, come up with Micro-Mates.  His ID is Kisatchie.

As many are no doubt aware, the MT couplers have a nasty habit of breaking.  What is funny is that the AM coupler pieces will fit into the MT truck mounted coupler box.  You simply slide off the MT coupler box cover, remove the broken coupler pieces, replace with the AM coupler pieces then slide the MT cover back onto the coupler.  What was once of limited use has now become serviceable, again.  I forget if Kisatchie did mention this, but, I did find that the MT coupler tweezers were indispensable to the performance of this fix.

He came up with this idea before Atlas addressed the discombobulation problem.  He made them from discombobulated Accu-Mate and broken Micro-Trains trucks and couplers.  Basically, he took two items that now had limited use and made one useful thing out of them.

This is a far simpler operation that trying to get the two MT pieces and minuscule spring to stay together while you try to get that whole business back into the box and actually stay there.

[hminky]

There was the same problem in HO way back when in the Athearn Blue Box era.

The Blue Boxes had a little metal clip that would disengage.

A #2-56 screw through the lug fixed that problem.

Seems life repeats itself.

Harold

[davefoxx]

There was the same problem in HO way back when in the Athearn Blue Box era.

The Blue Boxes had a little metal clip that would disengage.

A #2-56 screw through the lug fixed that problem.

Seems life repeats itself.

Harold

Ha!   I remember that metal clip vividly.  I used to squeeze the sides of the clip before installing it, which really held it in place.  I don't recall having one come apart once I did this.

DFF

[delamaize]

Here is another cure:

[Bill H]

Here is another cure:

Agreed, with 1015s, at least the slinky effect is only when backing....

[peteski]

Agreed, with 1015s, at least the slinky effect is only when backing....

Neah, is still happens in both directions (depending on the slack, the rolling resistance  of the wheels and how smooth the trackwork is).

[cjm413]

Here is another cure:

1015 coupler boxes look like 💩

[Big Train]

I'm not a big fan of the AM couplers.

They seem to be OK on the locomotives because they are screwed in place. But as installed in rolling stock that's another matter. They have an annoying habit of coming apart far too easily for me.

So now when I get anything the uses AM couplers the first thing I do is to carefully apply ACC to the latches where they attach to the coupler draft gear box. That has improved reliability. That is, until the coupler pin falls out then I ACC the couplers together. I've had little success installing the pins back into the couplers though I have no issues doing that on MTs.

I think everything would be more reliable if everyone uses MT couplers and I realize that that is just my opinion.

Hope this helps...