MTL coupler survey

[GaryHinshaw]

...while mentioning hydraulic brake lines ...

Air is a fluid...   

[peteski]

Air is a fluid...   

But is is liquid (as in hydro)? 
I'm also not sure why all these years those were called "air lines". We just didn't know any better, eh? 

[JoeD]

It was a typo being fixed...sorry for those who's head exploded at the thought.   

Joe

But is is liquid (as in hydro)? 
I'm also not sure why all these years those were called "air lines". We just didn't know any better, eh? 

[VonRyan]

Didn't MT already fix the slinky problem by moving the position of the spring so that it is forward of the hollow post inside the coupler boxes?

[Kisatchie]

Didn't MT already fix the slinky problem by moving the position of the spring so that it is forward of the hollow post inside the coupler boxes?

That doesn't eliminate the slinky effect. As long as there is a spring in the coupler, the slinky effect will be there.


Hmm... I love my slinky
puppy dog...

[ednadolski]

That doesn't eliminate the slinky effect. As long as there is a spring in the coupler, the slinky effect will be there.

Correct, relocating the spring to either side of the post only means that you will see the slinky when pushing instead of pulling (or vice versa).   The only way to get rid of the slinky is to get rid of the spring.

Other approaches, like putting one or more "drag springs" on the car axles, are only a band-aid that change the symptom, but do not solve the cause of the issue.

Ed

[peteski]

It was a typo being fixed...sorry for those who's head exploded at the thought.   

Joe

No heads exploded, but several brains pondered about this.

 And on a serious note, I don't think that it isn't very professional for a "real" model RR company (not some schmuck in a basement running a 1-man shop) to make "typos" like that.  To me typo means a spelling error.  The "hydraulic line" statement seems to indicate that the person who typed up the survey is not very well informed about how the railroad brakes work.  Don't worry, I'm not singling out Micro Trains - I would have made the same comment no matter what model RR company posted that survey.

Don't worry, I'm not losing any sleep over this - just bitching (since this is what forums are for). 

[tom mann]

I think folks on Railwire may be surprised at what the customer base

Folks want a different coupler for every state of the union!

I'll buy the Illinois one and
sell it on ebay!
<insert ape photo>

[ednadolski]

the slinky effect was on the bottom of my priority list.    TRW members: Be afwaid!  Vewwy afwaid! 

To me typo means a spelling error.  The "hydraulic line" statement seems to indicate that the person who typed up the survey is not very well informed about how the railroad brakes work.

So lemme see if I got this straight:  slinky effects are no big deal, so long as the terminology is correct?    

Ed

[peteski]

So lemme see if I got this straight:  slinky effects are no big deal, so long as the terminology is correct?    

Ed

Exactly! 

[VonRyan]

Correct, relocating the spring to either side of the post only means that you will see the slinky when pushing instead of pulling (or vice versa).   The only way to get rid of the slinky is to get rid of the spring.

Other approaches, like putting one or more "drag springs" on the car axles, are only a band-aid that change the symptom, but do not solve the cause of the issue.

Ed

I just take weight out. Then the slinky effect goes away.

[peteski]

I just take weight out. Then the slinky effect goes away.

In MT cars the entire floor/underbody is a die-cast metal "weight". If you remove that "weight" the body will just fall onto the track. 

[ednadolski]

I just take weight out. Then the slinky effect goes away.

You didn't fix the cause, you just changed the point at which the springs will resonate (since the mass of the cars is a factor).  And if you take the weights out of all your cars, I expect you will introduce other issues.

Ed

[VonRyan]

In MT cars the entire floor/underbody is a die-cast metal "weight". If you remove that "weight" the body will just fall onto the track. 

MT cars generally don't give me any trouble unless the trucks are a bit too tight on the axles. Even so, I've tuned a lot of my trucks so that there is a more exacting contact point between the axle and the "journal".

You didn't fix the cause, you just changed the point at which the springs will resonate (since the mass of the cars is a factor).  And if you take the weights out of all your cars, I expect you will introduce other issues.

Ed

But I did keep the slinky effect from happening. That's all that really matters.
And no other issues have been introduced.

[robert3985]

You didn't fix the cause, you just changed the point at which the springs will resonate (since the mass of the cars is a factor).

Ed

Sooooo...a car on the weaw of the twain that would wesonate in an equal but opposite mannuh fwom the west of the twain would cancel out the wesonations??

Nikola...where are you when we need you???