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then go and make that coupler. But I have a feeling that not many modelers will buy your scale-coupler.
Pete is right — unless the resulting design will mate with the existing MTLs and MTL-compatibles, it would be impossible to make an injection-molded scale coupler and be profitable. It took 30 years for the MTL coupler to supplant the Rapido coupler, and during much of that time, Kadee/MTL offered their cars with both coupler types. Even today, MTL still offers the Bettendorf truck with Rapido coupler. So offering a mass-market scale coupler in this day and age that doesn't mate with the existing couplers is a money-losing venture.
Secondly, who says there are compatibility issues? .. and I'm sure the imaginary(so far) coupler would take that into consideration.
It wasn't pressure from modelers per se. It was the consumers speaking with their dollars in showing their overwhelming preference for equipment RTR with the MTL coupler over those with the Rapido coupler.
The one thing that scares me about using the LEZ/FT coupler, is that he/they could stop providing them to us separately, and the etchings are also a 1 man show(you!)...I would hate to have a fleet half converted and then have to find another solution...A few months back we were drooling over someones (Jim Six?) very nice proto looking N scale coupler, and you in particular were trying to drum up support. At the time, I said with NZT and another which I can't think of now coming we should probably wait...I now eat those words, as neither seems to be any closer to reality.Why can't we get a better coupler option for N scale?.....It is sorely needed..For now, I've(mostly) converted to Accumates to eliminate the slinky, and although they are still oversize, stopping the slinky has made a huge difference, enough for me to stay in N scale and not go (back) to HO...
I have a feeling that not many modelers will buy your scale-coupler. So, you won't make much profit ....
Which manufacturers (other then MTL) were offering a choice of models with either Rapido or MTL coupler? Before the patent expired that is. What I'm confused about is that I thought that N scale Accumates were produced after the MTL patent expired. And I also do not recall Kato making the same model available in 2 choices of couplers allowing modelers to chose which coupler they preferred. I'm also not considering the non-automatic couplers (which probably didn't violate the patent rules).
Yea, I should have been more clear myself...I am really just hoping for a more in scale coupler that would not only be compatible, but closer to scale. I wouldn't say I'm looking for a smaller McHenry (I call them McHUGEy's).
I'd rather wait and see if the protomate/C.VLK options were any better before supporting a 3rd new option...And you said that they may end up never coming, which, is kinda what happened--so far.