Preview of upcoming MTL True-Scale Coupler system

[Santa Fe Guy]

Congrats to MTL for having a go and taking N Scale to the next level. Whilst my layout has gone along with all my Locos and rolling stock it is great to see this new Tru-Scale coupler coming to market. Starting in N Scale in 1969 I have seen the progress in many facets of our hobby and this is truly one of the best. Like the work put into getting all N Scale manufactures to switch from Rapido to MTL style by the N Scale collectors group out of the West coast that took many years this is one such game breaker.
Well done MTL.
Rod.

[robert3985]

Here is a shot of the standard coupler with our 905...some swell guys on another forum were asking to see the two side by side.

Joe

Thanks Joe for this photo!  (I thought all the swell guys were only here on TRW...oh...only the "swelled-head guys"...NOW I remember!    )

I'm probably stating the obvious, but the True Scale coupler is noticeably smaller than the Nn3 coupler!!  And, the side-by-side really emphasizes how weird the Nn3 coupler looks...

Man, I am so stoked!!  Where do I place my first order????

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[jagged ben]

Speaking of that other forum, someone posted a picture over there of some MT heavyweight passenger cars with these installed.  Point being, passenger consists would be a good use of these as well.  Someone might have a regular passenger train or two in their operations that would use these while their freight operations stick with something else.

[Nato]

            Coming to the party rather late , but having read all 15 or so posts so far I say "Link and Pin", no wait a minute MTL already makes "Link and Pin " couplers. Seriously though I must first + to all the posts who want these new scale couplers. As has been stated this will probably be the N Scale Product of the Year. I hope they are a success and this leads to other applications. Please manufacture them in (Rust?) Brown this would be better than Black even it is shiny brown. All the layouts I have operated on and my own layout use some kind of pick for uncoupling, I had to eat a S*** Pot of deli  sandwiches to get the long toothpicks with the colored static grass on the ends, then wash them off to use as uncoupling tools. These new couplers will be great for converting my vast fleet, and I do mean vast fleet of F Units, E Units, FA's, Erie Build's and other lokies to close couple. The majority of cars that I bring to train shows and run on the Code 55 track of the Wasatch N Scale layout still have the original pizza cutter wheels some with ribbed backs (collectors be ware) and there is no buzzing on the ties of the Micro Engineering track, and cars from my hugerific fleet used permanently on my layout for op sessions use metal lo profile wheels, mostly Fox Valley, couplers are MTL, Acumate, McHenry, and MTL 905 Z/N and 3 and some cars have body mounts. In closing out this long run-on paragraph post let me say again "Kudos to Joe and Micro Trains." Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake , Utah. 

[wmcbride]

Joe,

It's almost October (per your initial post)! 

Do you have a better sense of when info will be going out to dealers so we can start deluging you with orders - beginning of October or more toward the end?

Thanks,

[jmlaboda]

Joe, was shimming needed to place the new coupler at the right height?  My first applications (naturally) will be to MT heavyweight cars so I need some idea about what will be necessary to make them work right.  Was the original coupler pin used to mount these or was it necessary to drill a new hole???

[up1950s]

N scale Atlas ore cars ........... take off your mitts and go bare fisted .

So if every 50 1015s in working order we demount and sent to MTL  they will send us 20 of the new small ones ? This good will gesture will result in people converting faster , thus sales go up faster .

[C855B]

N scale Atlas ore cars ...

Yes. I have about 120 to convert, and this new coupler makes sense since it is a unit train. I had been preparing to use 905s. Conversion for either will be tedious because each box would have to be shimmed. I'm thinking of doing a Shapeways drop-in (glue-in?) box since it appears the new coupler is less dependent on the box's precision. We'll have to see.

Only remaining issue to resolve is motive power. My operation plan mixes power with reckless abandon, so I won't be having fixed consists with rolling-stock-compatible couplers on the ends. So I have to come to terms with close-coupling versus consist flexibility versus converting 1000+ cars (with potential auto-coupling limitations) versus keeping a fleet of adapter cars scattered about the layout. Oh. Versus scale appearance and no more &^%$#@ slinky effect.

Regardless, thank you, Joe, for this advance. It's an option I thought would never have been in our future.

[robert3985]

It appears that most comments about this coupler late in this thread are relegating it to the same duties as a dummy coupler, or a properly-sized Unimate coupler.  Although Joe ( @Shipsure ) has told us that it was developed for running long display trains at shows and modular setups, as well as passenger (sorta the same idea) and unit trains that don't get coupled and uncoupled in switching scenarios, I think it's IMPORTANT to also look at what the Beta testers have found out...that they indeed DO COUPLE automatically.  They only require a bit more pressure.

This means that motive power will couple together easily...without any 0-5-0'ing.  That's multiple units, double-heading steam and head-end helper operations.  Coupling up to full trains isn't going to be a problem either unless your train is composed of just the motive power, a boxcar and a caboose.  End-of-train and mid-train helpers won't be a problem, AND your long trains aren't going to "slinky" downhill any longer, and you can use your Rix Tool or Skewer to uncouple your motive-power lashups as opposed to having to lift up the end of one engine if using Unimates.

The actual added pressure required (3 cars vs 1 car) ain't much, and I assume this test was done with cars on free-rolling MTL trucks without retarder springs on one or more axles...the weight of the cars not being specified.

Depending on the length of train you're going to run, and whether the coupler can be massaged mechanically a bit to couple up easier...I am hopeful that these couplers will be THE scale replacement for all present knuckle couplers presently available...if you don't want or need magnetic, remote uncoupling.

Even with NO MODIFICATION to cars and their wheelset axles or bringing them up to NMRA weight spec's, all that's needed is to put your skewer/uncoupler tool in the ballast behind the car your switcher is coupling to, to get them to automatically couple.  You may think that's a big deal, but I don't.  I think the extra hands-on effort required for these adds to the prototype aspect of the True-Scale couplers. 

Even with the present Nn3/Z scale couplers MTL markets, when I convert a car or engine, I still lube 'em with Kadee Grease-'Em because sometimes, they don't couple up.  The same goes for regular MTL N-gauge couplers, because sometimes THEY don't couple up to extra free-rolling, light weight cars either.  So, modifying the True-Scale coupler a bit is not something I am even blinking at.

For me, if the Beta testing is correct and is the same for me, I will be converting EVERYTHING I CAN to these couplers as soon as I can purchase enough to convert several hundred locos and over 1000 cars...

The scale looks, the close coupling, the durability (the cross-sections on this coupler are more robust than on the MTL Nn3/Z scale couplers)...AND, NO BLASTED SLINKY ACTION, make these a no-brainer for me!  Even if they're just a bit more difficult to couple up, and I have to change my operation habits to get them to work in a switching scenario, I've been waiting for these for years.

The pluses far outweigh the minuses.

Just sayin'

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[JoeD]

you're my hero 

It appears that most comments about this coupler late in this thread are relegating it to the same duties as a dummy coupler, or a properly-sized Unimate coupler.  Although Joe ( @Shipsure ) has told us that it was developed for running long display trains at shows and modular setups, as well as passenger (sorta the same idea) and unit trains that don't get coupled and uncoupled in switching scenarios, I think it's IMPORTANT to also look at what the Beta testers have found out...that they indeed DO COUPLE automatically.  They only require a bit more pressure.

This means that motive power will couple together easily...without any 0-5-0'ing.  That's multiple units, double-heading steam and head-end helper operations.  Coupling up to full trains isn't going to be a problem either unless your train is composed of just the motive power, a boxcar and a caboose.  End-of-train and mid-train helpers won't be a problem, AND your long trains aren't going to "slinky" downhill any longer, and you can use your Rix Tool or Skewer to uncouple your motive-power lashups as opposed to having to lift up the end of one engine if using Unimates.

The actual added pressure required (3 cars vs 1 car) ain't much, and I assume this test was done with cars on free-rolling MTL trucks without retarder springs on one or more axles...the weight of the cars not being specified.

Depending on the length of train you're going to run, and whether the coupler can be massaged mechanically a bit to couple up easier...I am hopeful that these couplers will be THE scale replacement for all present knuckle couplers presently available...if you don't want or need magnetic, remote uncoupling.

Even with NO MODIFICATION to cars and their wheelset axles or bringing them up to NMRA weight spec's, all that's needed is to put your skewer/uncoupler tool in the ballast behind the car your switcher is coupling to, to get them to automatically couple.  You may think that's a big deal, but I don't.  I think the extra hands-on effort required for these adds to the prototype aspect of the True-Scale couplers. 

Even with the present Nn3/Z scale couplers MTL markets, when I convert a car or engine, I still lube 'em with Kadee Grease-'Em because sometimes, they don't couple up.  The same goes for regular MTL N-gauge couplers, because sometimes THEY don't couple up to extra free-rolling, light weight cars either.  So, modifying the True-Scale coupler a bit is not something I am even blinking at.

For me, if the Beta testing is correct and is the same for me, I will be converting EVERYTHING I CAN to these couplers as soon as I can purchase enough to convert several hundred locos and over 1000 cars...

The scale looks, the close coupling, the durability (the cross-sections on this coupler are more robust than on the MTL Nn3/Z scale couplers)...AND, NO BLASTED SLINKY ACTION, make these a no-brainer for me!  Even if they're just a bit more difficult to couple up, and I have to change my operation habits to get them to work in a switching scenario, I've been waiting for these for years.

The pluses far outweigh the minuses.

Just sayin'

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Missaberoad]

Thank you Bob, you very poignantly put to words exactly how I feel, and my hopes for these new couplers.
I know some people will find these couplers unacceptable for their applications, which is actually the way I feel about all existing N scale couplers.

All part of this being a big tent hobby. 

I'm excitedly waiting to place my order for enough couplers to convert my active fleet. 

[Rasputen]

That MP pilot looks very promising!

[peteski]

Joe, you should have invited Bob G. to be a beta-tester too.  He sure makes a great pitch-man for these couplers. 

[ryan_wilkerson]

I took that photo of the heavyweights. I only have the short shank version of the couplers and they need large curves. I'm sure the longer shank TSC will be better suited for these cars unless you have very gentle curves.
The install took all of 2 minutes to replace a pair of couplers, a really excellent design @Shipsure!
-Ryan

[learmoia]

you're my hero 

Agreed...      I'm excited!

Looking forward to a part number so I can throw an order out there..

Make sure to offer -10, -100, -500 -1000 qtys..

Based on the looks.. this appears to be an inexpensive product to produce in kit form..
No Springs or trip pins to count out... Hopefully these come out at the same or less than the 10 pack of 1015s

Can't wait!.. ~Ian