MR announces new coupler from JTC

[Bill H]

FWIW, the Page 12 of the Dec MR has a notice of a new "Very Real Knuckle Coupler" from Jacksonville Terminal Company...

I also posted this in another discussion N-Possible Coupler announcement about new couplers. I will let the mods decide the best location.

[James Costello]

Yes, shown at the Texas NTS in August:
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=56416.msg777208#msg777208

[ednadolski]

Has anyone heard any recent news on this?

Ed

[u18b]

In this post
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=56969.msg784553#msg784553

They said end of January.

Sooooo maybe soon?

[turbowhiz]

There is a picture posted online here that's fairly indicative of what to expect:

https://www.trains.com/mrr/beginners/guide-to-n-scale-couplers/
(it’s the same published in the DEC MR issue, but far easier to determine detail online)

It appears to be the same design I gleaned from Charlie himself in Nashville. The springs are missing in the picture; Two coil springs occupy the slots on either side of the mounting post, one spring acts on each half of a split shank. Forward set pivot post, like the MTL TSC.

[learmoia]

(Pulled from the link Turbowiz provided..)

BTW @turbowhiz hows your coupler coming along?

~Ian

[peteski]

Ah, two springs per coupler to lose.  Awesome!   
At least the ProtoMate coupler (if it ever comes to fruition) uses a single-windingl whisker-type micro torsion spring with a similar pivot design.

EDIT:
Thanks for the down-vote. It  is nice to know that  someone read my post and cared enough to ding me. 

[robert3985]

(Pulled from the link Turbowiz provided..)

BTW @turbowhiz hows your coupler coming along?

~Ian

I would like to see this alongside a scale-sized prototypical-looking brass dummy coupler, or an MTL Z-scale or True-Scale coupler to get an idea of its size.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[skytop35]

Ah, two springs per coupler to lose.  Awesome!   
At least the ProtoMate coupler (if it ever comes to fruition) uses a single whisker-type spring with a similar pivot design.

The design was changed. No springs, the coupler has whiskers!

[Lemosteam]

The design was changed. No springs, the coupler has whiskers!

I can assure you that the Protomate design does not have whiskers.

[skytop35]

I'm speaking of the Very Real Knuckle Coupler not the Protomate.

[Sokramiketes]

Couple things getting cloudy here. 

On the Protomate, Peteski mentioned whiskers.  I don't think that's the case any longer, and Lemosteam would know best.

On the VRK coupler, the gray coupler shown is actually a larger scale 3D printed version to show off the initial design.  It has been tooled and is planned to go on the upcoming flatcar model.

Since testing, there have been opportunities to tweak things and ease assembly.  Also stability, as the pivot point moving closer to the coupler end of the box has the affect of allowing more up and down motion than a typical MTL design.  A version 2 is underway from designer, still unclear on the rollout of new tooling or changed tooling though. 

Couplers are hard! 

[peteski]

Couple things getting cloudy here. 

On the Protomate, Peteski mentioned whiskers.  I don't think that's the case any longer, and Lemosteam would know best.

Here is a photo of Protomate prototype as posted by John a while back.



MTL couplers use compression type coil springs.  While maybe not a conventional straight whisker, it is not a MTL-type compression coil spring either.  To me that spring is more like extended whisker than coil.  That is why I called it  a "single whisker-type" spring. It's all in the semantics I guess.

EDIT: following Ed N's suggestion I renamed it as a micro single-winding torsion spring.

[jagged ben]

I would like a coupler with some prototypicalish slack action.  The VRK doesn't look like it has much?  I hope I'm not disappointed.  Of course I will try it out regardless.

[nickelplate759]

Both the Protomate and VRK designs rotate with a round hole over a round post, and pulling/pushing forces should not be transmitted via springs in either design.  I wouldn't expect either design to exhibit slinky-like behavior.