Where to buy N scale Unimate couplers (the old Red Caboose couplers)?

[atsf_arizona]

Hi, all,

Now that I am retired and getting back to some N scale projects after a quite long hiatus...

I am finding that the old Red Caboose ( and Fox Valley ) Unimate couplers apparently are hard to find:





Any tips on where to buy them in 2025?   (I need some medium shank Unimates, the part number 51010).   (I suppose I can ask on "trading post" if anyone has a pack they wish to sell me...)

If no longer available, what are we N scalers using to replace these useful  short shank / medium shank / long shank  replacement couplers?

I have some projects and some Kato PAs and F units that need "the Unimate close-coupling treatment":  ( https://pbase.com/atsf_arizona/kato_n_scale_unimate_install  )

Thx.

[jjb62556]

I just typed in Fox Valley unimate couplers and it came up under their webpage.. part of Scaletrains. All kinds of parts...Jim

[peteski]

I bought bunch few months ago directly from FVM's website (they still sell products separately from Scale Trains).

Go to https://shopfvm.com/ then click on "PARTS" towards the bottom of that page.
That will get you to https://shopfvm.com/collections/parts

I just checked, and they sold out of the short shank couplers.    I'm glad I stocked up on them. They still have medium shank version available.

[Albert in N]

Here's to those Fox Valley couplers availability.  Anyway, here are a couple of photos.  The Rock Island Kato F-2 A-A units have FV couplers between them with MTL magnetics on the nose of the trailing unit and stock Kato on the lead unit.  The ATSF Kato F-7 has MTL couplers on both ends showing close coupling to the GN box car.
Note the Kato F-3 A-B-A SP units have factory Kato couplers.  When gap was shortened with FV coupling, I discovered that Fox Valley short shanks are too short to couple A and B units together, so I used medium shank FVs on the B unit



Here is SP A-B-A Kato F-3 set with FV couplers between the units.

[mu26aeh]

Email Matt at his shopfvm site or find him In the FB sale groups.  Message him and ask if he has what you're looking fir.  He was at Altoona with a whole box of various couplers.   I said damn these are hard to find since FVM went to ST, without realizing that's who I was actually talking to. 

[atsf_arizona]

Thx, all, for the fast answers.  Now I know where to go and order these Unimate couplers.   

P.S.  Those couplers are so I can work on these:



  Thx!

[bbussey]

The Micro-Trains Tru-Scale couplers provide closer coupling.

[mu26aeh]

Another option for close coupling on A/B units is the MicroTrains civil war era/style link and pin couplers.  A friend of mine used them on an A/B set and really pulled them in tight.

[Lackawannae8]

if you just want functionality I would maybe try adapting  the kato 11-702 if you dont care for looks

[atsf_arizona]

Great input, everybody.

For me, the Short Shank Unimates on the back of the Kato F's  A units and both ends of the B units, works for me. 
These work on my Unitrack 12 3/4" curves with no problems, the F units don't bump into each other on these curves, and the inter-unit spacing is almost exactly what the prototype had.   
Of course, everyone can and should choose what works for you, it doesn't have to be short-shanks on the Kato F units, if you don't want them to be!





I should point out that Kato E unit and PA's have a slightly different (longer) distance between the coupler pockets than the Kato F's.  That's why on those,
I needed to use an asymmetrical setup with medium shank on one side and short shank on the other.   

Here is a public Google Drive link to a PDF document I built that describes the Kato E unit / PA unit asymmetrical Unimate pairing, in more detail: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c1-rmuBE77eDMRR-zd9415HsTWtdL-zu/view?usp=sharing|
(Please let me know if the link expires after some time)..... ( also, please note that my email address has changed now that I am retired.  You can reach me at:   johnsing94404@gmail.com  )

More details on the topic of the differences in using Unimates on Kato E's and PA's  (as well as a fuller discussion on close coupling Kato F units) is on this thread here: 
https://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/n-scale-close-coupling-alternatives.118355/page-2

Enjoy.  It's nice to be back here on TheRailwire.net!

[milw12]

Peteski beat me to it, but I'll chime in: I had the same experience a few months ago, placed an order direct from FVM. No issues at all.

Glad to see you modeling again John, always enjoyed your work 

Lucas

[OrangeAnon]

Kato close coupling knuckles, #923090, the ones they put on the Bethgons, have basically the same coupling distance as the unimates.

[peteski]

I did try some of those Kato couplers but I found that they are much harder to couple than Unimates.  Looking at the design of both couplers it is pretty apparent why.  I realize that neither of those is an automatic coupler, but while Unimates can by coupled by jamming the couplers together, Katos aren't as easily jammed together.

[Sokramiketes]

I did try some of those Kato couplers but I found that they are much harder to couple than Unimates.  Looking at the design of both couplers it is pretty apparent why.  I realize that neither of those is an automatic coupler, but while Unimates can by coupled by jamming the couplers together, Katos aren't as easily jammed together.

Huh?  I've always had to lift the unimates over each other.  It was a feature of them remaining well coupled between F units so no big deal.  But those T shanks are so floppy that its almost impossible to push couple them, even with the designed in weak point in the "thumb".

Haven't messed with the Kato version, but the gather looks wide enough to push couple.  Is this not the case?

[peteski]

Huh?  I've always had to lift the unimates over each other.  It was a feature of them remaining well coupled between F units so no big deal.  But those T shanks are so floppy that its almost impossible to push couple them, even with the designed in weak point in the "thumb".

Haven't messed with the Kato version, but the gather looks wide enough to push couple.  Is this not the case?

Well Mike, it depends on the application. When I install them in either Kato F-units or my latest install in an old Kato Shinkansen set, I installed them without the spring behind the T-shank. They are truck-mounted and I added a shim behind the "T", so the coupler does not swing within the pocket. As you noted, because the way the "thumb" is designed, they can be coupled by ramming them together. This is important on the Shinkansen because the couplers are so short (for close coupling) that it would be difficult to couple by sliding one over the other.

The Kato version, because the "thumb" is so stiff, they can't really be coupled by jamming them together.  While the open area between the "thumb" and the knuckle looks wide enough like that would work, it does not. These really need to be coupled by sliding one over the other.