Rumors of Protomate’s demise are greatly exaggerated!

[nkalanaga]

I'm with Peteski.  In fact, put the mounting hole in the same place.  Both 1015s and 1025s mount the same distance from the car end (0.125 inch), so you'd have a direct conversion for any car with either coupler. 

A second box/shank length to match the 905s and you'd cover most N and Nn3 scale applications.

[Chris333]

But don't like 80% of all equipment nowadays take 1015 boxes?

[peteski]

But don't like 80% of all equipment nowadays take 1015 boxes?

Well, to install a 1023 coupler on a car designed for 1015s all you need to add is a 0.020" (or whatever) shim between the car floor and the coupler.
Or if you want to lower the car ride, just drop the car down and no shim is needed (or thinner shim).  1015s are just so clunky.

[mmagliaro]

Well, to install a 1023 coupler on a car designed for 1015s all you need to add is a 0.020" (or whatever) shim between the car floor and the coupler.
Or if you want to lower the car ride, just drop the car down and no shim is needed (or thinner shim).  1015s are just so clunky.

And I thought it was just me!  The 1015 always gets in the way of truck axles on the back of steam tenders.
I find it so much easier to get the 1023 to fit and let me shim to get the correct height without fouling the truck or axle.

[Chris333]

A long time ago (like 20 plus years I don't even know if 1015's were invented yet back then) when I first did HOn30 I used some 1023's, but my whole N scale life has been either 1015's or 903's.

I remember 1023's being very long and you had to weld the boxes shut like a 903. Plus the 1023's have the spring on the wrong side of the post so more slinky right?  I know the spring doesn't matter for the Protomate though.

Oh well what do I know 

[peteski]

A long time ago (like 20 plus years I don't even know if 1015's were invented yet back then) when I first did HOn30 I used some 1023's, but my whole N scale life has been either 1015's or 903's.

I remember 1023's being very long and you had to weld the boxes shut like a 903. Plus the 1023's have the spring on the wrong side of the post so more slinky right?  I know the spring doesn't matter for the Protomate though.

Oh well what do I know 

Yes, 1023s have spring behind the pivot post, but so do all the MTL truck-mounted couplers.

Yes, 1023s boxes appear to be extra long, but some of that is an optical illusion, since they are slim.  Also the rear part of the coupler box can be cut off.
As for the spring location, in my experience, the location of the spring in the coupler makes no difference in how the cars slink.  Slinking occurs when the slack develops between the cars. At that point the osculation will occur, regardless of where the spring is located inside of the coupler.

But, as you stated, ProtoMates have no slinky spring.

[Chris333]

I'm sure I have a 1023 coupler somewhere I could play with.

[Lemosteam]

If possible, it would be nice to have these come with their own slim coupler boxes (like the MTL 1023/1025).  Just a hint . . .

Guys, you missed the point here.  In today's design and print your own chassis world, you can integrate what you need into the design of the car to completely ELIMINATE the box if that helps with truck swing or whatever.  But of course for the folks that need one there can certainly be a box.

My purpose would be to provide a cad model of the minimum requirements to make a Protomate work in someone's printed design.  As I stated up thread, there are only a few dimensions and features required for the Protomate to assemble and function in any given design.

Just thinking out of the box here, pun intended. 

[learmoia]

I thought we left this topic at:

JK..

A coupler without a box you say?
 

[JMaurer1]

Just happy to see that it is still moving forward. I had not seen anything for awhile and (sometimes) projects end up getting shelved or set aside as other things come along (also known as my worktable since I seem to start WAY more projects than I ever seem to finish).

[Sokramiketes]

One neat thing about the tooling of the Goemon coupler in the other thread is that the knuckle looks separate.  It really adds to the appearance that it moves, even though it is a single piece molding. 

Anyway, possible Protomate upgrade, if you can do the undercuts needed to make it happen like the Goemon tooling. 

[Lemosteam]

One neat thing about the tooling of the Goemon coupler in the other thread is that the knuckle looks separate.  It really adds to the appearance that it moves, even though it is a single piece molding. 

Anyway, possible Protomate upgrade, if you can do the undercuts needed to make it happen like the Goemon tooling. 

I do not understand this statement, picture?

"if you can do the undercuts needed to make it happen like the Goemon tooling."

Thanks in advance.

[Chris333]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-REALISTIC-N-Scale-Coupler-GOEMON-Realistic-Coupler-/202044674127

[Lemosteam]

So the pockets on the side of the coupler?  Is that what he meant by undercuts?

[learmoia]

I think he means an oversized coupler that looks like a real coupler is more appealing than a smaller sized N scale coupler that looks like an N scale coupler.

Although I agree Protomate looks closer to Geomon than Micro-Trains..

And we are looking at prototype samples.. not final products.