What is this mystery knuckle coupler?

[peteski]

I acquired a Kato F3B unit from eBay.  It came equipped with a T-shank single-piece knuckle couplers I have never seen before.



The coupler is non-operating (the coupler will not mate with its like mate). Only way to couple them is to slide one over the other.  From what I can tell, it is not the problematic Kato knuckle coupler Kato used on their early US-prototype passenger car sets (and which they ended up replacing with their current knuckle coupler).  But the details molded on the top of the coupler do look similar to the details molded onto current Kato couplers, so I suspect this coupler is also of Japanese origin.

Any idea who made it or other details about it?

[nscaler711]

Id almost be willing to bet that they are an older style of GreenMax knuckle coupler.
Here is a current version:
https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10308741/20/1

I have not seen Kato do a T shank like that before, but the tapers on the T remind me of GreenMax.
MicroAce came up with nothing, and as far as I know Tomix has a goofy looking knuckle like a AAR Type F. Which might I add are like actual tight lock couplers, they snap together lol.

[Pizzaparty]

Just gonna piggy back on this thread, but those look great replacement for unimate couplers. I like to use those on my unit hopper trains as once they are together I don’t plan on taking them apart.

They look smaller than the old unimates or is it just perception from my phone?

[Showme]

   Are they 3D printed? Is there any evidence of tiny nubs where the supports were removed? I have printed some non-operating knuckle couplers with T shanks that are slightly similar.

Bob

[peteski]

   Are they 3D printed? Is there any evidence of tiny nubs where the supports were removed? I have printed some non-operating knuckle couplers with T shanks that are slightly similar.

Bob

They are definitely injection molded couplers.

[djconway]

Peteski I'm impressed, you have managed to stump the s.

But I do like the looks of those couplers.

[peteski]

Peteski I'm impressed, you have managed to stump the s.

But I do like the looks of those couplers.

Well, probably because they are likely Japanese, and we don't have many Japanese modelers here, so I guess I'll give the  a a pass. 
Still, someone might chime in here with the exact info.  Maybe @0303fxm will chime in.

As for the looks, I think they look really weird.  The "thumb" part is rather long and spread wide open.

[sizemore]

Looks like Tomix/GreenMax couplers.

The S.

[GimpLizard]

I bought a brass F7 A/B set, imported by Key, back in the early 90's that had similar couplers on the rear of the 'A' and front of the 'B'. And, if I'm not mistaken, they were available separately from Key. Spookshow mentions them in his review. http://spookshow.net/loco/keyf.html

[CBQ Fan]

Kato had a black T shank coupler from another freight car, don’t recall which one and never owned it. I called Kato about ordering some parts and whoever I talked to advised I should get some for my Great Northern F3 ABA set.  These would provide close coupling for the set. They do look better. This would have been around 1990.

[Wutter]

Any idea who made it or other details about it?

It looks like the Kato coupler used on the Bethgon Coalporter, but in black:
https://store.katousa.com/product/close-coupling-knuckle-coupler-truck-mount-n-scale/

They have the gray ones in Japan:
https://rg-rokko.com/products/detail/468

[NorsemanJack]

Kato had a black T shank coupler from another freight car, don’t recall which one and never owned it. I called Kato about ordering some parts and whoever I talked to advised I should get some for my Great Northern F3 ABA set.  These would provide close coupling for the set. They do look better. This would have been around 1990.

https://store.katousa.com/product/close-coupling-knuckle-coupler-truck-mount-n-scale/

Looks like I was three minutes too slow!

[peteski]

They have the gray ones in Japan:
https://rg-rokko.com/products/detail/468

I think we have winner!  Looks like an exact match! Thanks Wutter (and everyone else too)!

I still find it odd that those cannot be coupled without sliding one coupler over the other.

[nkalanaga]

Unimates, and most HO "dummy" couplers, are the same way.  They're not intended to be used for switching, only to hold two cars/locos together, semi-permanently.