Scale Trains announces Rivet Counters N Scale Thrall-Trinty 42' coil steel car

[turbowhiz]

That would be most welcome Joe.
The problem lies in making the new coupler compatible with the millions of N existing scale models which have the current (oversize) knuckle couplers.  I suspect that if it's not, it will not gain general acceptance.  While I have no inside info, I suspect that is one of the issues with MTL's TSC (the other being no automatic or even easy uncoupling).

Even the GOEMON coupler, while being the size of current MTL N scale coupler, looked much more realistic.  I bought some but now I'm stuck with them since they need the original MTL original size trip pins, but sometime in the last few years MTL has adopted smaller cross section trip pinis whihc are too loose foe use in GOEMONs. 

I'm thinking that the TSC would have been much more accepted if it actually a.) automatically coupled at a reasonable force , b.) actually had enough lateral travel to functional for at least reasonable MRR curves and c.) you could easily adapt it to the "1015" type body mount stock that is most appealing to scale modelers, i.e. the ScaleTrains cars in question here. The existing TSC does non of those things, and in my opinion the operational problems have been a far greater reason as to its lack of popularity then its lack of compatibility. In its present form, it at least demonstrates the incredible operational benefits of a low slack coupling design, and is correct in scale size. If it was compatible, neither of the two things that the TSC is actually succeeds at would be possible. If it had been compatible with the MTL coupler, it would serve absolutely no one.

The GOEMON coupler, although better looking, doesn't actually fix anything, its just a better looking version of the same old MTL slinky coupler, that probably doesn't operate quite as well when operating with a MTL coupler as two MTL couplers would together in the same circumstance (pure speculation, Goemons are unobtanium it seems these days so I've not been able to try them, but I'm fairly confident in that statement).

The same logic regarding compatibility would suggest the original MTL coupler should never have gained acceptance, because its not compatible with the Rapido coupler. Its a long game, not an overnight quick fix. Some North American outline N scalers still use Rapido couplers today. The VAST majority of N scalers don't care about their couplers anyway. If you can provide a demonstrably superior option that at least satisfies scale modelers, I know you will have some more people in N scale, which would benefit everyone. In time, the "better modeling by peer pressure" effect will do the rest, and the scale will benefit as a whole. Compromise, and you end up with just another "not quite compatible with MTL" coupler that satisfies no one.




 

[peteski]

The GOEMON coupler, although better looking, doesn't actually fix anything, its just a better looking version of the same old MTL slinky coupler, that probably doesn't operate quite as well when operating with a MTL coupler as two MTL couplers would together in the same circumstance (pure speculation, Goemons are unobtanium it seems these days so I've not been able to try them, but I'm fairly confident in that statement).

I just bright up GOEMON to as an example of a better looking N scale coupler compatible with current version of N scale knuckle couplers.  I agree that I don't think it is a viable addition to the current N scale couplers.

As far as its operational capabilities, the mating surfaces are pretty much identical to MTL couplers, and the molding quality is as good or better than MTL.  But it also slinks.

The same logic regarding compatibility would suggest the original MTL coupler should never have gained acceptance, because its not compatible with the Rapido coupler. Its a long game, not an overnight quick fix. Some North American outline N scalers still use Rapido couplers today. The VAST majority of N scalers don't care about their couplers anyway. If you can provide a demonstrably superior option that at least satisfies scale modelers, I know you will have some more people in N scale, which would benefit everyone. In time, the "better modeling by peer pressure" effect will do the rest, and the scale will benefit as a whole. Compromise, and you end up with just another "not quite compatible with MTL" coupler that satisfies no one.

Well, the N scale knuckle couplers were introduced by Kadee in early '70s and have not became the standard coupler for North American N scale models until the Kadee/MTL patents expired and the clone couplers showed up.  I believe that was in the '90s.  That is 20+ years.  Not an insignificant amount of time.  If a new small, good-looking, and smooth-working coupler suddenly came to market, would it take 10-20 years for it to become the new standard coupler?

I agree that most modelers do not really care what couplers are on their models, as long as they all can couple together.  And Rapidos are still the standard coupler of the rest of the world.  Sure there is a small group of European modelers using the Profi couplers, but they are a minority.  Plus what the contemporary version of Rapidos has going for it is the standard coupler pocket which allows plug-n-play conversion back-and-forth  between Rapido, Profi, and even the Dapol knuckle coupler.

Maybe Joe at MTL will spearhead some sort of coupler consortium which will come up with a new coupler which will be widely accepted by manufacturers and modelers quicker than 10 years.  I have my doubts, but I would be impressed if that happens

[High Hood]

Is nobody going to mention the SD70MAC in the announcement banner?!

[turbowhiz]

Is nobody going to mention the SD70MAC in the announcement banner?!

I guess not!

I sure hope that they are doing other close family members too... Like SD70i's and SD75i's please!! 

[ljudice]

I guess not!

I sure hope that they are doing other close family members too... Like SD70i's and SD75i's please!!

rather see ac4400cw and ac44c6m

[sundowner]

Is nobody going to mention the SD70MAC in the announcement banner?!

They bought MTH’s HO tooling.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

They got me. I went in to pre-order the coil car and ended up also ordering an ATSF Dash-9.

[larry p mahoning division]

i also ordered 3 cars and a dash 9

[Englewood]

I haven't gone to their website yet to pre-order because I know that the heritage EJ&E loco will also magically fall into my cart...