My problem with all of this (as he puts on his grumpy old man attitude)
is that we're paying good money for couplers that really don't work all
that well. I had this problem back in my AF daze too--backing into a
siding to pick up my PRR all plastic, but empty gondola normally
resulted in derailing it. Put a load in it--success!
If I had the $$, I would put out a coupler similar to the #5, with the
extended air hose, slightly larger knuckle (including the "gathering
range"), probably go to the whisker centering spring, and improve the
over all appearance by using a better rust color, plus improved
prototype shape. Also I would prefer to see rust colored coupler but a
lighter black (weathered black) coupler box--the coupler box is normally
painted to match the underbody while the couplers are forbidden from
being painted--who said the two parts have to match while the prototype
doesn't and can't!
For the life of me, I can't figure out why somebody hasn't designed such
an animal. Face it every time one of us removes those claw couplers,
they have to be replaced with "something" else--that's a demand waiting
for a business!
We shouldn't have to use little pieces of "whatever" in the coupler, we
shouldn't have to substitute different springs, we shouldn't have to try
refasten the rotating air hose. We've got better things to do!
Face it the #5 is a fairly simple design, easy to assemble, reasonably
foolproof to operate--to the point where when we have ten guys (of
varying skill) at an ops session, we probably have 95+% success rate in
coupling/uncoupling.
Bob Werre
PhotoTraxx
On 5/18/12 2:00 PM, [email protected] wrote:
actually, according to the wonderful folks at kd, if you put a piece
of 3/64" rod (type doesn't matter, but they recommended styrene or
abs) they should take care of the slack, you just
have to figure out the correct length (for slack purposes) they also
recommend acc'ing the rod to the back of the coupler to secure it,
personally i like the 1295'2, i just wish the prc would quit putting
them together upside down
mel perry
On May 18, 2012, at 10:57 AM, ardeng wrote:
Don - What do you mean - in addition to the std. spring or instead?
Karnes does it instead. That does not reduce the slack length. It
just stops the car from bobbing while the train is running.
What would help in the 802 is a piece of steel rod inside the std.
spring. It needs to be just slightly shorter than the slot length.
Then you still get centering but less slack - although still too much
in my opinion. AG
>
> Dear Arden,
> If you do not need the magnetic uncoupling, you can drop a small
truck spring into the coupler box and that will minimize the slack
action.
> Don
>
> On May 15, 2012, at 3:24 AM, ardeng wrote:
>
> > Dave- The 1295 has the same car separation as the 802. I wish it
were less, i.e. closer to prototype. Functionally they are fine. I
prefer their lack of slack slop. The 802's are ridiculous in that
regard. You get enough slack just with the knuckle's loose spacing.
>
