ETS Couplers

Contact Mr. Dusan Neumann @ dusan.neuman@verizon.net - he is the U.S. Rep for ETS.

He can sell you knuckle couplers (ETS classifies these "B" couplers) that are designed specifically for the ETS trains. They market ETS, Knuckle and both European ( classified as T/M style) and UK Style (classified as T/UK) at York. The Marx - not sure - I have never seen them on an ETS train or rolling stock.

Dusan is tough to reach so you might consider emailing ETS direct and copying him at the same time. If you are a TCA member and can attend the York meet they'll have them in October. They convert there on the spot for some folks but make arrangements in advance so they have them there based on how many you need. Hope this helps.

The ETS Lionel-type knuckle couplers are a quick swap on most cars, but they are expensive and hard to find. I got some through a friend who visits Prague every year or so. It wouldn't be all that difficult to mouse up a mount for Marx or repro-Lionel tab couplers using plastic, brass, or aluminum tubing, washers, and/or spacers. You would also want to remove the spring buffers. If you decide to go that route, I would be interested in buying the leftover couplers and buffers. 

Al: If the B&O caboose is the one supplied in US-market sets, it has Lionel-type trucks and the couplers could not be swapped out for the ETS body-mount couplers.

John: Are you sure Dusan Neumann is still handling ETS? The ETS website does not mention him and the front page gives a Prague contact and a U.S. bank account for orders. His magazine ads have disappeared and I have read that he's no longer the U.S. agent. I've never tried to contact him, but what I've heard elsewhere echoes your comment that he's hard to get in touch with. 

If I still lived in Virginia I'd consider raising some capital and taking on the ETS agency myself, but it wouldn't be practical from Tucson - the cost of shipping inventory to Arizona and re-shipping it to a market that is largely east of Chicago would be a major impediment. I don't know how John Thousand did it out of California - but shipping was a lot cheaper in the 90's when he was importing ETS. 

Southwest - If Dusan is no longer involved it's news to me. I spoke to him and Gustav at York in April when I picked up my order. I'll need to look into it. I have an order in with them now for October. Thanks for the heads up - I'll fill you all in when I find something out one way or the other.

Dusan Neumann is still the representative here in the states for ETS. Just confirmed this via email. 

Thanks

Hi Southwest,

 You wouldn't have the pictured ETS 3580B in your possession?

  I am looking to find this set for sale.

Thanks,

John

I have the 3580 set, no B. The trucks are die cast K-Line trucks,couplers etc. Nice and durable. Not sure what the difference is between 3580 & 3580B. Any one know??

Steve

Hi Steve,

 I believe, but am not 100% certain, the "3580B" ETS Set is built to American Standards, (AC Three Rail, American/Lionel Type Couplers and bogies, Sound effects and smoke, reversing by transformer power interruption).

 Could you attach some pictures of your set?

 Is your set in the wooden box and what kind of condition is it in?

 I would like to purchase a new or newer set that is in excellent condition.

 I would like the American Standards set if possible.

 I tried to contact Deusan Neuman by e-mail but got my e-mail back, undeliverable.

 Thanks,

 John

 j.mel@Comcast.net

I have the 2004-2005 ETS catalog. Its a matter of couplers and power.  The "B" version is AC powered compatible with Lionel, MTH, K-Line and Atlas.  There are also "E" version two rail versions for DC and "T" version AC powered models compatible with Marklin, Hornby Buco or Paya.

3580 would just be the set number. The catalog shows which versions are offered for each piece of rolling stock or set with a letter in a blue box , e.g. E, B, T.

Hi Bill & Steve,

 I have a 2012 ETS Catalog with a price list and you are correct Bill, the "B" is for the type of coupler used on the train set,(American/Lionel Knuckle Type) and the power used to operate the train set, DC/Two Rail or AC/Three Rail.

 There is a $48.00 difference between the 3580 and the 3580B set according to the price list.

Thanks,

John

John

I do not have that set. I must have downloaded the picture from the ETS web site to illustrate some point in my post from last year. 

My comments were in response to the questions, my set is not for sale. My wooden set box has set 3580 on it, but the warranty card has 3580BS. Original owners date of purchase was April of 2002 so it is an older set. It is in the American style. I will post pictures in a day or so. 

All of my other ETS is Euro 4 wheel style so I am looking for a few more 8 wheel American style cars to go with this one. I did win a tank car off e-bay earlier today.

Steve

John

Here is my set. I did notice on the warranty card it has 3580 B written in. The BP tank car did not come with the set. This is the one from e-bay a few weeks ago. I used a heat gun to loosen the CHRISTmas sticker and polished off the residue.

The covered flat car is neat, but sure betrays the attempt at Americanization.

Steve

It is highly unlikely that you will find any U.S. market ETS train with sound and smoke. I've been collecting ETS for over ten years and I've never seen one. I have one set with "sound" - it's a 2-rail set with a rather poor whistle sound, actuated by the rather bizarre ETS electronic control system, which as near as I can tell works by modulating the frequency of the AC. (Most of the documentation is in Czech). The set came with a 120VAC transformer, but is otherwise totally Euro including the ETS couplers. I don't know if ETS actually puts out a full sound package or not - I think it may just be a whistle. They do offer smoke, but I've never seen an ETS unit with smoke in this country. 

Note in the pictures of my set above the plug in the front of the tender and the tether on the loco. A simple system, but it does have a sound unit. Also has a seuthe smoke unit.

John

I bought it on e-bay some time ago. It was "like new". Probably had a few minutes of run time on it.

Steve

Hi Steve,

 I contacted ETS and a women named Zuzana Tomcova replied to my e-mail and in her e-mail she informed me that the set #3580B could not be fitted with a smoke unit.

 I have talked to other owners of this set that have stated that their set had a smoke unit installed in it. Who's right and who's wrong?

 I believe a Set #3580 and a #3580B set are basically the same set made to American Standards instead of European Models.

 Thanks,

John

This is a reply I received from Zuzana from ETS Trains on the subject of the ETS Train Set #3580 and #3580B concerning the letter "B" as part of the set number and the train sets having the smoke feature.

Dear John,

"Yes you're right. It is without smoke – the seller was incorrect. "B" is only the sign for US style and couplers".

Let me know if you would like to purchase the set then.

Regards,

Zuzana

Thanks,

John

The ETS couplers are no problem to couple and uncouple manually. I've never used or even seen an ETS remote uncoupler - it would have to be some kind of mechanical or electro-mechanical device, if such a thing even exists. 

I prefer the ETS couplers on my ETS engines and rolling stock because the ones with Lionel style couplers do not have the Euro-style buffers, which look cool on Euro-style rolling stock. I do have some items with Lionel style couplers and a couple of transition cars, but since almost everything is Euro-prototype (including most of the U.S.-decorated stuff) I prefer to keep things as all-Euro as possible.

The couplers can be swapped out - ETS has both ETS and US-style body-mount couplers in the parts department - but you have to remove the buffers if you're going to use truck-mounted U.S. couplers. Some models can be a real pain to switch couplers; others are easy.

Hi SW Hiawatha,

 As I mentioned in my above post, I recently bought my second Lucie #17 ETS Loco but this one has the ETS Couplers, a funnel smoke stack, and no buffers or cow catcher.

 I bought four buffers for Lucie, because like you, I like the looks of the  buffers on the European Trains, as well as the cowcatchers on the American Locos with the different style smoke stack.

 I have an old Lionel push button track on my basic oval layout that uncouples the train cars at the push of a button, I never use it. I have no need to use it. The new trains with their remote uncoupling must be really neat, especially if you have an elaborate layout with switches and side tracks to change cars. I do not have this luxury, I am have a bear bones two oval, under the Christmas Tree train platform that was built by my dad when I was about five years old,(56 years old now, 2/1/14) but I love this platform and the sentimental value it has for me. I also enjoy the two original trains that I run on it and the other tinplate trains I am collecting as I go along.

 I posted my concerns about the ETS Couplers thinking that maybe they are very awkward to couple and uncouple verses the knuckle couplers. Thanks for advising me on  this matter.

 As stated, by buying another loco with ETS Couplers I hope to have a better chance of snagging some rolling stock that have either the knuckle couplers or the ETS Couplers. It opens up the purchasing market for me to buy both types of ETS Cars or ETS Train Sets.

 I hope the buffers aren't much of an installation problem, they are only held on by a nut, but they are very tiny.

 Thanks for the advice,

 John