Installed Atlas scale electro coupler on Legacy Big Boy.....

 Seems like the few that I have, each one is slightly different. I'm not sure how to improve them yet. I have a set mounted to a Atlas Dash 8 that I use as a yard switcher. I can't couple up to just one car easily, but three or more works great. I did find one electro-coupler took some extra umph to couple and swapped that one out. I'm right in the middle of two railing 3 SD series MTH engines and debating putting another Atlas electro coupler on at least one of them. I'd like to use these engines as helpers and would like to cut them off from the train as needed.

 Just one more shout out that MTH should release O scaled proto-couplers. I hate to loose the play value of the electric couplers. I put them on all my G scale engines for more fun. I'll bet MTH found that their first scale design wasn't reliable enough for release.

 I'm wondering if the PS3 board will handle the Atlas electro-coupler as well?

thanks for the info.  I am DEFINITELY sticking with the Kadees.  They work exceptionally well.  

I superglued a shim on the tongue of the atlas electro coupler.  It seems to slightly help the kadee push the tongue into the locked position, but a considerable amount of force is still required.  Too bad there is no standardization of the couplers, wish the toy manufacturers would have take a page from the manufacturers of real trains/parts.

Actually there is! It is called the NMRA Standards.

A few years ago a forum member used the coil from a lobster claw and used it to open a kadee coupler. It wasn't too complicated, just a piece of piano wire between the coil slug and knuckle.

Pete

I know nothing about the NMRA standards.  But it seems that Lionel, Atlas and MTH do not comply with them.  I know for sure the Atlas electro coupler has a different contour than the Kadee.  My guess is the Kadee is closest to the standard, but again I don't know that to be a fact.  It would make life simpler if the toy makers standardized.  I was surprised at how high the lobster claws are compared to the kadee height gauge.  I have also been surprised at the variation between and within manufacturers on how the trucks are secured to the floor of the cars.   

If you want reliability with realistic coupling and uncoupling..... that = Kadee

I know many people don't like the magnets between the rails, but that will get you want you want. Uncoupling at a distance, hands free, and no banging cars around.

Seven years back (based on the date of the attached file), a forum member figured out that if you filed the inside if an Atlas electric scale coupler they'd work properly.  Apparently, the reason you have to hit them so hard is that the body of the coupler stops the Kadee from pushing the knuckle in far enough to lock in place. The extra speed was needed to create momentum to allow the knuckle to lock. I had copied the part of the post into the attached document. The names "Pete" and "Dave" are referenced, but I don't remember the original poster.

Ahh, twere it true.  Remember, horn/hook couplers for HO are/were the NMRA standard.

Except for O Gauge.  Then it is the whatever Lionel came up with 75 years ago pseudo standard.

True about the "Lionel pseudo standard", but over the last 15 or 20 years the various "3-Rail" manufacturers can't even seem to make those the same and compatible, let alone stay coupled.

What does this electrocoupler look like? Is it still made?

Ray Marion

Seven years back (based on the date of the attached file), a forum member figured out that if you filed the inside if an Atlas electric scale coupler they'd work properly.  Apparently, the reason you have to hit them so hard is that the body of the coupler stops the Kadee from pushing the knuckle in far enough to lock in place. The extra speed was needed to create momentum to allow the knuckle to lock. I had copied the part of the post into the attached document. The names "Pete" and "Dave" are referenced, but I don't remember the original poster.

I never saw that post I wish I would have.  I've worked with the Atlas scale sized coupler a little bit and was able to achieve better results than a stock coupler.  It was one of my "get back to" projects.

What I found is that if you hold a regular Kadee over the Atlas coupler to check the profile of the Atlas, the jaw (knuckle) can be filed at the tip to match the profile of the Kadee.  The gap between the jaw and coupler head is then a bit wider.  

I don't have time to finish this right now, got to go.  I'll try to finish tomorrow.

Thanks matt!  You are a great contributor to this forum!  I will give that mod a try!  Thanks again!

The X2F was never the NMRA standard coupler.  From NMRA.org:

Mallery, Paul. AR. [1997] NMRA Secretary 1950-1951. Helped develop NMRA X2f Coupler: standard train set coupler but never NMRA standard coupler: Invention. Master Model Railroader 4. Magazine and book author. NMRA Distinguished Service Award 1978. NMRA Presidents Award 1980.

In the early 1950s, HO was still "finding it's feet".   Kadee did not have an "automatic coupler until 1947 according to Kadee's web site:

"When Kadee® Quality Products was formed it was with the idea of providing a reliable, realistic, automatic coupler and since 1947 Kadee® has remained a leader within the hobby. Our earliest version of a knuckle coupler, the “K” series prototype was the first to combine a realistic looking and fully functioning device just like the real ones."

Keep in mind that while the Kadee was becoming the de-facto standard, there was a huge amount of people that were still using Baker couplers.  I can remember going to many local Chicago area clubs in the early 1960s, including the EMD model railroad club, seeing long trains equipped with Baker couplers.  IIRC, Whit Towers, who's Altarus and Lone Pine was one of the early pioneer model railroad for operation utilized Baker couplers for it's whole history. 

The only current standards and Recommended Practices that show on the NMRA site for couplers are found here, and the standard is labeled S-2:

http://www.nmra.org/index-nmra...ecommended-practices

Regards,

Jerry

If you look at the pictures, they are of a newer Kadee 700 series on top of the Atlas electro coupler.  The picture is looking from below the couplers.  Looking closely you will see that the head on the Atlas coupler extends way beyond where the Kadee stops.  That effectively closes the gap between the knuckle and the head.  That is where some work can be done to allow the Atlas to work more effectively.  

I never finished completely working it out, but what I found was because the head (not the knuckle) of the Kadee was able to move right and left when coupling it would move enough to allow the knuckle of the Atlas to slide in to the Kadee gap between the knuckle and head and thus be coupled.  I had it working on a reasonable number of cars, but not all.  Like I said, there was a little more work to be done.

I think it could be used for a number of switching scenarios.

Atlas still sells their 2-rail electrocoupler.  Here's the link. 

http://shop.atlasrr.com/p-2745...o-couplers-1-pr.aspx

They are $15.95 for a pair and are in stock.

Jan