New Lionel couplers

The classic fixes are to epoxy them shut or use rubber bands or twist ties, but if they are new can't they be returned to your dealer?

If you're talking about electrocouplers, first step is to determine if it's electrical or mechanical.  You'll have to be more specific.

 

What are the couplers on? Loco or freight car? Are they the new style trucks and couplers found on Std O cars? I had a Lionel PS-4 flatcar with coupler problems. Turned out that the couplers were actually broken and the entire truck had to be replaced.

The only way to fix the hidden tab couplers is to glue the knuckle shut. The rubberband/ziptie/wire trick doesnt work because the tab moves back and forth, not up and down.

If the electrocoupler wont stay shut, you need to figure out if its mechanical or electrical (disconnect the molex connector in the truck, and if it still opens, its mechanical, then just call lionel and get another one. There's  a way to fix it apparently, by drilling out the pin and stretching the knuckle spring, but they dont cost all that much.

Electrocouplers from Boxcar Bill here in the forum are $8.50, so replacement is pretty painless if they're not under warranty.

I don't think they are electrical, I run the train around the track and they com apart. It is not the locomotive, it is the cars. I guess I could just take it back. This is not the first cars I have purchased from Lionel that have done this you would think Lionel would fix this.

There is a big train show in OKC next weekend. I will see if I can purchase a few there. Thanks for the help

Some much for lobster claw couplers!

Do the couplers open when they come apart or do they stay shut.  If the couplers remain closed when they come apart, gluing won't do any good.

 

Earl

i get that problem sometimes....i usually just wrap a piece of electrical tape around both couplers where they connect...crude yes...but it take a little load off the coupler knuckles so they dont break apart....and its not that noticeable because the tape it black...

I'll use a small black cable tie to halt the mechanism from activating.  I just put the fitting on the bottom side and snip the end tight to the to the fitting.

Alan

It could be a coupler heigth issue, are both couplers staying level or even with each other when going around the layout? I had a problem with two Williams units; one was a GP-9 and the other was a passenger car, until I saw when it happened I thouht I had to re-do my tracks at a switch, turned out my track was unlevel causing the one coupler to go under the second coupler and come apart. This really puzzled me until I saw what happened, run your train and follow it(walk next to it, if possible) around your layout and look at the train to see where it has the problem.

 

Lee F.