Scale couplers

Clem,

 

Long article in the latest OST on compatibility of Kadee, Protocraft and all the other couplers.

 

ChipR

Protocraft has brass couplers.  San Juan Car Company has plastic ones.

 

I have aseen a couple of reviews (here and here).  I have not tried either of these couplers (still using Kadees), but may shop around at O Scale West in February.

 

The brass couplers work just like the real thing.  Alignment, as with the real thing, is critical, but we do not have tiny brakemen to help.  I use them on the front of locomotives and the rear of observation cars and cabeese.

How do the Protocraft mount? Looked like they go in a coupler box like Kadee. No centering spring?  I checked at P&D hobby They had the San Juan but not Protocraft.

 

Clem

Just got off their site

Looks like their magnetic operating coupler will work for me, anybody use these?

I do like Kadee, mostly for its ease to purchase at local shops, and I do trim the trip pins and spray them ultra-flat brown.

I have tried the San Juan couplers, but they didn't couple very well with Kadee #805. After reading the big comparison article in the current issue of OST, I think I'm going to try some of the newest Protocraft couplers.

Clem,

The Protocraft couplers do have a centering spring inside the coupler box. It slides on the end of the coupler's shaft and is held into the end of the coupler box with a little three sided box type area in the end of the inside of the coupler box.

 

These couplers also are set up with mounting holes that fit the Kadee spacing. So any model set up for Kadee center mounting will accept the Protocraft coupler boxes.

 

These are only sold through Protocraft

 

Here is an image from the Protocraft site showing the inside of the coupler box.

 

 

Hope that helps,

 

Thank you George

 

Clem 

The springs are not for centering.  They are for shock absorption and some lateral stability but they will not center the coupler.