I finally got around to trying to run some Walthers Gold Line cabooses (cabeese?)that I purchased quite a while ago. I could not get them to mate with any of my other rolling stock. These had McHenry couplers on them. These couplers would just bump up against the Kadees on my other rolling stock and not open. I switched them out for Kadees and everything is now fine. Is this a common problem with McHenry couplers? Does Walthers use these couplers on all their rolling stock? Am I missing something here?
Thanks
wdcrvr
Your experience is similar to every experience I have had with plastic knock-offs of Kadee couplers.
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-Kevin
Living the dream.
wdcrvr I finally got around to trying to run some Walthers Gold Line cabooses (cabeese?)that I purchased quite a while ago. I could not get them to mate with any of my other rolling stock. These had McHenry couplers on them. These couplers would just bump up against the Kadees on my other rolling stock and not open. I switched them out for Kadees and everything is now fine. Is this a common problem with McHenry couplers? Does Walthers use these couplers on all their rolling stock? Am I missing something here?
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/276579.aspx
Rich
Alton Junction
Thanks for the info. I just read the posting that you sent. Missed all that when it was being covered because it wasn't an issue for me then. Looks like I was kicking a dead horse.
wdcrvr I finally got around to trying to run some Walthers Gold Line cabooses (cabeese?)that I purchased quite a while ago. I could not get them to mate with any of my other rolling stock. These had McHenry couplers on them. These couplers would just bump up against the Kadees on my other rolling stock and not open. I switched them out for Kadees and everything is now fine. Is this a common problem with McHenry couplers? Does Walthers use these couplers on all their rolling stock? Am I missing something here? Thanks wdcrvr
You've learned from personal experience what many HO modelers have known for years and years and years.
As for Walthers ... they switched over to metal Kadee clones some years ago. If you got a Walthers with a plastic coupler, it was likely produced before they switched over. So the answer is it depends on when the were manufactured.
So just keep a supply of Kadees on hand and if you happen to buy old Walthers models, you can just swap out the couplers.
Technically all the clones should mate with each other so you should have been able to get yours to mate. But some of them get jammed or stuck and that must be the reason. I've seen that happen too.
FYI, Athearn/Genesis and Atlas remain stubborn and still ship their rolling stock with plastic Kadee clones. Athearns use McHenry and Atlas use Accumate. OTOH, Intermountain, ExactRail, Tangent, Moloco all come with Kadee's.
And of course, Walthers comes with their Kadee metal clones which have a head similar Kadee #5, the larger of the two Kadee knuckles.
A note about Athearn McHenries. Athearn's older runs of RTR cars came with the early McHenry's with the plastic finger closure spring. It gets fatigue while sitting in the box so when you pull them out to run, they will randomly uncouple. The newer McHenry's have a metal spring which fixed that problem. But in the end, genuine Kadee couplers work the best.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
I've put together kits for a long time, and bought RTR for a long time, too. I don't analyze or try to repair what is there. I just stock Kadees and replace bad couplers when they fail. A new kit automatically gets Kadees, not what was in the box, and metal wheelsets, too.
Better to start with good couplers and wheels when a car first hits the rails than to find out when a train gets a midway split and leaves half the train behind.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasley I've put together kits for a long time, and bought RTR for a long time, too. I don't analyze or try to repair what is there.
I've put together kits for a long time, and bought RTR for a long time, too. I don't analyze or try to repair what is there.
So do you leave the stock couplers Athearn and Atlas RTR freight cars come with, and just replace them when they fail?
Some years back I took some sets of Athearn RTR Thrall hi-side coal gons to a modular meet to run. Never been out of the box. Guess what happened. When the train stopped to wait for another, then pulled forward it split in half. Next time it stopped, it split in a different place. Those McHenry couplers with the plastic finger spring were a failure right out of the box.
There's only one brand of model I don't replace the couplers on - Kadee. Because they already have Kadee couplers. Anything else gets real Kadees before they ever turn a wheel, kit or RTR. Nothing works as well. Those plastic couples Life Like used on P2K locos prior to Walthers were absolute garbage, often the jammed with the knuckle open and it would never close. I have 2 box cars and a Plymouth switcher that have the metal Proto-Max couplers which I haven't changed out, they seem OK, but I haven't run this stuff with other equipment or in a long train to see how well they work.
As for wheels, if the kit or RTR car comes with metal wheels, I leave them, otherwises I repalce any plastic wheels with metal. Replacement rates will go up once I have a layout up and operating because I will need resistor wheelsets in ALL cars for detection
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinker There's only one brand of model I don't replace the couplers on - Kadee. Because they already have Kadee couplers.
Don't foget ExactRail, Intermountain RTR, Moloco, Wheels of Time and Tangent. Of course they all come with Kadee too!
Now if we could just get the two last major hold outs, Athearn and Atlas to come into the 21'st century ...
For the forseeable future, any Walthers with Proto-max couplers - they get a pass. In recent years I've been liking the look of the semi-scale Kadee #158 couplers (which is what comes on Tangent et al). I've got one leftover bulk pack of 148's I'll toss onto a unit train and going forward I plan to only buy the semi scale head 158's.
Well, so far none of them has made anything I want - most of their stuff is all too new for me. The Intermountain Type 103 tank cars I might buy, but I still have more of the P2K kit versions to build - and will snap up any of those I find before paying the price for a RTR one.
I haven;t taken the Atlas RTR car I got at Caboose when I was in Denver out of the box yet, not sure what couplers that has on it. First Atlas RTR anything I even bought - the locos I have are all old Kato-made RS-3s which have horn hooks, they are so old. And technically not RTR unless I change to modeling the Undec RR, original grey scheme.
rrinkerWell, so far none of them has made anything I want - most of their stuff is all too new for me.
1940s and 1950s is too new for you? Tangent makes tank cars for that period and gondolas for 1950s. Even some of the Dryflos date back to the 50s. ExactRail wagon tops go back as well. Intermtn 40s hasand 50s freight cars as well. But it sounds like the RTR stuff is too pricey anyway.
I can work with McHenry couplers that have the metal knuckle spring, but for the most part, I stick with Kadee. They're still a lot better than Accumate couplers though. Those will couple easily enough, but have a tendency to let go with a sudden stop and start, and then you've got half a train missing from the line!
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Actually nothing is up with McHenry couplers. Just another variety of coupler. I use to replace them with Kadee.
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
richg1998 Actually nothing is up with McHenry couplers. Just another variety of coupler. I use to replace them with Kadee. Rich
Used to, but not anymore?
I have tried running Athearns which come with McHenry and they caused issues, even the ones with the metal spring. They would jam in the open position.
The only realiable couplers as many know, are Kadee's. So maybe the question in the original post should have been, what's down with McHenry?