Dummy couplers: Why?

[Big_Boy_4005]

Didn't some real steam engines have a coupler on the pilot that folded away? Of course locomotives whose primary duty was switching, often didn't have pilots, but had permanently mounted couplers. I wonder if model manufacturers have used that excuse to leave them off, or to mold in dummys.

[Anonymous]

why to hook up dummy cars to the Engine, why else would there be dummy couplers?

don't forget to buy Dummy Box Car's, Dummy Stock Cars, Dummy Passenger cars, and Dummy Caboose's to round out your Dummy Train.

Jay

[DSchmitt]

1. Sometimes they are the only coupler that will fit.

2. Appearance, Particulary in the "good old days" they were closer to scale and prototype appearance than working couplers.

3. Cheap

[Anonymous]

I use dummy couplers in all my passenger trains for the reasons stated before. I do not have passenger train switching on my layout and close coupling is easier to achieve. I also have a modeling friend that used dummy couplers on his unit trains. I am considering the same application on my Powder River Basin coal trains. However I am looking for a dummy coupler that will cuple well with a Kadee # 5/58.

[The Watcher]

I absolutely hate Dummy Couplers.

Almost all N Scale Steam locomotives have Dummy Couplers in the front.

I don't have DCC and don't plan on using Multi unit operations. But, it would be nice to be able to couple and uncouple from the front of the locomotive. Especially for frieght operations. [banghead]

[BR60103]

The reason is probably appearance. In HO the NMRA coupler would make a mess of a finely detailed pilot or cowcatcher. There would be no point in putting an operating knuckle coupler on the front and the NMRA on the back.
Don't know why the switcher wouldn't have one.

[Anonymous]

I believe there are two manufacturing philosophies out there.

One being

QUOTE: Originally posted by cacole

Why? Because they're CHEAP!

And the other, which you find on the high end plastic and brass, is that the manufacturer is more concerned with appearance than operation.

I don't run DCC[:0] yes! say it's not so[:(] but I'll get there someday[zzz] and the laack of a proper coupler does present problems when I want to double and triple head.

I have been known to take the Dremel tool and X-acto knife to the pilot and surgically implant a Kadee or modified Kadee coupler with good results[:D]

[leighant]

I occasionally use couplers that are not exactly dummy. Ultimate N-scale couplers. They will stay coupled with each other and with MicroTrains when coupled manually- but they don't couple or uncouple automatically.

Not as desireable as MicroTrainsLine couplers, but less $$$ and often easier to install. I used them in the MIDDLE of a long string of ore cars with MicroTrains couplers on the end cars. The string of cars can be coupled and uncoupled easily from loco and caboose.

Some passenger cars, with unusual trucks-- hard to fit MTL and the Ultimates are drop-ins.

Dummy coupler on a switcher? Good only for appearance, otherwise useless.

[dharmon]

As the stell feathered one pointed out, they were generally placed in applications where you wouldn't ordinarily be using real couplers, front pilot of steam locos, remember...pre-DCC there wasn't a tremendous amount of double heading, and because the horn hooks that used to be standard freqently didn't qite fit right.

[Anonymous]

I'm assuming that dummy couplers are a left-over from the days before scale-size couplers became available, but I'm still puzzled as to why anyone would fit them - Kadee #5s aren't obviously overscale. I'm planning to use a form of dummy knuckle couplers on one passenger train I'm assembling, but only because it will be a fixed formation and because the dummy couplers allow close coupling.

[IRONROOSTER]

Dummy couplers on a switcher aren't useful. It generally means that the manufacturers stock coupler didn't fit - usually horn hooks. That said, there are uses for dummy couplers. One would be a layout that doesn't feature passenger train switching, but does run a passenger train. Dummies would prevent uncoupling over the uncoupling magnets, as well as being cheaper and easier to install. Another would be unit trains where the cars aren't switched.
Enjoy
Paul

[lupo]

maybe they are there if you want to couple a "Dummy"

[Anonymous]

Hmm, that explains it.

[cacole]

Why? Because they're CHEAP!

[Anonymous]

What's the point of a dummy coupler? Especially on a switcher. My Bachmann 0-6-0 has a dummy on the front but my Spectrum 4-8-2 doesn't. Real locos almost always had a working coupler on the front end.