Just some background, in the planning stages of my n-scale layout, good feed back from the community so far, another question for those more knowledgeable than I. I plan on running Kato equipment, are the couplers on Kato compatible with other brands such as atlas or athearn ?
Thanks.
Jerry,
I have lots of Kato locomotives and have not had issues coupling them with other brands but others say that they have. To change out Kato couplers with Micro-Trains is fairly easy on MOST Kato locomotives but I understand the front couplers on F units takes a little practice. If you go to Micro-Trains website, they have a conversion chart to help you select the right ones. Also there are videos on YouTube that can show you how to change them out.
As far as Kato freight cars, I only have coal and double stack cars and run them as unit trains pulled by Kato locomotives so I can't help you there. Hopefully someone else can add their experience with mixing n scale coupler brands. Hope this helps. Ralph
Hello Jerry,
This is my opinion about N scale couplers.
I model in N scale since 45 years.
MT - Kadee was the first operating knuckle on the market in N scale.
I switched to it since the beginning and I really don't regret it.
They operate very smoothly, don't ask big schock to be coupled and uncouple easily at any time.
When the patend of MT were over, many others brands come on the market.
Most where clones of the MT but none have the flexibility of the MT couplers.
All these other brands are related 100% compatible with the MT but often they need adjustment and a good schock to be coupled with MT couplers and they uncouple not easily together; we must admit they are'nt 100% compatible.
Some of these brand don't use a spring like MT but some plastic springs molded in the coupler box; these plastic springs seems to not keep the coupler always in the center an seems to lost their poor flexibility when the couplers grow older.
Atlas like Bachmann offer these other brands of couplers on their cars and locomotives; I have found some difficulty to couple Atlas and Bachmann couplers together, again with heavy schock and they uncouple not easily.
I have encounter same trouble in operation when couped with MT couplers.
Even if I have try to tune them in the beginning I changed all by MT couplers.
I have a big fleet of cars and locomotives and have found the fact to standardize all the couplers surely has rejected many trouble in operations and in uncoupling.
Even if MT give some "jerking fashion" at some time they really merit the name of Cadillac of the couplers in N scale
Thank you. It affirms my thoughts on going with Kato.