Most of my N gauge equipment is forty years old. Recently, stareted back into the hobby and am considering replacing my equipment with Kadee knucle couplings. I started this years back but stopped. Opinions?
DMK
Yep, get rid of the old Rapido truck mounted style coupler and do body mounted...Kadee/Micro Trains knuckle couplers. Keep the old trucks and wheels if you like.
If not possible to body mount the coupler, change out the trucks, wheels and the coupler as a set with Kadee/Micro Trains parts. The only trouble with changing to Kadee/Micro Trains trucks could be the truck pin/king pin in to the body. You may need a brass screw. I always use a brass screw for the coupler mounting and if a screw is needed, for the trucks.
When you body mount the couplers you may have to use shims to get the coupler height correct.
I do not what is current in todays world of N-Scale. But the newer N-Scale rolling stock and Locos. I have bought do have some sort of "Auto-Matic'' coupler on them.
One thing I have found out with the truck mounted rapido style coupler is when I had a derailment only two or four cars hit the ballast, with the body mounted Kadee/Micro Trains couplers I may get six or more cars in the ballast.
PC101's reply might confuse you as Kadee couplers are for HO scale and Micro-Trains couplers are for N Scale. They used to be part of the same family business but they decided to split up to better focus on each scale.
Micro-Trains couplers are the coupler of choice for most clubs and operating private layouts as they work so well. They offer lots of conversion kits for various rolling stock and loco models as well as bulk packs of assembled or unassembled couplers. The unassembled couplers are cheaper for retrofitting an entire collection but you definitely need to purchase the assembly jig. It is usually not too much trouble to install body mount couplers, even on cars with Talgo trucks (couplers mounted to trucks). Your trains will operate much better with body mounted couplers so it is highly recommended.
Hornblower
hornblower PC101's reply might confuse you as Kadee couplers are for HO scale and Micro-Trains couplers are for N Scale. They used to be part of the same family business but they decided to split up to better focus on each scale.
The OP has been working in N-Scale for forty years. He knows Kadee had N-Scale couplers. I can still find Kadee N-Scale couplers at train shows when they were open to the public. (Soon again I hope I hope) Some at a good price. The OP may start looking for N-Scale "Auto-Matic" couplers to convert his rolling stock. He can look for Kadee's and Micro-Trains N-Scale ''Auto-Matic'' couplers. Some older packaging is marked ''N-Scale Kadee/Micro-Trains''. I do not think he will be confused. He will still find what he is looking for. Thank you Hornblower for the added infomation for the OP.
Thanks all
Befre Kadee split into N and HO gauge couplings, their N couplings were more realistic. Now you get a cheap looking one piece knuckle.