1:29 couplers

[Anonymous]

I'm new to G-scale model railroading as of a week ago. I bought a
USTrains DRGW GP-30 1:29 scale locomotive.

I do not like the hook couplers so I'm attempting to install the prototypical
couplers that came with the locomotive. They don't seem to function
well at all. Any suggetions on replacement couplers for this locomotive?

FT545

[Anonymous]

drgw3600-
Please describe the problem. If you are trying to couple with AritoCraft stuff, forget it. Aristo and USA couplers are not compatible. They look like they will work, but they are not the same animal. If you can give a little description of how the couplers are not working then maybe someone might be able to help you out.
Peter

[Anonymous]

I had the same problem on my USA Trains Southern Pacific SD40-2. I do not like the hook and loop couplers that came with it and so I installed the knuckle couplers that came with it. These caused me constant headaches and annoyance because i could not get them to work very well with anything else. I asked my local hobby shop and looked at some articles from Garden Railways and I solved the problem by installing Kadee couplers. They look pretty good and they work incredibly reliably. Since i had installed them on my engine and certain cars, they no longer derail all the time and allow me to spend more time operating instead of trying to get the couplers to work. If you gave us some more info on the engine, track you are using, cars and their couplers you want to pull, ect., it would be very helpful. Good luck!

[Rene Schweitzer]

Sorry to self promote [:I] but there's an article you should take a look at in the August 2003 Garden Railways. We did an article on coupler compatibility. The most important feature of the article is the chart, which tells you which couplers will work, which will squeak by, and which ones are not compatible.

Rene

[vsmith]

I would suggest reading the above article, it is very good, then once you've chosen a coupler, USE IT EXCLUSIVLEY. Dont mix manufacturers, it never works. I have two types of couplers on my layout, Bachmann knuckle's (inexpensive and easy to find) and Ozark link and pins, but the two systems are not ment to be intermixed. The Bachmanns are for larger stock and the L&P's are strickly for mining cars and engines.

Personally, If your in the garden and just running trains with no switching, use the hook & loops, they are the closest thing to a universal coupler at this scale. They are mountable on 99.9% of G gauge stock and they work. But if your a closet rivet counter or just cant stand the way they look, then do like I mentioned above, choose one and stick to it.

[Anonymous]

I agree that you should read the article in the August 2003 Garden Railways. I found it to be extremely helpful and beneficial to the mess that is the world of couplers. Like i said before, I have never once regretted switching most everything to Kadee couplers because they work incredibly well. Good luck finding couplers that work for you!