2 rail at last

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Oh, my I certainly have!

Just auto-couplings, now, but the plastic Weaver was notorious for pulled knuckles.

Ah, well then that's because I've never used Weaver couplers so let me re-phrase....

I've yet to have any O scale coupler that I have used actually fail to work.

[bob turner]

I have had trouble with Monarchs coming uncoupled.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I have had trouble with Monarchs coming uncoupled.

Top or bottom release latch/lever?

[sarge]

Oh, my I certainly have!

Just auto-couplings, now, but the plastic Weaver was notorious for pulled knuckles.

Ah, well then that's because I've never used Weaver couplers so let me re-phrase....

I've yet to have any O scale coupler that I have used actually fail to work.

The other thing that comes into play with this case (and Monarch, in Bob's case) is train weight. I imagine you haven't had the pleasure because your railroad is a pleasingly small operation. For me, hanging twenty properly weighted cars or so on a mainline freight and heading up a 2% grade would create the environment needed.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Oh, my I certainly have!

Just auto-couplings, now, but the plastic Weaver was notorious for pulled knuckles.

Ah, well then that's because I've never used Weaver couplers so let me re-phrase....

I've yet to have any O scale coupler that I have used actually fail to work.

The other thing that comes into play with this case (and Monarch, in Bob's case) is train weight. I imagine you haven't had the pleasure because your railroad is a pleasingly small operation. For me, hanging twenty properly weighted cars or so on a mainline freight and heading up a 2% grade would create the environment needed.

Oh, I've played about with 20 car trains in the distant past just for the sheer silliness of an exercise in the absurd. Don't have a grade of that magnitude. Generally nothing over 6 cars is the norm.... My cars are well weighted; in most cases probably overweight, just like me.

[rex desilets]

Use Kadees I prefer 805 metal couplings to me they are more robust....

More robust that what? I've yet to have any O scale coupler actually fail to work.

Atlas couplers.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Use Kadees I prefer 805 metal couplings to me they are more robust....

More robust that what? I've yet to have any O scale coupler actually fail to work.

Atlas couplers.

Never use them and never heard anything good about them either,

[sarge]

The old Roco ones were just fine; I used to buy up the F-unit conversion kits for the long-shank ones for passenger equipment and ran large passenger trains without issue. They never broke and worked as they should; my standard US passenger-car coupler.

I can't speak to the Chinese made ones when Atlas re-entered the market; they came off as a matter of standardisation so never put to the test here.

For Robert's purpose this is all kinda ancient history and rather academic.

The 800 series Kadee are bombproof. How are the new ones?

[Nev]

I find with the metal couplings you can tighten the holding screws without distorting the coupling box.
If you tighten the plastic 804 Kadee boxes to tight the coupling tends to bind because of the distortion of the plastic this never happens with a metal coupling.
OK I know! Don't be heavy handed when tightening the coupling screws.
I like to have things tight and not come loose probably from my mechanic days.
I do use plastic couplings when the local hobby shop doesn't have any metal couplings but they know I prefer the 805's.
This is why I'm only on one forum you say something and then spend the next 15 minutes explaining why.
I have a Steel Mill to build, and I'm not explaining why just doing it!
Nev.

[robert.]

805s it is. They came with a few of the kits i bought. Sarges don't sweat it. A little history lesson never hurt anybody.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I find with the metal couplings you can tighten the holding screws without distorting the coupling box.
If you tighten the plastic 804 Kadee boxes to tight the coupling tends to bind because of the distortion of the plastic this never happens with a metal coupling.
OK I know! Don't be heavy handed when tightening the coupling screws.

Well, that's not the rea;;y the same as their being more robust vs. their relative abilities to tolerate abuse by humans.

No idea what you are using to mount them with either..........

[Rufus T. Firefly]

The 800 series Kadee are bombproof. How are the new ones?

Yup! Standardization.

No idea as to the new ones - is there nay reason why I "need" them? Just don't know as the 8004/5's work perfectly fine for me. I can even make radial couplers out these, too.

[bob turner]

Don't forget - Kadee succombed to requests, and produces metal coupler/plastic boxes for insulation. - really important if you run metal cars.

[rex desilets]

More robust that what? I've yet to have any O scale coupler actually fail to work.

Atlas couplers.

Never use them and never heard anything good about them either,

To Sarge's astonishment, I run 2-rail rolling stock. So I have a goodly number of Atlas cars, esp. the Middle Division PRR X-29 and H-21. It's a pain to replace the Atlas couplers with KD's (written about more than once) so I run the cars in my long, heavy trains until a knuckle fails and then replace it with a KD.
After the fact I should have painted the failed couplers in something rusty and put them in a scrapyard.

[Nev]

Marty.
You mean I shouldn't use this!