Coupler Question

[Ryan]

So Amy, being the awesome wife that she is got me a model train set for Christmas. It's a Bachmann set with an F40 and a few Amfleet cars.

I'd like to get some of the cars that Amtrak is selling the the 40th anniversary store, but will I be able to use them on the same train?

The set that I have says that the cars have "E-Z Mate Mark II Knuckle" couplers.

The Viewliner and baggage cars say they come with "Walthers swinging drawbar system is standard equipment on all models to improve operation on small or large curves. Working on knuckle couplers and optional horn-hook couplers are also included. "

The P42's might be a little rich for my blood, but they say they have magnetic knuckle couplers.

Are these all standardized like the real thing, or are they all different?

Thanks for helping out - I'm a complete maroon here, but I'm sure that you guys can set me straight.

Here's the boy and I digging into it:

 

[Acela150]

EZMates are a bit of a joke.. The knuckle couplers that I suggest are easy to put on in place of the EZmates. Get Kadee. Best brand out there! Just be glad those EZMates are knuckles. But Get Kadee for everything if you so desire. If you are happy with the EZMates then since they are knuckles they will fit with everything that has a knuckle. Now the horn hooks are even more of a joke! If you get these Models wait till you'll see what they look like...

 

[benjibear]

The horn hook couplers were the standard NMRA standard from probably the 1950s. No model railroader uses them.

Kadee has probably been around since the 1960s and there product has revolutionized the model railroad industry. Their magnetic knucke couplers use a magnet for uncoupling and "delayed action" which can be used for switching. Every model railroader uses Kadee couplers.

But then in the 1990s, I beleive Kadee's patent ran out so a flood of other manufacturers started producing magnetic knuckle couplers. In general these are all compatable with each other including the Kadee couplers. However, the new couplers were cheaper but where made of cheaper plastic which was prone to breaking and the springs did not hold up very well. Many model railroaders that thought they were saving money by going to the new couplers but soon found they were junk and canged them back to Kadees.

So my suggestion to you would be use the knuckle couplers that came with the equipment and if you find that they are not performing change them to Kadee couplers. Kadee has many different numbers that fit different equipment. Sometimes it isn't just pull one off and put one on so you may need to "fit" the coupler to the equipment. There are tables of which couplers fit which equipment and you can probably look onmodelr forums for that info. For me, I have many of the numbers and make something work.