G Scale knuckle couplers, advice please.

A

alec dawe

Railways, Cars, Wine!
OK, so I've managed to build up what 'G' scale rolling stock I need, ready to be repainted into FCC (Ferrocarril Central del Peru) colours, and assorted grime, but having bought the stuff from a well known auction house I find myself confronted with a variety of different couplers, Bachmann knuckle, LGB hook and loop, and Aristocraft on the Locomotives.
Most of the rolling stock is Bachmann, some has been fitted with LGB type couplings.
Bachmann and Aristo knuckle couplers don't seem to be compatible, and run at different ride heights.
What would anyone's suggestion be as to a 'standard' coupling to fit to all, and can I find a dropped coupling for the locos or do I need a raised shank on the end of a rake to couple stock to motive power.
Bearing in mind that this is going to all be 'American' pattern or American derived stock, then knuckle couplers are appropriate, but there is also a restraint on what might be available in the UK, or sourced at a reasonable price from elsewhere, taking into account the licensed bandits called the UK Customs and Excise!
Alec
 
I run Bachmann and USAT knuckles. Don't have any problems.

Aristo can be joined to Bachmann if you close both couplings and slide them together vertically. Not 100% reliable but not too bad.

I too have a rake of wagons fitted with all types of couplers so any visiting loco can be put "on the point"

All my Aristo locos now have USAT knuckles attached to Aristo shanks. Bit of a fiddly operation but I like to have everything standardised.
 
We modellers of US outline face a nightmare, mostly because we reject the ghastly hook and loop................

.......and as a result use ghastly overscale buckeyes :rolf::rolf::rolf:

Bachmann & Accucraft buckeyes are compatible.

Bachmann produce buckeyes at two different heights, and supply every Spectrum wagon with a pair of drop shank couplings as an alternative.

The straight shank couplers are difficult to come by as an accessory.

I also have some wagons with high level buckeye at one end and low level buckeye at the other.

In addition, I have a couple of wagons with link and pin (logging for the use of) at one end and buckeye at the other.

Most locos have low level buckeyes. Big Bertha (Bachmann 45 tonner) has three alternative couplers, well, if everything was the same, life would be boring :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:
 
Personally, I use Kadees whch seem pretty compatible with Bachmann; I get more unintended uncouplings from Bachmann/Bachmann than I do Bachmann/Kadee. Normally G scale on the end vehicle of a rake and (generally) 1 scale in the middle although on some small (IP engineering) 4 wheel open trucks I use metal O scale; basically because that is what I have fitted to my Ffion, and with a single ended 1 gauge link vehicle to couple others. The height issue can be a problem, I agree; my view is that one needs to settle on either "high" or "low" and adjust around that. I settled on low and, because most of my non-Bachmann stock has body mounted couplers, adjust to that using spacer blocks which appropriately painted just look likte part of the wagon. The non Spectrum Bachmann is already "low" and the Spectrum stuff is treated as any other body mounted. I didn't really consider standardising on "high" because at the time I had little Spectrum or non Bachmann but also because I recognised it would be more of a challenge with the sill height of some of the stuff in that I would have to cut away aprt of the sill to get the heights right.

G and 1 scale Kadees will couple together normally provided the heights are right; 1 scale and 0 scale will couple securely but not in a prototypical way (and the auto uncouple feature wouldn't work; personally I cut that off anyway) but G to O is problematic hence the 1 guage link vehicle I use. Both G and 1 couple Ok to Bachmann.
 
As I have a very steep incline on my layout and wanted to use knuckles, (hooks and loops are effective but really do look rubbish), I have gone through them all to test what would hold up to heavy forces and also which ones are compatible with each other.
When I have a triple header with 5 or 6 heavy aluminium streamliners being dragged up the incline I want to know which ones will stand up to the pressure.
I have found that for my freights, Bachmann couplers have not let me down (both 1:20.3 and 1:22.5). I also have freight consists with Aristocraft knuckles (which I consider the strongest of all the couplers).

For the really heavy trains like the Streamliner, I use Aristocraft , even the USA Trains' stronger couplers on their own Streamliner passenger cars have 'broken away' to leave an expensive observation car hurtling down the track.
I also,like the guys before, have an 'idler' car with different couplers at each end to facilitate mixing and matching or for visiting locos.
I also use Accucraft for some of my 1:20.3 kit especially the handbuilt stuff.

The only problem with most of the knuckles, as has been mentioned before, they are a little oversized. The only near scale couplers for 1:29 to 1:22.5 are Kadees but to go down this route is quite an investment for all the couplers that you may need to purchase.
 
beavercreek said:
The only problem with most of the knuckles, as has been mentioned before, they are a little oversized. The only near scale couplers for 1:29 to 1:22.5 are Kadees but to go down this route is quite an investment for all the couplers that you may need to purchase.
Click to expand...

Agreed, they are not cheap; and maybe even less so here even than in the UK although I think we can probably buy from the US cheaper. I accumulated mine a few at a time, and I usually have a couple of each sort I use in reserve, and that way it hasn't been too bad - but at at least $10 a pair delivered the expenditure on what I have has run into several hundred $ and that would be a definite down side if I was to start again. For what it's worth, though, I agree with Beavercreek that Bachmann are pretty good and unintended uncouplings are usually down to sloppy initial coupling - one needs to make sure that the moving face has been forced in and the pin is down to give a secure coupling. But as an interim arrangement they are fine except for size, and of course interim arrangements do have a habit of lasting a long time!
 
Buckeyes for me too on my American outline stock. I seem to have ended up with Bachmann buckeyes by default (ie. most of my stock is cheap!) Yes there does seem to be a slight height discrepancy with Aristo couplings sometimes. In the worst cases (some Aristo heavyweight coaches) I think I ended up dismantling the coupling and refitting the knuckle upside down on the shaft, then refitting the shaft upside down on the tang. A bit of careful filing away of the inside face of an Aristo knuckle (the "thumb" part?) allows it to work better with Bachmann.
 
I use Kadees on all my stock, they work excellently and never uncouple on their own and look to scale. I use the #1 size (the small ones) as they are correctly scaled for 3/4 sized couplers in 1:20.3, but they do not like uneven track-work and can separate the train. The regular G scale ones are much more tolerant and are to scale for a full size coupler in 1:20.3, but overscale for 1:29, 1:32.

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The magnetic uncouple system is an impressive feature, however I didn't want it, so I trim of the 'air hose' for realism. The key for all couplers is to have them set at exactly the same height, otherwise you will get problems.
I have bought my couplers in small stages say 4 packs at a time to spread the cost, regularly check US ebay as there are bargains to be had.

Good luck!
Alec
 
Seems to me that if you want to standardise on one type of knuckle, then Kadees are the way to go.

I know of one G scaler who does this on nearly all of his US LGB stock....
 
I run my trains on temporary tracks laid out in the garden ( hopefully in nice sunny weather! ), so the track can be, and quite often is, uneven with humps, bumps, and twists. I try to pack it with wood shims so that it's good and true as can be. Trains with hook'n'loops negotiate the right of way without problems. Knuckles are much more problematic, especially with long US outline vehicles, as twist is transmitted through the couplings to the next vehicle, which can cause derailments. Hook'n'loops remain coupled with several degrees of twist.
I did start to convert all my US outline to Knuckles, but after these issues, converted back to H'n'L. If I ever had a permanant layout where the track bed could be fettled to perfection, i would consider going back to knuckles for US outline.
I too have some adapter cars, for visiting or 'new' locos.

Malcolm
 
The real drawback with Bachmann low level buckeyes is beech trees.

The beech nuts sit between the sleepers at a height that just trips the bottom of the buckeye, and causes the wagons to disconnect.

As a result, I always have to walk the track before a running session because the beech trees aren't mine - even though SWMBO is a demon with an axe :rolf::rolf::rolf::rolf:
 
I remember a few years back, reading an article about making Bachman, Aristo and USAT buckeye couplers operationally compatible. It involved a bit of fettleling. That is to say, get out the files and "Dremel" and grind off the bits that are stopping them mating.
Personally, I have decided on Kadee,s. but, I still have a few of the other types around.
 
Sounds like a good idea Rod, get 'em mating, and then we won't have to keep buying the pesky things :bigsmile::bigsmile::bigsmile:
 
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