What couplers do you use?

[2TE10M]

Hello Swede!

I personally prefer Kadee Couplings. Similar to the SA-3 and is very suitable for operation!

Kadee couplings are available in the widest range. Just look at the Internet!

best regards

Christoph

[Swede]

Hi Christoph. Would i be correct in guessing you have Kadee #18, medium length, on that coach? Do you use that between coaches as well, or is it just between the first coach and the locomotive?

Have you ever had any problems with the Kadee couplers on your passenger cars in curves, switches, or crossovers? Just wondering, because when i tried Kadee couplers on mine they hit the buffers. I tried #17-19 and they all hit.

[старина_U]

@старина_U: ...my cars do already have close coupling mechanisms, so that's no problem.

Hah!
..."already have close coupling mechanisms"... It's depend by quality of design
As know by own experience, some designers made close mechanics with geometric infringements. It's fact. I would check carefully.

I'm looking for tips on what type of couplers are the best for Russian models.

I wrote: Willison style, as well as SA-3. You would learn more here viewtopic.php?f=60&t=6032&start=10
However there is a problem: couplers SA-3 have produced unregular. It's neccessary to type in russian:
Дорогие сэры, хочу сцепки СА-3 под НЭМ-шахту. Количество - ... (type the quantity); when "dear sirs" will response and will offer smth. QTY and price.

After parcel unboxing You will look to couplings and you'll wish to take a knife.
Yes.
You will cut off their tails and glue inserts, that length will be normal for each coach or freight car and their buffers.
In short: hand finishing, hand finishing and hand finishing. This is typish Russian methods

[ГойкоМитич]

All long cars have a problem with following in an all curve tracks. Inventors have made a decision: toggle-rocker mechanism on car housing instead of "coupling in bogie" long time ago. So before replacement any coupling You must set mechanism onto your car (coach) housing.
40344.jpg
Roco-40343.jpg

You can choose and order one of this device as you wish.

Do you use this mechanism by yourself? Can you post some photos of 40344 and 40343 on your freight cars and passengers coaches?

Recently I have bouhgt two 40344 and 40343 for experiments, but have not used it yet.

[старина_U]

I do collect N-scale and meet alike problems with buffers.

What difference between 40344 and 40343? I don't know. It's HO-scale.
You wrote that you have both types. Try to use it at once! Then report here.

[railmodel]

But for russian cargo trains (you know, cargo rolling stock in Russia have no buffers) I think the best choice is a Kadee couplers. It can be installed into NEM pocket, it looks like SA-3 and it is working

I am aware of that, but i have always wondered why it's like that. In the US, Canada, and Mexico they also have "knuckle" style couplers, but no buffers on any rolling stock.

With buffer-and-chain coupling, tension force is transferred via hooks and chains while compression force is transferred via buffers.
Russian SA-3 coupler and american Janney coupler can transfer both tension and compression so they effectively are "buffers" themselves (and Scharfenberg couplers used on passenger multiple unit trains are the same).
But SA-3 couplers have slack that makes uncomfortable pushes on the train. To soften these pushes on passenger cars there are buffers that are in compression when cars are coupled. But passenger locos don't have buffers.

[Swede]

@старина_U: Yeah, ok, you have a point. There are some variations in height over the rails and in the dimensions. It is however the first time i've had this issue.

I am however not very enthusiastic about "cut and pasting" my couplers. I would prefer to use an out of the box product.

@railmodel: Ah, so there's more slack in the SA3 than in the American couplers?

[старина_U]

@старина_U:I am however not very enthusiastic about "cut and pasting" my couplers. I would prefer to use an out of the box product.

Hi, northern colleague!
If you wish to collect russian rolling stocks, you'll must to do any handle operations. All local modellers will apove my sentence.
So handle cutting is a not of hard operations.
Trust us! And after a few time anyone will begin to produce full-funtion SA-3 coupplers. Then you can order this long-expected "box-product".

[tabun]

And after a few time anyone will begin to produce full-funtion SA-3 coupplers.

Шутка такая или есть наметки?

[старина_U]

Не совсем...
В 80-е годы прошлого века, уже делали работающий прототип. Нет, прототип работал: мягко сцеплялся (правда только на прямых), расцеплялся поддеванием отвёрткой снизу, или на стандартном пиковском расцепителе...
Правда для 87 масштаба был великоват: раза в 2-2,5 больше, чем надо.
А всё почему? Процитирую в очередной раз нашего Василия (ПСС, т. 14, гл. 37, стр. 372, 2 абз сверху): у гориллы ноздри большие, потому что пальцы толстые.
Так и с этими сцепками. Их пилили вручную, узкими надфилями. Фрезеров с микронной подачей тогда не было.