Re: (erielack) Couplers and draft gear

["Schuyler G Larrabee" <sgl2_@_ix.netcom.com>]

Mark Kerlick suggested:

> In the interim, one might use the new Accu mate Scale coupler.  Rather
> inexpensive, and if Kadee decides to change, it would be an easy
> retrofit  Mark

At my model railroad club, we've had some experience with cars and engines
equipped with the Accumate coupler, which have not been all that positive.
On trains with 25+ cars, they have a tendency to simply pop open, due to the
knuckle deforming under stress until they no longer can stay coupled.
Sometimes they will recover from this stress and work properly afterwards,
sometimes the deformation seems to be permanent.

Cars and engines stored with the couplers in a forced open position due to
box tightness or being tight in the foam lining of a box end up with
couplers permanently deformed after storage periods as short as one week.

SGL

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