# Couplers



## ajr81 (Dec 22, 2014)

Hello everyone. I am new to this forum as of today. A little background...I played with an HO scale train every now and then growing up. Now, some 30 years later, my children are showing interest. I purchased an HO scale set and we are enjoying it. My kids are too young to play with it on their own, so I do most of the work as far as layout, putting the cars on the track, and, the purpose of this post, connecting the cars and engines. I am having an issue with the couplers.

I attached a file (with three pics) to help me explain the issue. The first picture shows the type of coupler I had growing up. I remember them being very easy to use, as well as reliable.

The second and third pictures show the type of couplers on my new set. They seem to be either too far closed (picture two) or too far open (picture three). The obvious issue with picture two is that the cars don't connect. As for picture three, they come apart going around turns. So that is my issue. Whenever I try to adjust them, I end up with either picture two or three, but nothing in between. What am I doing wrong?

Thank you in advance for your help!


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

There should be a spring that keeps the coupler in the proper place to hold the cars together. 

As for the derailing what radius track are you running? If it is to tight and you have body mounted couplers this can cause it. Are there any S curves, uneven track etc?


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

The couplers in your first pic are known as horn hooks.

Most serious modellers replace them with the knuckle
couplers as seen in your other 2 pictures. The most popular
and widely used maker of these is Kadee, tho standards
make most compatible.

The vertical alignment of knuckle couplers is
critical. If they don't meet exactly the slightest
track irregularity will cause them to uncouple.

Notice the metal 'air hose' that extends under the coupler.
A magnet under the track will cause this 'hose' to swing
to one side opening the knuckle thus uncoupling.
The magnets are never used
on the main track, only on spur tracks, where you would want
uncoupling to take place.

The couplers also must be able to center themselves
on a straight track. This is done one of several ways.
Some have draft boxes with a brass spring box inside.
Other coupler shanks have tiny wire springs attached. The couplers
must be free of friction. When you gently flip one it
should immediately return to it's center position.
Sometimes a squirt of a dry powder lubricant can
improve this.

Look closely at the knuckles. You'll see a tiny spring
that is there to hold the knuckle semi closed.
When a coupler meets
another the knuckles should be able to fit into
each other so the hook on the knuckles keeps them
coupled. Only when the 'hose' swings to open the
knuckles should they uncouple. Sometimes this
spring pops out (never to be seen again). The coupler
would thus be inoperative. Springs are available
and we can tell you how to replace them.

A functioning coupler has the knuckle open wide
enuf to permit a mate to slip inside. If one is
closed it must be adjusted or repaired.

Be aware that you usually will not successfully
couple automatically on a curved track.

If you intend on becoming a serious modeller you will
want to obtain a Kadee Insulated coupler height
gauge that will help you vertically align them correctly. 

You also will want to make yourself a HAND OF GOD (HOG)
tool. This is a wood or plastic 'stick' about 7 or 8
inches long. It has a narrow flattened end. You
stick this into the knuckles and twist to manually open them
when an uncoupler magnet is not near by.

If you have the couplers properly aligned and
free to swing and there are no track
irregularities, you should have no problem
with the knuckle couplers.

Don


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Don has some good info in his reply. You probably will want to convert your couplers to a Kadee-compatible one, which is the default standard today. Cheap equipment still comes with hook-horn couplers (your 1st photo), but it's mostly confined to train sets. Kadee and compatibles come in two types: metal and plastic. You want to go with metal, which means either genuine Kadee or Walthers PROTOMax. Plastic ones are better than the hook horn, but they will eventually break or bend, requiring replacement. If you remember hook horns as being reliable and easy to use, your memory is faulty 

I don't recognize either of the couplers in your other pictures. They are obviously a type of knuckle coupler, but missing some parts or otherwise misaligned. The "air hose" or magnetic trip pin, should point out, away from the car. Your second photo looks like someone bent the pin, thus rendering the knuckle inoperative. Are they second hand? Most new stuff today would come with a proper knuckle coupler on it. They are designed to work like a real prototype coupler, and will not come apart without the HOG tool or a magnetic uncoupler if they are properly installed and aligned.


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

picture two looks like a kadee compatible type that uses a small piece of plastic instead of a spring... the plastic shows on the left side in the photo... it also looks like it was twisted past the normal closed position somehow [rotated ccw], and may be twisted back possibly..to the same position as the third photo..


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## ajr81 (Dec 22, 2014)

Thanks everyone, great advice! I will replace with better quality and see what happens. Thanks again!


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