# HO couplers



## DanJ

Hello I am new to the forum and also to model trains. I have the HO scale set. I am looking to more cars and soon a second track as I have 2 loco's. My question is will all HO scale cars conect or do the couplers have to be from the same manufactorer? Thank you for any help I can get.
Dan


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## shaygetz

Welcome...there are 2 accepted coupler designs in regular use on HO scale equipment, the magnetic knuckle type and the horn/hook found on most toy trains. If yours looks like a fist with a curved metal wire under it, then you have the knuckle type. The other type looks as far from a knuck as you can get.










...knuckle type...










...horn/hook...










...Magicmate from IHC, works with both...


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## jzrouterman

Though the magnet coupler is the preferred type, Don't throw away the horn hooked ones, as they do at times come in very handy. Example: A while back I purchased a Model Power engine shed. It came with a Santa Fe F2-A dummy engine equipt with horn hook couplers. I was going to change them over to knuckle couplers, but then this engine's coupler set up was a bit more complicated than that of an Athearn engine.

So instead of changing it's couplers, it proved a lot easier just to install two additional horn hook couplers that I had on hand, one in the back of my Athearn F7 engine and the other on one end of my post office car. Then hooked them all together along with the rest of the train with it's existing knuckle couplers. Since I won't be doing any switching with this train because the grandkids will be running this one, it's worked out very well. I guess you could say that doing it this way was the less of the two evils. Oh, and the engine shed? I use it to house a Rio Grande SW1500.

Routerman


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## jzrouterman

Though the magnet coupler is the preferred type, Don't throw away the horn hooked ones, as they do at times come in very handy. Example: A while back I purchased a Model Power engine shed. It came with a Santa Fe F2-A dummy engine equipt with horn hook couplers. I was going to change them over to knuckle couplers, but then this engine's coupler set up was a bit more complicated than that of an Athearn engine.

So instead of changing it's couplers, it proved a lot easier just to install two additional horn hook couplers that I had on hand, one in the back of my Athearn F7 engine and the other on one end of my post office car. Then hooked them all together along with the rest of the train with it's existing knuckle couplers. Since I won't be doing any switching with this train because the grandkids are running this one, it's worked out very well. I guess you could say that doing it this way was the less of the two evils. 

Routerman


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## Robes

Any information on how to change the couplers on cars and engines? (how to)

Not to hijack the thread,...but information on replacing the trucks on cars would be great!


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## NIMT

This might help? 
http://www.kadee.com/html/primer.pdf


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## Robes

That works... Thanx Sean...


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## shaygetz

Here's how I do it...

http://www.freewebs.com/shaygetz/mod.htm

...just remember the shimming advice from Kadee, not every car is a straight shot.


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## Robes

Nothin like pictures to make it easier.... Now I can go after some of those cars that need new trucks....


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## gunrunnerjohn

You know Shay, that "model" on your blog main page looks VERY realistic!


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## shaygetz

gunrunnerjohn said:


> You know Shay, that "model" on your blog main page looks VERY realistic!


Thanks, that is an AHM/Pocher 4-4-0 "Genoa"...one of my first digital model photographs...here's the model...


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## gunrunnerjohn

I was actually talking about this picture.


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