Kato 10-136 couplers

[IST]

I bought a long-long time ago a 0-2000 series used Shinkansen in Great Britain. As I was not happy with the running of the set in the curves, I kept it in the box. Now I would like to see it running again, but its couplers do not want it. The cars are colliding in every curves and make the train derail. I think the springs in the couplers are too big as do not give any chance to move the couplers, those are turning with the boogies only and do not have any room to let the cars have more distance from each other in the curves.

 

 

Do you have any idea if there is a replacement for the springs or for the boogies?

[Matteo_IT]

Hello IST,

mine has the standard rapido couplers... What is the radius yor train negotiate?

[katoftw]

The problem is not the springs.  The coupler is too short.

[Ochanomizu]

Hello Mr IST,

 

The original product shipped with Kato Z01-0041 Arnold couplers.  Changing back to these may solve your problem.  They are widely available and due for re-release soon.  However, a more realistic solution is to use 11-703, which should be noted in your documentation as an alternate coupler, knuckle type.  This is also the alternate solution for 10-453/4.

[IST]

Thanks guys! I will try this 11-703 set.

Matteo: I tried it on a Kato V14 set. I know the inner circle can be too tight, but other Shinkansen sets run fine on it.

[HantuBlauLOL]

The coupler is way too short.. I think the original owner changed the original rapido into it.

[Guest keio6000]

The Kato 0-2000 is a good model with nonsensical couplers which ruin it.  A shinkansen with rapido couplers was an anchronism 15-20 years ago. That they continue to still pump these out - well - I'm sure the otherwise very proud of their work Kato company knows that this is a dark spot.

 

The question is why dont they change - surely re-engineering the cab ends can't be that hard. 

 

that said, Kato's shinkansen continue to lag behind tomix's in general.   I had a hard look at the Kato E3s while in Tokyo and decided to wait for Tomix. Likewise, kato's E7s are not as good.   Of course, kato is superior in DCC support, but for me visual look comes first, especially for my shinkansen which on my mythical layout of someday will run on a separate, non-dcc track.

 

That said, given that I have such a large number of sets, I surprisingly only have one 0-series shinkansen in traditional blue - and it's the special sayonara set with the pins (I also purchased a 'fresh green' version from a forum member).  I am still waiting for a better 16-car version from Kato sometime in the future - with proper inter-car gaps.