Couplers

[Bernard]

kuletungeb asks some really good questions. I decided to start a new topic since we are talking about a new subject and didn't want to have it get lost in "tracks" post.

 

As Martijn has said there are many different types of couplers. The ones that are pretty much standard on American trains are the "rapido" couplers. They look like a big "C" clamp. Most serious modelers will replace the rapido couplers with ones that are more prototypical.

 

One important point I wanted to bring up is, for example, you might buy either Tomix or a Kato Shinkansen 800 train four car starter set, later you might want to buy additional cars. Even though the Tomix & Kato cars look exactly alike, the couplers are very different.

[CaptOblivious]

There seem to me, unlike with American trains, four major categories of couplers in Japanese trains:

 

1) Shinkansen. These models already come with suitable, and often unique couplers. This means that you absolutely cannot mix Kato, Tomix or MicroAce models in the same train.

 

2) Limited Express, commuter, and other fixed-consist trains. Kato models of this category already come with suitable couplers that look prototypical and are close-coupling. Tomix models of this category come with Rapido (Arnold, in Japanese: ??) couplers, but can be replaced with Tomix's specialty TN couplers to improve appearance. Again, cannot mix brands of models in the same train.

 

3) Other locomotive-pulled passenger trains. For example, 12-series passenger cars, which may have been used in a variety of different consists. These universally come with Rapido  couplers. Tomix models, at least, have the option of replacing them with more prototypical TN couplers. I don't know what options exist for Kato models. If you stick with Rapido, you can mix different brands of models in the same train.

 

4) Freight. Again, universally Rapido. Here in the states, we'd replace these with MicroTrains (originally Kadee) couplers. Indeed, Kato freight cars and locomotives come with optional knuckle couplers that are compatible with MicroTrains couplers, but are not as sophisticated (they're just a single piece of plastic). The instruction sheets that come with Kato locos suggest which MicroTrains coupler would work best with it, but from what I hear conversion is still a bit of a pain. Tomix locos and freight cars seem to have no options for changing the couplers short of a perhaps difficult MicroTrains conversion—definitely a journey into uncharted territory. Tomix might offer TN couplers for these cars (I can't tell), but since TN couplers are designed for semi-permanent coupling (see above), they are not the best choice for freight if you want to do any sort of operations.

 

It's going to be a while—6 months?—, but eventually I'm going to convert the freight I've collected (both Tomix and Kato) to MicroTrains, and of course y'all will be the first to know about how to do it!

[CaptOblivious]

Oh, this looks useful:

 

http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~brichan/RailroadModel/WhatsRailroadModel/N_coupler.htm

 

(need to translate, of course, check out http://translate.google.com/)

[Martijn Meerts]

Actually, I have several Tomix locomotives that come with replacement couplers in the box. They are knuckle couplers, but they're quite big. I do believe Tomix has replacement knuckle couplers in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, including ones that can be decoupled on their magnetic decoupler track.

 

One thing to note is that freight by rail isn't very big in Japan, and many freight trains will often consist of the same set of cars. Shunting isn't very common.

[CaptOblivious]

Actually, I have several Tomix locomotives that come with replacement couplers in the box. They are knuckle couplers, but they're quite big. I do believe Tomix has replacement knuckle couplers in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, including ones that can be decoupled on their magnetic decoupler track.

 

One thing to note is that freight by rail isn't very big in Japan, and many freight trains will often consist of the same set of cars. Shunting isn't very common.

 

Bah, you're no fun  ::) . I've been working out in my head a waycard system for Japanese container depots for a while now, and will be posting the results soon...I think there is a lot of room for Japanese shunting action :D

[Martijn Meerts]

There's plenty room for it, it's just not prototypical, which really doesn't matter ;)

 

Actually, it's just an excuse for me not to think too much about shunting and large container terminals etc =)

[C62]

Shunting is prototypical for  Japans railways, especially in the steam era. Even now there are locos assigned to shunting as not all trains are unit trains. For shunting the best couplers would  probably be Micro Trains but I am too lazy to convert lots of goods wagons so I will go with the Rapidos until I cannot accept the looks of them any longer ;)

[Railmind]

Yesterday I decided to give it a try and install a magnematic coupler in one my Kato boxcar. The fun part was to cut out a shim which would eliminate the need for physical modification of the car's underbody and (luckily) allow for reverse modification if necessary. However the fun part ended when the coulper turned out to sit more than 1mm lower than necessary, so no bending of the pin would allow it to pass over turnouts. I wonder if there's someone here who managed to install the couplers and make them work.

 

It's going to be a while—6 months?—' date=' but eventually I'm going to convert the freight I've collected (both Tomix and Kato) to MicroTrains, and of course y'all will be the first to know about how to do it![/quote']

I've been working out in my head a waycard system for Japanese container depots for a while now' date=' and will be posting the results soon[/quote']

CaptO, has there been any progress with these ideas? I'm also looking for a card system for some freight car movements. Do you think there should be any changes made to the traditional cards and waybills?

[CaptOblivious]

That's a shame about the couplers! Try, try again, eh?

 

For boxcar freight, I think standard waybill systems would work fine. For container freight, however, it needs a little tweak. I'll start a new thread later today with my thoughts...

[Mudkip Orange]

How should I uncouple the Tomix TNs? I know with the Kato close coupling the way to do it is to push the roofs together/pull apart at the wheels (doing it the other way can cause them to snap out). Are the TNs the same?

[Nick_Burman]

There's plenty room for it, it's just not prototypical, which really doesn't matter ;)

 

Actually, it's just an excuse for me not to think too much about shunting and large container terminals etc =)

 

Martijn, this is not true. Large and deserving customers in Japan get their containers delivered/collected directly to/from their premises. That means quite a bit of container car shunting and trip running (Gakunan springs to mind...Meirin is another railway which does a lot of container tripping). I've seen images of a trip freight with one container car... Trains add or shed container cars to adjust for demand - shunting involved . Also, container cars need to be set aside for repairs and/or reattached to trains (I saw that happening on the Meirin while travelling aboard an Aonami Line train) - more shunting required. And if the empty containers need cleaning while on board the cars (as I saw on a clip about the Akita Rinkai), shunting is needed to get the cars into the cleaning rack before they are loaded.

 

On my side I'm changing couplers to M-T Z scale ones as much as possible. The visual improvement is startling...

 

 

Cheers NB

Edited December 6, 2014 by Nick_Burman

[Nick_Burman]

Bah, you're no fun  : :) . I've been working out in my head a waycard system for Japanese container depots for a while now, and will be posting the results soon...I think there is a lot of room for Japanese shunting action :D

 

Hear, hear... Etchurin management will be eager to see the results...

 

 

Cheers NB

[HantuBlauLOL]

How should I uncouple the Tomix TNs? I know with the Kato close coupling the way to do it is to push the roofs together/pull apart at the wheels (doing it the other way can cause them to snap out). Are the TNs the same?

 

just pull both coupled cars in opposite direction.. TN uses "key shaped" lock