Ignorant Coupler Question Part II

[gvtfan]

Thanks for all who helped me out with my first question. I now have another. Most of the DCC-equipped engines Atlas offer say they have AccuMate couplers or can fit "proto couplers". Can accumate couplers uncouple and couple from a DCC remote, or do I have to install "proto couplers" to do so. If so, how will this fare with my wallet?

Charlie

 

[tankist]

DCC uncoupling is a topic by itself. at the moment i seen only several DIY solutions. so the weakest link is not the exact model of knuckle coupler but rather lack of good DCC uncoupler device. i'd focus on getting good coupler at this point

 

[cajon]

Thanks for all who helped me out with my first question. I now have another. Most of the DCC-equipped engines Atlas offer say they have Accumate couplers or can fit "proto couplers". Can Accumate couplers uncouple and couple from a DCC remote, or do I have to install "proto couplers" to do so. If so, how will this fare with my wallet?

Charlie

The only locos w/ that type of couplers are made by MTH. They have their own DCC system that's not really compatible w/ regular DCC systems. Since Accumates are plastic, recommend you replace them w/ metal Kadees or Segents. Plastic couplers will eventually break if you are pulling long trains &/or just from normal use. Think by "proto" Atlas means they are "prototypical" looking so it doesn't have anything to do w/ how they operate:
http://www.accurail.com/accurail/accumate.htm

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

The only thing I do with Accu-Mate couplers is pitch them in the trash or toss them in a gondola full of scrap. They get replaced with Kadee's in short order. The Proto knuckle coupler is a copy of a Kadee coupler, but I trust the Kadee more.

 

[gvtfan]

DCC uncoupling is a topic by itself. at the moment i seen only several DIY solutions. so the weakest link is not the exact model of knuckle coupler but rather lack of good DCC uncoupler device. i'd focus on getting good coupler at this point

What do you mean by "DCC uncoupling device". Keeping mind I'll probably throw on a Kadee.

 

[tankist]

you said you want to uncouple on dcc command. some sort of actuator needed for that regardless of which coupler used. lack of that actuator is what mainly will prevent you from acomplishing dcc uncoupling, not particular brand of knuckle

 

[gvtfan]

Would they have these at everyday railroad hobby shops?

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

The only locos I've seen with the capability to uncouple with DCC are made by MTH and from what I've seen so far I don't want any of them. You can modify knuckle couplers to uncouple with DCC but every loco or car that has them has to have a function decoder, and keeping track of all those decoders can get old real fast. I'll stick with the tried and true bamboo skewer. It works every time and there's no buttons to press.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Would they have these at everyday railroad hobby shops?

If you mean DCC couplers, no, I think not.

 

[Steamfreak]

I used to use a penlight with a metal "hook" at the business end to uncouple the cars, and never actually noticed that it was a two-handed operation (bring the cars together to "loosen" the coupling, and pull one of the "hoses" to uncouple the cars). The other day I tried to uncouple in a "industrial" spur, where space is very limited so no two hands can fit, and I remembered that a lot of folks use those bamboo skewers to uncouple. So I thought I'd give it a try. Now my light pen is sitting collecting dust....

 

[straight-track]

Try taping (black electrical tape) either your metal hook or the bamboo skewer to your pen light ! Works for me ! Joe

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Pen lights these days come in very small sizes. Mine is a Mag-Lite Solitaire with 1 LED. It uses 1 AAA battery and is only slightly longer than the battery itself.