Weekend Photo fun 10/11/12 October 2008
- Thread starter johntealon30
- Start date
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I understand where your coming form with the compatability thing but I stated in my original post "but will always have kadee's on hand in case I want to operate with somebody else" I feel that the sergent couplers are far more accurate than the Kadee couplers. They do require more work to actually couple them, but I am aiming for realistic operation not easy coupling. I am willing ot stop my train to line the couplers up, and when uncoupling give the train some slack. I think Americans are becoming to lazy if they cannot move a coupler to the right position in order to couple a train.
-Smoke
Josh! I love your work! 2 thumbs up! Keep up the good work! You are on your way being a contender in the WPM!!
By the way I am surprised they have not posted there 2008 pics there yet...what gives do you know?
Yes, and you've inadvertently proven my case of why Kadee-compatible couplers (herein referred to as simply Kadee) are superior for operation: they are the STANDARD, and the last thing the model railroad community needs is a division in coupler types.
I guess we have different ideas of what "operation" is. From your post, it looks as if operation to you is aligning the couplers as per the prototype practice. There is nothing wrong with that, and I don't consider myself lazy just because Kadee couplers happen to center. In fact, I would enjoy the challenge of aligning couplers and, truth be told, I never take advantage of Kadee's magnetic uncoupling abilities.
FOR ME, operation is the ability for my rolling stock to run with all of my friends', whether in a club layout setting or virtual interchange where I mail some cars to them, and they mail some cars to me. You've seen our club layout, and especially the hump yard. At times, everyone's own rolling stock is intermixed with everyone else's rolling stock, you wouldn't be able to tell who owns what. Kadee is the standard in this hobby, period, and if you operate in a larger context like I do - you need INTEROPERABILITY. It is crucially important that all of my rolling stock has a compatible coupler system to those I operate alongside with, and Kadee is the undeniable standard in the hobby.
I suppose Sergents would make a great choice if you operate in isolation, or lived on a desert island somewhere, or never allowed your rolling stock to float onto another layout, or allow someone else's rolling stock to be hosted on your own layout. But if the world is bigger than your own model railroad, it is absolutely critical that you have the Kadee coupler system. And the idea of a "transition car" in an operating session is foolish, in my opinion. If a layout has, for example, an active hump yard and you are classifying cars into trains in a random order - how would a transition car even come into play? It would definitely interrupt with the natural, random and organic composition of trains. Imagine having to classify an entirely new train, and cars in the yard had both Kadee couplers and Sergent couplers. A transition car would come in handy if you are putting cars in a predetermined and specific order, but that is not operation: that is putting your train on the track and watching it run around in circles.
Don't misunderstand me; I am not arguing that Kadees are better than Sergents. I am merely a proponent of a standard coupler type within the hobby. If it was reversed, and Sergent was the undeniable standard in the hobby and Kadee was a newcomer, I would most certainly argue that Sergents should remain the standard. Sergents are a nice looking coupler, and I own some myself. They are great to look at, but have no place in my operating fleet.
It's truly sad that Sergents and Kadee's can't mate, because then this wouldn't be an issue at all.
Thanks. Are they interoperable?
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jeffrey-wimberly
Dr Frankendiesel
Smoke
Southern Railway lives on
mtrpls,
I understand where your coming form with the compatability thing but I stated in my original post "but will always have kadee's on hand in case I want to operate with somebody else" I feel that the sergent couplers are far more accurate than the Kadee couplers. They do require more work to actually couple them, but I am aiming for realistic operation not easy coupling. I am willing ot stop my train to line the couplers up, and when uncoupling give the train some slack. I think Americans are becoming to lazy if they cannot move a coupler to the right position in order to couple a train.
-Smoke
jeffrey-wimberly
Dr Frankendiesel
Athearn rtr line.
Alcomotive
Grandson of an ALCO Builder
I like that on too! I will be looking to get them UP piggiy backs as well!
Alcomotive
Grandson of an ALCO Builder
Smoke, making the switch to Sergents?
Some more recent work. I've spent my weekend decaling, and building both a Cannon & Co. Cab kit, and two La Belle wood passenger cars. Here's the results of decaling.
UP 5699, one of the first ES44AC's (C45AC-CTE) delivered to UP. This unit, along with its 5 brethren were delivered with Full AC4400CW internals, and a Dash9/AC4400 style exhaust. These have since been switched out, and all 5 have been "yellow striped" (which I have yet to add). Notice the un-level numbering, I slightly exaggerated it for modeling purposes, however, the prototype IS un-level!
View attachment 10914
View attachment 10915
UP 2227, Proto 2000 SD60 I got for pennies on the dollar (Noticed the damaged ladder well), patched. I original picked 2226, however, due to my choice of modeling era's (always modern), It would be outdated, as I found a picture of it repainted, with a lightning stripe. 2227 was my next best pick, as it has a ghosted out "Q" (some quality thing UP did for a short time) on either side of the cab, and Microscale's decal pack has these decal in 2 parts, making the modeling of the ghosted "Q" easy.
View attachment 10916
View attachment 10917
Josh! I love your work! 2 thumbs up! Keep up the good work! You are on your way being a contender in the WPM!!
By the way I am surprised they have not posted there 2008 pics there yet...what gives do you know?
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Phil, you've got to get a brake wheel on that car or it's going to roll out on to the main. 
Fine example of old-time HO rolling stock.
I haven't equipped any of my cars with Sergent's yet but they sure look good. I wish the price would come down a bit though.
Jeffrey, I've got a couple of those Athearn RTR piggybacks although yours is the first I've seen with a UP trailer. Those flats are a real good deal for the money and I don't think I've ever had a derailment problem with one of them.
Fine example of old-time HO rolling stock. I haven't equipped any of my cars with Sergent's yet but they sure look good. I wish the price would come down a bit though.
Jeffrey, I've got a couple of those Athearn RTR piggybacks although yours is the first I've seen with a UP trailer. Those flats are a real good deal for the money and I don't think I've ever had a derailment problem with one of them.
mtrpls
Ignorance is Patriotic
Yes, and you've inadvertently proven my case of why Kadee-compatible couplers (herein referred to as simply Kadee) are superior for operation: they are the STANDARD, and the last thing the model railroad community needs is a division in coupler types.
I guess we have different ideas of what "operation" is. From your post, it looks as if operation to you is aligning the couplers as per the prototype practice. There is nothing wrong with that, and I don't consider myself lazy just because Kadee couplers happen to center. In fact, I would enjoy the challenge of aligning couplers and, truth be told, I never take advantage of Kadee's magnetic uncoupling abilities.
FOR ME, operation is the ability for my rolling stock to run with all of my friends', whether in a club layout setting or virtual interchange where I mail some cars to them, and they mail some cars to me. You've seen our club layout, and especially the hump yard. At times, everyone's own rolling stock is intermixed with everyone else's rolling stock, you wouldn't be able to tell who owns what. Kadee is the standard in this hobby, period, and if you operate in a larger context like I do - you need INTEROPERABILITY. It is crucially important that all of my rolling stock has a compatible coupler system to those I operate alongside with, and Kadee is the undeniable standard in the hobby.
I suppose Sergents would make a great choice if you operate in isolation, or lived on a desert island somewhere, or never allowed your rolling stock to float onto another layout, or allow someone else's rolling stock to be hosted on your own layout. But if the world is bigger than your own model railroad, it is absolutely critical that you have the Kadee coupler system. And the idea of a "transition car" in an operating session is foolish, in my opinion. If a layout has, for example, an active hump yard and you are classifying cars into trains in a random order - how would a transition car even come into play? It would definitely interrupt with the natural, random and organic composition of trains. Imagine having to classify an entirely new train, and cars in the yard had both Kadee couplers and Sergent couplers. A transition car would come in handy if you are putting cars in a predetermined and specific order, but that is not operation: that is putting your train on the track and watching it run around in circles.
Don't misunderstand me; I am not arguing that Kadees are better than Sergents. I am merely a proponent of a standard coupler type within the hobby. If it was reversed, and Sergent was the undeniable standard in the hobby and Kadee was a newcomer, I would most certainly argue that Sergents should remain the standard. Sergents are a nice looking coupler, and I own some myself. They are great to look at, but have no place in my operating fleet.
It's truly sad that Sergents and Kadee's can't mate, because then this wouldn't be an issue at all.
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mtrpls
Ignorance is Patriotic
^well, horn hooks were a nightmare... they were poor operators, and looked NOTHING like the real thing. I think it's safe to assume that no one was sorry to see them go.
Kadees, on the other hand, are a beloved coupler with rock-solid reliability. Although not scale, they ARE a knuckle coupler and do loosely resemble the prototype. It's much more difficult to make the case that Sergents are better than Kadees, than to make the case that Kadees were better than horn-hooks.
Of course, everyone is free to use the coupler they like. For me, the greatest joy of this hobby is having your rolling stock coupled to others', and expanding your model railroad beyond your own layout. That's why I'm such a big proponent of coupler standardization. I may harp on the issue from time to time, but I think our models should be just like the prototype: everything can couple up to everything else
If the day comes when a substantial majority of hobbyists are using Sergent couplers (although I fail to see this happening, but you never know)... then I will be a convert to Sergents for the sake of operational compatibility. But right now, you can't deny it's Kadee...
Kadees, on the other hand, are a beloved coupler with rock-solid reliability. Although not scale, they ARE a knuckle coupler and do loosely resemble the prototype. It's much more difficult to make the case that Sergents are better than Kadees, than to make the case that Kadees were better than horn-hooks.
Of course, everyone is free to use the coupler they like. For me, the greatest joy of this hobby is having your rolling stock coupled to others', and expanding your model railroad beyond your own layout. That's why I'm such a big proponent of coupler standardization. I may harp on the issue from time to time, but I think our models should be just like the prototype: everything can couple up to everything else
If the day comes when a substantial majority of hobbyists are using Sergent couplers (although I fail to see this happening, but you never know)... then I will be a convert to Sergents for the sake of operational compatibility. But right now, you can't deny it's Kadee...
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jbaakko
Diesel Detail Freak
You know, I'm not sure, kinda depends on who updates the site, ect. I'm waiting for the download of the slide show on intermodal.
jbaakko
Diesel Detail Freak
By the way, if you've never looked, Kadee couplers actually better represent Russian couplers (the larger alignment "thumb" or "wing" opposite to knuckle):
http://parovoz.com/newgallery/pg_view.php?ID=162131&LNG=EN#picture
http://parovoz.com/newgallery/pg_view.php?ID=162131&LNG=EN#picture
jeffrey-wimberly
Dr Frankendiesel
The #5 has a 'standard' head and the #58 has a 'scale' head.
macjet
Member
Thanks. Are they interoperable?
ThoroughBreed
Dcc~detail~diesel freak
collecting
I recently decided to try and organise the train room alittle more, and found out that when you choose to collect trains, you also start a collection of boxes. So heres half of my box collection, the other half is in the bedroom closet.
I recently decided to try and organise the train room alittle more, and found out that when you choose to collect trains, you also start a collection of boxes. So heres half of my box collection, the other half is in the bedroom closet.
jbaakko
Diesel Detail Freak
Yes. All Kadee couplers should work togeather. It just becomes a problem when you speak of X2F, or Sergents...
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