Z Scale Truck and Coupler Guide

jamesriverbranch.net/clinic_2.htm

Be prepared for a BIG surprise...

Another great article David. I am not surprised only because I read all your writing on Railwire, so I chated a little bit.

David, Wonderful. This should be a big help. Cheers, Jim CCRR:)

David, Thanks for the fair and in depth report on couplers and trucks.
I found the comparisons interesting.
Fred

Mr. David K. Smith!

Another FINE piece of detailed research in words that only Mr. Smith can provide in that certain and unmistakable tone.

I'm a big fan of Uncle Will's Full Throttle products. I look forward to the first release with the new trucks and couplers.

Thank You, Sir!

Alex
Tokyo, Japan

David, helping us out with your reviews as always. Nice job. Let us hope for excellent couplers to come.

i wonder how well they will work pulling 50+ cars. this has yet to be seen. i think the trucks/couplers will be very well received, but they are still without the tests that required AZL to go back and redo their coupler design. i hope they turn out well, i like the shorter coupler shank length. if they turn out to be as good as hoped uncle will should mass produce quickly (otherwise he would be no different than MTL: being the soul user and provider of trucks/couplers for only his products).
dave f.

Dave, I have personally seen 50 cars pulled by 2 gp35s with MTL couplers. Once they hit the 2% grade and curve there were uncouplings. I would assume there is no reason all AZL couplers could pull a 100 or more. Also, I would bet the house that the new Bowser's will do the same. m2cw. Cheers, Jim CCRR:)

yes, of course you are right jim. uncouplings are one of the things the mods to MTL couplers is meant to reduce. but of those 50 how many couplers disintegrated (as has happened with the first AZLs). i like the look and design and benefits of the new bowser couplers. to be honest, if they are everything they're advertized to be, they will be the new industry standard (sorry MTL, but you shot yourself in the foot with the decision you made to restrict your distribution).

i just look at the bowser couplers and wonder what will hold that knuckle in when the pulling stresses are applied. it may be a total non-issue, but until we have them that is the question that i had from seeing the pictures.
dave f.

Dave, Of course we will have to wait to see how they work on our own equipment and situations. I'm definitely interest because I'm a runner. As for MTL. It makes you wonder if the decision was made by only one person or not. I'm thinking good luck for us and bad luck for them. Cheers, Jim CCRR:)

I think it will take an awful lot to pull a Bowser coupler apart. This illustration should help show how they're assembled. The knuckle (blue) pivots on the trip pin in the same hole as the main shank (black), just like a hinge. The large shank hole fits over a solid pin inside the pocket. Because the coupler shank is solid, and not split, I think it will also resist bending up or down, the way M-Ts do under high tension.



Probably the biggest question mark is the draft angle on the inside of the knuckle, which is M-T's Achilles heel. But since this coupler is still in the pre-production prototyping phase, the final product could be quite different than what I received from Will. I'm already working with him to help iron out some of the bugs.

that's what i wanted to know. thanks david

(btw: nice art work!!)

davidf wrote:

btw: nice art work!!

Thanks. I traced it directly from a photograph of the actual parts, so it's as accurate as it can possibly be.