I've been keeping half an eye on all this chatter about couplers. OK, so I
understand that good couplers are necessary for the health of the scale, and
that having them interchangable is beneficial to all. I'm also aware that
there are a few odd fish in the pond that are simply not satisfied with the
unprototypical appearance of Kadee and similar couplers. To that end, I once
again mention in passing the existence of the Precision Scale On3 couplers.
Now, there are a couple choices there, and I don't remember what the numbers
are, but if I recall there are two options for S scale. These work
specifically because these are O scale narrow gauge couplers that are 3/4 the
size of standard gauge couplers. And S is 3/4 the size of O.
The downside to these couplers is that they must be assembled, and that is
particularly finicky. I had obtained a pair of these a couple of years ago and
actually got one to work. If one has difficulty merely placing a spring into a
Kadee coupler, then I would say that these are definitively NOT for you. Yes,
not merely definitely, but definitively! The plus side is that once you are
done, you have an operating scale coupler.
I believe the two options on the PSC couplers are a "standard" shank, and a
"twin pocket" shank that actually fits into a two pocket link-and-pin pocket.
This latter one is the one I will be using on my locos, while the "standard"
will go on the cars. I will be using these couplers on my Cleveland and
Pittsburgh (PRR) passenger train. One loco and perhaps four cars for a total
of ten couplers. Period.
Oh, yes, did I forget to mention that I am a period modeler? 1885 to be
specific. (I know some of you may remember that). Consequently, all of my
freight engines and cars will not be having couplers, but will be attached by
the next great advancement beyond string: Link-and-pin "couplings". There are
a few options that have been marketed for "HO" scale that are "close enough"
for S, being still a wee bit large (and really way too big for HO!!!). If I
get ambitious with my 3D printing objectives, I may come up with a "scale"
link-and-pin set or three. Or I may just consider what's already available as
good enough.
I will hopefully be developing yet one more working coupler. To the best of my
knowledge there is not one of these available in any scale other than 1/1: a
Miller coupler. The Miller was an early "automatic" coupler, preceeding the
Janney, used in conjunction with the Miller platform, an end platform for
passenger cars that was supposed to eliminate telescoping in accidents. It
worked. The B&O used them on their passenger cars, and so I hope to make some
to use on my B&O passenger fleet (likely another two engines and at most six
cars), so you can see I don't plan on mass producing them. I seriously hope
that no one else out there is interested in my Miller couplers, because you
will have to wait some time for them. I won't make any until I have some
equipment to put them on, and I just took two years to make one passenger car
that isn't for me.
Okay, so I've put my two bits into the coupler discussion. It is my sincere
hope that we all can get the couplers that make us happy.
Darrell Smith
Modeling the BZ&C in Sn3, the B&O and C&P in S, in the year 1885,
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