--- In [email protected], Richard Karnes <rnk2202@...> wrote:
>
> Jim King wrote:
>
> "His design permits Kadee centering without the annoying slack action."
>
> Annoying??� One of my favorite memories is seeing NYC Mohawks (Mountains
> for you non-NYC fans) starting a 100-car train.� The loco would back up
> about a car length, bunching up slack.� Then it would pull forward, ever so
> slowly, taking out the slack car by car.� You could hear the clunk! clunk!
> clunk! as each coupler became fully extended and each car leapt into slow
> motion.� The Mohawks' replacements, Alco FA/FB lash-ups, did the same
> thing.� Thankfully, this is one of the aspects of running trains on my
> layout that I really enjoy -- starting a freight train and listening to the
> slack take-up as the locomotive gradually moved forward.
>
> Lest you rebut by observing that the Kadee 802/808 centering springs cause
> the caboose to constantly bob longitudinally, I refer you back to my
> oft-repeated (in print as well as via electrons) but little-heeded
> recommendation (supported by Kadee themselves!) to substitute a knuckle
> spring for the too-stiff centering spring.
>
> Dick Karnes
>
Dick, Yes, without slack, a steam locomotive would have a very difficult
time starting a train, mainly due to their tractive effort being greater at
speed than in starting. Diesels, although having greater low speed tractive
effort, still benefitted from slack to get a train rolling. Essentially slack
allowed a train to "start" one car at a time.
As for your method of using the coupler spring vs the centering spring,
I've always been quizzical of the car to car spacing once the slack is
stretched. Typical, 1940's-50's non cushioned cars should be 36" between the
car ends. Do you somehow shorten the opening within the coupler shank for less
spring travel? I can understand the need for the softer spring. Just curious as
to the subsequent car to car spacing.
Bud Rindfleisch
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