Large Scale Central

AAr Knuckle Couplers on the GP30 USA Trains...and Boxcars

Tools and Tips
#1

Okay I admit it, I am addicted to the Aristocraft AAR couplers. I know everyone has their preferences and I have tried many both in large and ‘N’ Scale over the years. But it is fairly easy to modify the USA Engines and Box/Rolling Stcok Cars to accept these couplers.

The tool you will need is diagnonal cutters. Once you have purchased the AAr knuckle couplers take your USA trains product, flip it over. Unscrew the knuckle coupler from USA. Once this is off you will have the coupler mounting shank.

Using the diagonal cutter snip off aboput 1/8 inch off the end of the shank. But you aren’t finished just yet. On the rolling stock are lips one on each side of the shank. You will need to gently trim these about 1/2 inch up the ahsnk. Once done, just drop your AAR knuckle coupler onto the USA shank and your rolling stock is good to go.

On the GP30 rngine, you will need to just scre down the couplers. They will work just fine.

Now you can use them with Aristo engines and rolling stock and they actually make a better coupler too.

#2

My personal preference is Kadee couplers. I find that the Aristo’s are a little too chunky in appearance for my tastes. They do have the advantage that they won’t come apart on uneven track. But also they don’t come apart during train wrecks…which can create problems there. But who has train wrecks…:rolleyes: I will say that I think the Aristo coupler has a reasonable following among the standard guage gang…probably 2nd to the Kadee. The non standard guage guys…at least the ones in the US seem to be divided between Kadee, Accucraft and various forms of link and pin.

#3

This is true, but honestly if you are railroading on reasonably setup lines and taking it fairly easy, a derail shouldn’t occur. I mainly could see derails more in the switching areas than anywhere else. Perhaps curves if they aren’t leveled properly. But that aisde the AAR knuckle couplers have worked well. In fact they may work too well for the comfort of many other folks favorite other brands of couplers. But like I said at the start of the topic, its all up to the person’s needs and preferences. I do so like these much better than the ones that come with USA.

#4

It also depends on how you run your trains. Aristo’s are probably ok for shorter trains, but believe me if you are running 80-100 car trains, which is the norm for where I run, you darn sure want the coupler to let go if you have a derailment. And I don’t care how careful you are with laying your track there are numerous other things that cause derailments…such as squirrels, unseen pinecone, big feet, or a truck decides to give out…with the latter being the most common that I’ve seen. Aristo’s springs tend to go sprong at the most inconvenient times and both LGB and USAT have been known to crack at the journal. Grown men tend to start crying when they watch 35-40 of their cars tumble down a steep embankment to a heap 12’ below…:frowning:

#5

Warren Mumpower said:
[i]

Same can be said for 5 or 6…

The wreck was caused by coupler failure going up a 5% grade. Personally, I don’t find the 1:29 Aristo coupler to be of much use. My SD-45 still has them as does my snow plow. I have to ram the plow at 10-20 scale MPH to get the things to couple, and even then it is iffy. Most of my rolling stock uses the Aristo/Delto coupler which operates very smoothly. I have a few USA and Bachmanm couplers too that mate with the Deltons. Converting to Kadess is not in my foreseeable future due to cost and time. I’ve had a set in the parts bin for 3 years that I bought to experiment with, but never installed. JR

#6

I have Aristo on all my equipment. I like the kaydee #1 'cause it looks scale and couples so easily, but I haven’t changed.

Sometimes, Aristo couplers have to be pushed in too far to latch, so you have to really slam them. I have a page on how to fix that.

http://www.tomruby.com/mls/aristocoupler

(Hmm. Need to move that to outsidetrains.com)

#7
Warren Mumpower said:
Grown men tend to start crying when they watch 35-40 of their cars tumble down a steep embankment to a heap 12' below...:(
Except for Jens Bang, who leaps and woohoos with glee! :) :)
#8
John Bouck said:
Warren Mumpower said:
Grown men tend to start crying when they watch 35-40 of their cars tumble down a steep embankment to a heap 12' below...:(
Except for Jens Bang, who leaps and woohoos with glee! :) :)
Did somebody get that on video?
#9

You Betcha!
Got video of Jens crashing his two new sd70 Macs, and lots of other pieces of rolling stock, too.
Didn’t get Jens leaping and cheering, though.
I’ll bet he doesn’t crash his new USA Big Boy (When it gets here.)
jb

#10

John’s not telling the whole story. He knows he was half the problem that caused 35-40 cars go down the embankment… And did he get a vid of it…NO.! Because he didn’t have the camera ready and yelled “Stop!” Steve did, the train didn’t. Cars just kept coming, and kept coming, and kept coming. Thank goodness MY cars were at the end of the train…:smiley:

#11

I wasn’t any where near there when it happened! I swear it!

That is my story and I’m sticking to it.

Like the man said, it wasn’t on video.

:lol:

#12

That’s the story where Steve (Hughes) got his nic “crash”. I think you were still bailing bilge water on some Navy bucket at the time.

Sorry Steve, you’re the wrong Steve…Club’s got too many Steves :confused:

#13

Like I said, I wasn’t any where near… :smiley:

#14

Of course, when that does happen, you’ll wish your couplers would turn loose before dragging the whole train off. Aristo couplers really hang tight in such situations :o

#15

I have had the discussion with several people and several times I have yet to change anyones mind
KD verious Aristo couplers all I can say is that aristo couplers work for me and at this point I am not willing to spend time and money on KDS I have closed to 250 cars with Aristo couplers I have pulled 50 cars
with them at a time on a 5% grade I do not want any one to do any changeing based on what I say
If you like KDs I am glad for you. This a pointless thread I am sure there are those of you that are just as Happy with KDS as I am with Aristo

Ed

#16

I do not think this is a pointless thread. Some of the discussion went away from the point of the thread. The orginal poster wanted to share how he used Aristo couplers on a USAT loco.

Great, thanks for sharing Mark!

Sometimes though, people want to take a thread sideways and change the topic. I’d suggest that instead of derailing the original topic of the thread, that these people start a thread of one vs the other. Then people who have made up their minds can skip the thread. Those who might learn from it can read it, and those who know the answer (ha ha) can contribute, or skip it since they already know all they need to.

Regards, Greg

#17

Greg, you’ve been on large scale forums long enough to know that a vast majority of threads never stay on track. We tend to split the switch and derail…:smiley:

#18

Greg I have put Ac couplers on usa bachmann mth lbg both locos and rolling stock very easy in most cases
My point is everyone thinks theirs is the best. and you aren’t going to change any ones mind. As far as wrecks go very few because of couplers this thread has been on almost every forum at one time or another. same results but if you like it continue on For me it’s like watching TV reruns.
Ed

#19

Ed, if’n you don’t want to watch re-runs, change the channel!

It is important to Mark, and that is why we are here, to help each other out, especially the guys with less experience.

The old salts can talk about old salt stuff.

#20

Most run their trains in a circle.

Train forum subjects run in circles.

Just seems logical to me :slight_smile:

Is it time yet for the Scale Vs. Gauge discussion ??

How 'bout Battery Vs. Track Power [We are allowed to discuss that here :)]

JR