The first thing I did when I started in the hobby was change out the couplers to Aristo Craft. I still have a box of hook and loop couplers. Have never regretted it.
And as a side note, spurred on by Ron’s post, once you decide what couplers to go with, you can trade the ones you don’t use, with members of your favorite group. I have traded Aristo and Bachmann couplers with folks, since I don’t use neither of them.
Hook and Loops are not the end all cure. Unless they are made by Mantua.
We are setting up the third year of a large Christmas Display.
I put on fail-safe hook and loops.
I would have been better off with paper clips or rubber bands.
They uncouple whenever they want, on 1500 and 1600 LGB…loco runs around and WHAM!
They break for no reason without crashes…to wit, examination shows the reason for some uncoupling is they broke.
Sometime, no reason given.
I use Delton, Lionel, and Botch knuckles, only, on my CCRy.
TOC
When I started in Large Scale I was very innocent, and figured that the cars would interconnect. I just bought what I liked without even considering that it might not couple with another car! After literally bashing cars together to make them couple, I converted to Kadee No. 1’s.
I had to buy a lot of couplers, but only one or two pairs at a time unless someone was having a big sale, and I could find another club member to go in with me.
And yes, smaller couplers (of any make) will be less forgiving of bad trackwork. But just as you can’t live in a house with a bad foundation, your RR can’t live on bad track. My trains run very well only because the track is the best I can make it. I’ve got a very heavy loco, so the track must be smooth and well supported. That said, the couplers hold together well, and if I ever get into operation, the easy couple/uncouple feature of Kadees will eliminate a lot of uncoupling ramps.
One other thing. While I have a few truck mounted couplers, I find the body mounts are more reliable, especially when backing up. Slowl, I’m converting them to body mounts. A great winter activity, especially where it snows – or so I’m told!
I just threw them away… I just found a big bag of plastic wheels that will hit the dumpster this weekend.
Whoops
Greg
Greg, I saved mine for the what ifs. I have pulled the pins out of the hook and loop couplers to fix Bachmann couplers, before I give them away. One member on here wanted some Aristo hook and loop jobbies, so I sent him some. As for the plastic wheels, the Roundhouse MDC one are right purdy, so they will become detail parts for a flat car load or car shop. The others, well, I have used the metal axle shafts to fix Bachmann metal wheel-sets that, for some reason, have a bent shaft. The LGB spoked wheels would make decent wagon wheels once I remove the flanges. And more then one modeler I know, has made pulleys out of plastic wheels. So I have pack-rated away my hook and loops, and plastic wheels, for future needs and projects. After I die, someone can throw all of that junk out for me.
David Maynard said:
Greg, I saved mine for the what ifs. I have pulled the pins out of the hook and loop couplers to fix Bachmann couplers, before I give them away. One member on here wanted some Aristo hook and loop jobbies, so I sent him some. As for the plastic wheels, the Roundhouse MDC one are right purdy, so they will become detail parts for a flat car load or car shop. The others, well, I have used the metal axle shafts to fix Bachmann metal wheel-sets that, for some reason, have a bent shaft. The LGB spoked wheels would make decent wagon wheels once I remove the flanges. And more then one modeler I know, has made pulleys out of plastic wheels. So I have pack-rated away my hook and loops, and plastic wheels, for future needs and projects. After I die, someone can throw all of that junk out for me.
Little trick. Save the Aristo hook and loops…or at least the coil springs.
Need any springs for Aristo trucks…you have some.
I pitched every one of the pile of Aristo hook and loops…AFTER I pulled the springs and put them in a zip lock baggie.
TOC
Curmudgeon mcneely said:
Hook and Loops are not the end all cure. Unless they are made by Mantua. We are setting up the third year of a large Christmas Display. I put on fail-safe hook and loops. I would have been better off with paper clips or rubber bands. They uncouple whenever they want, on 1500 and 1600 LGB…loco runs around and WHAM! They break for no reason without crashes…to wit, examination shows the reason for some uncoupling is they broke. Sometime, no reason given. I use Delton, Lionel, and Botch knuckles, only, on my CCRy. TOC
That’s odd. Of all the couplers I’ve experimented with, which isn’t many (LGB link & pin, Knuckles, Bachmann knuckles, home made link & pin) LGB, Bachmann, USA, hook & loop have been my saving grace. I have never had one fail, or uncouple on it’s own in the 23 years I’ve had my garden railway.
I should send pictures of the damage. I have since obtained a pile of small tie wraps that should hold the stinkers together.
I keep a pile of spares on hand just because…we will in fact need them.
TOC
I have found that the double hooks (2 per car) work great, and the ones that gave me issues were the Bachmann (USA and LGB are better plastic) and the plastic springs are stronger by LGB and USA than the Bachmann.
Now I just trash the bachmann hook and loops and use LGB or USA trains H&L.
Geroge Schreyers thoughts (circa 1997);
http://girr.org/girr/tips/tips3/coupler_tips.html
Seemingly no mention of “Delton”, maybe even back then they were already out of production !?
Personally I’ve used Aristo’ H’nLs for the last 15 yrs, and only found last yr. a couple derail spots along the track using the RDC3 (RBR track alignment test unit ?) !
doug c
And don’t let some expert help you out by removing the “extra” hooks that “you don’t need anyhow.” Without BOTH hooks, a hook and loop coupler will let go on the slightest provocation.
easy there big boy!
If you “double hook”, i.e. have a hook on both cars, then you need to be sure you have hooks that swivel side to side.
Some hooks are fixed, and if both hooks are fixed, and you go around a corner, you are likely to have something derail, even with truck mounted couplers.
It’s not as simple as it sounds to just double hook.
(if it’s not obvious, with a single hook, it can swivel anywhere in the huge loop, but with 2 hooks, they CANNOT slip past each other)
Greg
Funny…all mine are double…except the nose of the 2017D…but that of course is immaterial to the discussion.
My subway cars have drawbars…metal in nature…no breakage…hard to uncouple…
TOC
In the beginning of the planning stage of any layout is your list of what you want on YOUR railroad, I have tried to keep costs down. I have played around with many diffrent couplers, I even brought bags of Bachmann’s (don’t say it) and ended up using and surrending to KADEEs. keep in mind the path you choose, remember when buying rolling stock, you also have to get 4 metal wheels, and two couplers, if you are purchasing new engine, dependng on your power you chooose, you have to buy Reciever, or decorder or both, COUPLERS. Sound, what have you, its better to get them at the same time or they will be on a shelve for awhile. What an expensive hobby, but I crazy about TRAINS what can I say
Yea, there can be more to the expense of a piece of rolling stock then just the purchase price. That’s why I am glad I reached the point where I really don’t need anymore rolling stock. But still, I have a case of Bachmann metal wheels and a stack of KaDees in my stash.
I have to agree with Kevin. When it comes to track work I am extremely anal (shut up Rooster). I don’t care what kind of couplers you use, if the track work is laid poorly, you will have issues. I have an engine and cars that I use as my track testers. I could always count on them to find the bad track. I have been layouts where running trains become frustrating, cars always derailing and or coming uncoupled. I can clearly see the cause why. I try to point it out and give some tips when I do see this. I body mount Bachmann couplers to my cars and I very rarely have issues. Why did I choose bachmann? easy because everyone changes out their Bachmann couplers for Kadees and I get them Bachmann for free from them. How do you pass that up 
Although I am slowly changing everything to Link and Pin.