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 Posted - September 21 2013 : 10:17:51 AM
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This probably doesn't matter much in the overall scheme of things, but one thing I remember about my original Mantua trains is how well the old so-called NMRA couplers and uncouplers functioned, a tribute to the design and ingenuity of John Tyler. Even though I soon went to Kadees, to keep up with the so-called "experts", it was completely unecessary for reliable operation, at least in those early days.
If I remember correctly, someone, maybe even Kadee, came out with a magnetically operated version of these couplers. Of course, by the time they appeared, Kadee had taken the modeling society by storm, and they were not on the market long. I've been tempted, though, to try "NMRA" couplers on some of my S scale equipment as an experiment. Does anybody else have any memories of Mantua NMRA couplers, or, better yet, does anybody still use them, for old times sake?
RBNicholson
RBNicholson
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Posted - September 22 2013 : 12:25:57 AM
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When the Kadee Patent ran out The knuckle couplers just exploded with lots of Kadee immitators 
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Posted - September 22 2013 : 9:44:28 PM
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quote:When the Kadee Patent ran out The knuckle couplers just exploded with lots of Kadee immitators
Originally posted by microbusss - September 22 2013 : 12:25:57 AM
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Yeah, there's a whole lot of "wannabe' out there, as a result. The best I've found is Walthers Protomax couplers. They're usually on sale and just enough larger than KaDees to look good on S scale equipment.
RBNicholson
RBNicholson
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Posted - November 26 2013 : 11:46:22 AM
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As an aside, John Tyler didn't design the coupler. At the time there were many competing incompatible proprietary brands of couplers.
The NMRA thought it would be a good idea to have an automatic coupler that any manufacturer could use, royalty free. A committee, headed by Paul Mallory, worked and came up with the horn-hook design. It's official designation was X2-f.
It was proposed, but never adopted as a standard, recommended practice (or official NMRA coupler, I don't recall which), but was never formally adopted, except by the manufacturers.
I know that both Roundhouse and Mantua made their own couplers, but adopted the horn-hook design.
Willard
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