Sergent Couplers - anyone use them?
- Thread starter aionta
- Start date
That is an attractive coupler; probably the most realistic of the functioning couplers. Kadees have been in use so very long that I doubt if anyone would consider retrofitting all of their rolling stock. That would be a sizeable investment for me!
I don't know how reliable they (sergent) are and that reputation belongs to Kadee hands down. For one, the smaller the knuckle, the more likely the cars will disconnect over uneven track. But now that I don't belong to a club I would vote for scale appearance (Sergent Couplers) over reliability (Kadee), however the price is going to have to come down for this particular retiree.
-ed
I don't know how reliable they (sergent) are and that reputation belongs to Kadee hands down. For one, the smaller the knuckle, the more likely the cars will disconnect over uneven track. But now that I don't belong to a club I would vote for scale appearance (Sergent Couplers) over reliability (Kadee), however the price is going to have to come down for this particular retiree.
-ed
Studied the Sergent couplers, and ended up deciding against them.
Pros:
- very realistic model of post-1930s prototype couplers
- works just like the prototype
- don't need a trip pin hanging down to uncouple magnetically
- don't need to insert a skewer between the knuckles to uncouple manually
- no centering spring to throw things off on curves
- much less slack between cars than with Kadees
- no slinky action like Kadee 711/714 and Micro Trains couplers
- models to fit normal coupler boxes and near-scale width coupler boxes
- no magnets in or under the track to mess with
Cons:
- a little on the bulky side for a model of TOC couplers and narrow gauge roads using 3/4 MCB couplers
- no automatic coupling on straight track. One coupler has to be open and both couplers must be centered for coupling to occur.
- can't uncouple passenger cars with diaphragms (doesn't apply to my case)
- both coupling and uncoupling require reach-in access to car ends
The lack of automatic coupling in place like yards and straight spurs and required reach-in uncoupling was the show-stopper for me. Having to reach in to both uncouple and couple breaks the realism of the scene. The ability to automatically couple and uncouple remotely using some form of magnets combined with the more realistic bulk of the Kadee 711 & 714 on my TOC rolling stock won me over to the Kadee camp. I am experimenting with MT N 1016 couplers on my HOn3 rolling stock.
my thoughts, your choices
Fred W
Pros:
- very realistic model of post-1930s prototype couplers
- works just like the prototype
- don't need a trip pin hanging down to uncouple magnetically
- don't need to insert a skewer between the knuckles to uncouple manually
- no centering spring to throw things off on curves
- much less slack between cars than with Kadees
- no slinky action like Kadee 711/714 and Micro Trains couplers
- models to fit normal coupler boxes and near-scale width coupler boxes
- no magnets in or under the track to mess with
Cons:
- a little on the bulky side for a model of TOC couplers and narrow gauge roads using 3/4 MCB couplers
- no automatic coupling on straight track. One coupler has to be open and both couplers must be centered for coupling to occur.
- can't uncouple passenger cars with diaphragms (doesn't apply to my case)
- both coupling and uncoupling require reach-in access to car ends
The lack of automatic coupling in place like yards and straight spurs and required reach-in uncoupling was the show-stopper for me. Having to reach in to both uncouple and couple breaks the realism of the scene. The ability to automatically couple and uncouple remotely using some form of magnets combined with the more realistic bulk of the Kadee 711 & 714 on my TOC rolling stock won me over to the Kadee camp. I am experimenting with MT N 1016 couplers on my HOn3 rolling stock.
my thoughts, your choices
Fred W
U
Unregistered
Sergent couplers vs Kadees
Fred
Two of your cons are what makes Sergents better than Kadees.
Cons:
- no automatic coupling on straight track. One coupler has to be open and both couplers must be centered for coupling to occur.
- both coupling and uncoupling require reach-in access to car ends
These are the features that make the Sergents so prototypical. Having been a RR conductor know this all too well. To make joints the knuckles have to be opened & couplers aligned if not already done. On curves the Sergents stay in the last position so the couplers are already in alignment.
And as a conductor always had to "reach in". So not doing w/ Kadees kind of takes the fun away. Same goes w/ lining up Kadees on curves!
Fred
Two of your cons are what makes Sergents better than Kadees.
Cons:
- no automatic coupling on straight track. One coupler has to be open and both couplers must be centered for coupling to occur.
- both coupling and uncoupling require reach-in access to car ends
These are the features that make the Sergents so prototypical. Having been a RR conductor know this all too well. To make joints the knuckles have to be opened & couplers aligned if not already done. On curves the Sergents stay in the last position so the couplers are already in alignment.
And as a conductor always had to "reach in". So not doing w/ Kadees kind of takes the fun away. Same goes w/ lining up Kadees on curves!
That's a matter of individual taste - and I probably should have written it that way.
Some - obviously including you - feel more like the prototype by reaching in and doing things manually, the same as on the prototype.
Others - and I favor this point of view - see the non-scale hand and arm reaching into the scene as distracting from the realism. Neither is right or wrong.
From a practical point of view:
- the hands-off approach requires more extensive and expensive infrastructure - uncoupling magnets or electromagnets, remote turnout throws, etc.
- hands-off approach to couplers puts a premium on very low speed running of locomotives, clean track, and tight tolerances on coupler mounting and centering. The Kadee delayed uncoupling dance is not realistic.
- the manual approach doesn't work in all situations. The reach in distance can be too far. Scenery and details can get in the way and broken. The Sergent wand doesn't work with passenger car diaphrams and very close coupling of cars. Cars can be derailed while positioning the Sergent coupler (same with Kadee coupler picks or skewers).
my thoughts, your choices
Posted this on another forum recently:
Haven't tried them yet but have only heard good things about Sergent couplers. Here's a couple of sites to look at:
http://sergentengineering.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdECmydu68M
Do a search on this & other sites for Sergents as they have been discussed numerous times.
Haven't tried them yet but have only heard good things about Sergent couplers. Here's a couple of sites to look at:
http://sergentengineering.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdECmydu68M
Do a search on this & other sites for Sergents as they have been discussed numerous times.