When did couplers change style?

[Oreboat]

Hello all, I am just getting back in modeling trains, its been 10 years or so when I was a kid and had a layout. While browseing the local hobby shops I noticed that the cars are using couplers I have never seen before. Nice, more realistic but will they work with my old couplers? If they wont I am planning to redo most of my old freight cars this winter anyway.

Anyway, Hello fellow HO modelers this is the best site I have come across.

Hope I dont ask to many questions...

Bill

 

[LongIslandTom]

Heya,

I think it was the late '90s when the knuckle-type couplers started becoming more and more popular. (I don't remember for sure, but I think I read something with Kadee's patent expiring so everyone + dog are finally allowed to copy them... Could be wrong though).

Anyway, no the knuckle-type couplers will not work with the old horn-hook/X2F couplers. No big loss though... Good riddance to Horn-hooks/X2Fs.

Due to the increased competition it seems cheaper these days to convert to Kadees... I remember back in the 1980s it cost something like $10 for a pack of 2 pairs... Now you can get a 20-pack of Kadee #5s for $20. :thumb:

 

[Thoroughbreed]

Welcome aboard!!!!
The couplers you refer to are knuckle couplers. Kadee holds the patent, but as it has expired a few years back, there are many replicants of they're design. The couplers you have on your older cars are known as X2F or Horn Hooks. They were the most common to get on all engines and cars up to about 5 years ago.
Here is a thread with references to Kadee's site for conversion info: http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=24357
And , again, Welcome Aboard!train97

Ha, Long Island Tom beat me to it!!!

 

[65GASSER]

This is a great site! I model HO myself, I thought I knew alot but I have learned tons more by reading about what these guys are doing! Welcome back into the hobby and Merry Christmas!!!!!

 

[shaygetz]

Welcome to The Gauge, Bill

 

[Glen Haasdyk]

If you can't afford to convert all your cars at the same time, try converting a few and creating some 'transtion' cars. One or two that have a Kadee coupler on one end and a horn-hook on the other. Also try cliping the plastic pin off the bottom of the horn-hook, it tends to catch on things (crossings, turnouts)

 

[LongIslandTom]

If you need to convert to Kadees en masse, go for their 20-pack: http://www.discounttrainsonline.com/dto/item380-11.html

It's 20 pairs of Kadee #5s (enough for 20 cars), for just a little over $20. Pretty darn good deal. :thumb:

 

[Jim Krause]

Kadee couplers have been around for many years. The clones that you see now , started coming out when Kadee's patent expired in the 90's. Everybody jumped on the knuckle couplers and the x2f and other types fell out of favor for various good reasons.