1.5" coupler suppliers

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DaveD
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1.5" coupler suppliers

Post by DaveD »

Gentlemen, As usual I'm a day late and, in this case, many dollars short.

I'm ready to pull my P7 around a track to test its ability to navigate curves, so I need a front coupler. Barry at SuperScale tells me he just sold his last stainless steel couplers and plans no more runs. So, I need some advice. Does anyone have either the SS front pocket coupler or a regular-length version (I can shorten for the front), or both since I will be needing both eventually anyway? Lacking that, who to best purchase from? Railroad Warehouse advertises both stainless and cast iron couplers, and is Barry's recommendation for stainless. RRW is extremely expensive with its stainless coupler, $210, versus its cast iron version, $35. Plus, their stainless coupler doesn't appear to be nearly the quality of the SS version. I feel that I could get away using the cast version, at least for now, and hopefully find a better one later. Also, it doesn't appear that the cast version has a trip mechanism built into it.

Thanks for your assistance, as usual.
Dave Dalton
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Re: 1.5" coupler suppliers

Post by Steamingdanny »

Tom Bee
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Re: 1.5" coupler suppliers

Post by ccvstmr »

I was going to say, Tom Bee...but someone already beat me to that. Mercer Loco Works (aka Dave Sclavi/Trainman) used to sell a short shank cast manganese bronze coupler, but I don't know if he's ready to re-introduce that variation. You could always get a loop shank coupler and simply remove the loop. You didn't say whether you needed the pilot beam coupler pocket or whether the pocket was already a part of the pilot beam. Carl B.
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John_S
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Re: 1.5" coupler suppliers

Post by John_S »

Third-ing the Tom Bee recommendation. His steel couplers are fantastic.
http://www.islandpondrailroad.com/tombee/newcplr.htm
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Trainman4602
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Re: 1.5" coupler suppliers

Post by Trainman4602 »

I have the short shank version patterns at the foundry now. They should be ready some time at the end of march

I won't mention the price on this forum but I can guarantee that no one will beat my price on them.

I have the cast iron front mount pocket as well.

BTW I will be re introducing the top lift kit as well as the bottom opening kit.
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hottshot65
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Re: 1.5" coupler suppliers

Post by hottshot65 »

Hi Dave,

Glad to hear you're going to offer top lift kits. When do you think those will be available? I'm doing a locomotive build right now and plan on going with Mercer couplers. In fact, I was wondering just the other day if you were going to offer top lift kits.

I like your couplers...they look good and I have some that could very well be older than me and are performing as good as the probably did when they were new.

Gerry Kopiasz
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Re: 1.5" coupler suppliers

Post by Pipescs »

BTW I will be re introducing the top lift kit as well as the bottom opening kit.
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PRR5406
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Re: 1.5" coupler suppliers

Post by PRR5406 »

Charlie, it is the location of the pin that triggers the sprung knuckle of the coupler. Some have pins on top, other underneath the coupler.
Depends on how you wish to activate them.
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VO4454
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Re: 1.5" coupler suppliers

Post by VO4454 »

Charlie, to answer your question with pictures, while trying not to hi-jack Daves' thread, here are some pictures of my front and rear couplers.

Vic
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DaveD
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Re: 1.5" coupler suppliers

Post by DaveD »

VO4454 wrote:Charlie, to answer your question with pictures, while trying not to hi-jack Daves' thread, here are some pictures of my front and rear couplers.
Vic, no concern about hijacking this thread. I'm learning from all this also.
Who made those gorgeous couplers pictured in your post?
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VO4454
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Re: 1.5" coupler suppliers

Post by VO4454 »

Dave, They are Super Scale couplers. It is too bad Barry will not be offering them any longer, but then again Daves' old Mercer couplers are nice, so I am sure his new ones will be as well.

Vic
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Re: 1.5" coupler suppliers

Post by Spiner »

I can say that in my experience Tom Bees couplers not only have a beautiful finish they are a very high quality iron. I had to machine the shank to match an existing coupler pocket on my tender and had a difficult time machining it with a Carbide Indexable End Mill. I was very suprised at how hard the iron was.
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