Working HO Air Hoses

[FCIN]

Just found about these and since I cut off the trip pins on my couplers for a more realistic appearance, I'm going to have to give this a try on a few of my cars: http://www.pwrs.ca/announcements/view.php?ID=7440 These would really look nice with the Sergent Engineering scale couplers, but I don't have the patience to install those on all my cars. They are rather expensive at $25 for ten pair.

Several videos on the web page showing them in action and how to install them.

Supposed to be available for N scale in the near future.

[Brakie]

Ed,Think I will pass on those air hoses.

I do like the sounds they was using..I wonder if that was dubbed or a decoder?

[e-paw]

I like the idea.. It's pretty cool to see em in action. At the present cost, I hope it comes down, It would take a several hundred dolor investment to equip all my locos, cars and cabooses. so I think I will hold off on it for now. I would like to play around with them a little to see just how they work. If I could find small enough magnets I could probably make something similar.

[eje]

That's pretty cool. I agree they might be totally cool with the Sergent couplers. I'm wondering how or if the Sergent magnetic wand might interact with the air hoses, or the air-hose magnets with the Sergent mechanism? Only one way to find out.

[Puddlejumper]

Saw those in the last issue of MRH. I like them, and will probably adopt them on my fleet at some point. I have plenty of other things to get done first though.

Dave

[FCIN]

If I could find small enough magnets I could probably make something similar.

Dave; I've been thinking the same thing myself. If you can locate small enough magnets and something on the order of 1/16in flexible hose material - after a few trial and error tests, you could probably accomplish the same thing using their installation video as a guide. $25 to equip 10 cars/loco's is a bit of a hit on my pocket book, although I do intend to get a set just to test them out on one loco and a few cars. But like you, I have a lot of other projects that need to be done first.

I do like the sounds they was using..I wonder if that was dubbed or a decoder?

Larry, those sounds were obviously dubbed, although on my Atlas DCC/Sound units I can certainly duplicate the sound of the air hose's separating and do that when I operate the layout now. Sure gets some interesting look's from casual observers when they hear the brakeman pull the pin and then the air hoses separate when you pull away! Wish all my DCC/Sound equipped engines did that.

[Mike Kieran]

It doesn't seem like much of a big deal until you put them on and take pictures. It's like Kaydee couplers when they first came out.

[Chuck]

I saw a You Tube video or on a forum of a guy who made "working" air hoses with mini magnets -- They didn't snap together -- his brakemen had to connect them by moving one close to the other and then they would snap together. It was pretty slick. I wish I knew the name of the video -- I guess one could just search You Tube and find it.

Chuck

[nachoman]

I saw those and thought "what a good idea!"

Then I thought, "what is this hobby coming to?"

I think little details like that are fantastic for those with small, highly detailed layouts. For those with basement empires and hundreds of cars - my hats off to you if you get them installed on your whole fleet

I think the resolution and availability of inexpensive digital photography drives innovation like that. With my necked eye, a 50 car train of kadees with "air hoses" and even molded on grab irons looks okay from a few feet away. Now, take a close up photo, and those little things stand out as the only things keeping your scene from looking 100% real.

[Mr Fixit]

When I first saw this thread I thought that someone was playing an April Fool's Day Joke, then I looked at the website date and it was still March 31, [its that whole International Dateline thingy in the middle of the Pacific] so its no joke, and then I checked out the links.

I think that the Kadee coupler experience is a good guide as to the acceptance of this product.

Actually, $25 for 10 pairs works out at $2.50/pair or $1.25 ea. and when you consider that a freight car from Walthers can cost $40 to $50 here in Oz, then the extra 5% is marginal. However the sums dont work out so favourable for my cheaper freight cars and locos.

I guess it comes down to the individual, and their layout. Just how important to you is the extra detailing of self coupling air hoses?

Mark