Reverting back to hook & horn couplers?

[Green_Elite_Cab]

I have a small 3.5x5.5 layout, which I usually use for operating my British trains but occasionally I like to run my North American HO stock on it. It seems that my (generally smaller) British trains can cope with its 15"R curves better than my North American ones. The knuckle couplers on many of my coaches don't like these tight curves & often uncouple. Just wondering if I should switch back to the more reliable hook & horn couplers, even though they're less realistic? I'm tired of experimenting with different kinds of Kadees to find ones that work.

Thanks,
Rob

It sounds more like a height problem than a radius problem (if it were radius, your cars would be pulling the others off the rails). Check the heights of your knuckles, and at the very least make them a standard height. they sell washer-shims to level them out. You almost have to buy the red and gray washers, simply because no two pieces are the same height, let alone standard height. they're cheap and a one time purchase ( i have a HUGE fleet of passenger equipment that i've shimmed and i still have plenty more years later).

Shelf couplers would definitely work, i use them in a lot of my Push-pull trains and that has removed almost all coupling problems (except for the occasional spring that frees itself, though this happens with all knuckle couplers so equipped). shelf couplers may also be prototypical for your coaches.

However, shelf couplers are expensive compared to Kadee #5s, and in truth, they more mask the problem rather than fix it. Ultimately, either your track is bad or your couplers are sagging, and both of those issues should be checked.