HO-Scale Knuckle Couplers

HO-Scale Knuckle Couplers
by William Mosteller, photo courtesy of Michael Roby

This clinic explains how to choose the right coupler for a piece of equipment, and how to install in properly. While the workshop focuses on the Kadee line, it also covers other manufacturers' offerings. Three facts convince me that this is a particularly valuable workshop.

First, when I give the workshop, to modelers typically with more experience than I, I find not everyone present understood the existence, let alone value of "delayed uncoupling."
Second, every car "with K/Ds" that I've bought at shows or used at hobby shops had some serious error in coupler installation. I cover the most common mistakes specifically.
Third, former attendees seek me out at shows and report successes using the material.

The logistics of the clinic are that I need a table, electricity (I carry a 25' cord), 15 minutes set-up time, an hour for the actual presentation, and roughly a half-hour afterward for break-down and attendee questions. (Some people are incapable of asking questions during a presentation like this, others have long, complicated questions. During this period I can meet those needs.)

One thing I'd like to try, but have never been able to get worked into the advertising at other shows is a "fool the guesser" segment after the presentation. Attendees would be invited to bring in their coupler conversion "problem children," and I would suggest solutions. Of course, depending on its popularity, it could extend the half-hour I mentioned above.

There's a crying need for this clinic in the hobby. I believe the hobby will suffer serious damage if coupler decisions are made based on comparisons with badly installed Kadee couplers. The Kadee instructions simply aren't doing the job, and this clinic does.

The clinic features the Bob-Mac coupler gauge, available exclusively at Granddad's Hobby Shop.

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