Sergent Engineering Couplers

On another forum I read about Segent Engineering who make couplers the resemble the prototype couplers on freight equipment. They will also be making the tightlock coupler for passenger cars. I'm wondering if anyone has ever used this companies couplers?

They look great and they work like the prototype in which the couplers are held in by friction (theres no centering mechanism). To uncouple, you need to use a tool (not a good idea if you have a large layout and want to be uncoupling in hard to reach or inacessable areas)

They are not compatible with other brands of couplers though, and cost a bit more.

Here's their web site:

http://www.sergentengineering.com/

-otto-

Thanks for the info. I was looking to see how many people really use them and how satisfied are they. I'm considering buying some to use on some dedicated cars.

Actually, Segent couplers will work with Kadee semi-scale couplers. They are beautiful couplers, but uncoupling can be a bit of a challenge, especially on passenger cars. I saw a homemade uncoupler designed for using between close-coupled passenger cars, but I don't recall the specifics of it.

Doug Alexander
Modeling the Southern Rwy, 1936 to '46

I use the new tight-lock couplers on my NJT set and now i set to buy more of the couplers for the rest of my passenger fleet i will post pic's of my finished models.

Frank will be releasing Type H tightlock couplers for passenger equipment very shortly. Along with that look for type F rotary couplers in the coming months. I worked with Frank on the design and have to finalize the draft gear design to facilitate the rotary action. I do indeed have a working type F rotary coupler installed on an Exactrail Autoflood coal hopper as one of my test models. The only problem I see with these is that I'm going to have to design a seperate draft gear for each model railroad car manufacturer, and I'm going to need an injection-molding machine or someone to mass produce them.

Look forward to seeing those H Tightlock couplers. Thanks for the information.

I have been using the Sergent couplers on my freight trains for some time now, and I do like them a lot. They do a lot for the appearance of the cars. You definitely have to plan a layout where you can reach all the places where trains uncouple though. You use a magnetic want to unlock the couplers. If you follow the assembly and break in steps, which are on the website (sergentengineering.com), they should run without any problems. I have only had problems with the couplers I haven't broken in properly, and those problems have gone away as soon as I took a minute to break them in.

I said I have been using them on freight trains. I have a large fleet of passenger trains, which still use Kadee couplers. There are two reasons for this. For a while you could only get type E couplers from Sergent, and those didn't look right to me on passenger trains. Also, the diaphragms can make it a bit trickier to uncouple the cars, as it is harder to get that magnetic wand in above the couplers. The diaphragms also force the couplers to stay stretched out. Like real couplers, you do need to relieve some of the tension on the couplers before they will open, and this is a little more challenging with the diaphragms.

They do look great though, and operation has never been a problem for me. As soon as Frank starts selling the type H couplers, I will start putting them on my passenger fleet. I'll figure something out for uncoupling them.