New couplers from San Juan Car Company

Side by side comparison of the new San Juan Type E Couplers and their existing Operating Type E Coupler. Gene Deimling photos

Side by side comparison of the new San Juan Type E Couplers and their existing Operating Type E Coupler. Gene Deimling photos

Gene Deimling posted about the new San Juan Couplers on his blog today. I recommend reading it. Here is an excerpt:

San Juan Car Company has been working on a new automatic coupler based upon the prototype Type-E coupler. Work was started on the standard gauge Evolution coupler shortly after finishing the narrow gauge Evolution automatic coupler. After several tries with their Chinese die maker, the coupler is done and in the country. The coupler is very similar to their working AAR Type-E coupler. The dimensions are nearly identical except for a scale inch and a half shorter in height. The shank has the same mounting hole and spring-plastic centering. It will fit in the same draft gear as the old San Juan coupler.

I can’t wait to try these out!

The new couplers look as good as the operating couplers and they do not have to be assembled. I also like the way they will remove the coupler slack if used in Kadee compatible coupler boxes.

Gene also mentions at the end of his post that there will be one more new assembled operating coupler in the states in the coming months. Coupler choices, that’s something to look forward to.

I saw an old friend yesterday in the hobby shop

Tenax-7R back in the hobby shop

Tenax-7R back in the hobby shop

Seems like every few months we hear of another modeling product or company being discontinued or going out of business. It was nice to go into the hobby shop yesterday morning and see Tenax-7R back on the shelves. There were stories that the company had been sold last winter and the new company did not want to continue production, all I really know is the supply dried up.

Seeing it back on the shelf was like seeing an old friend at a train show. Can’t wait to use some of the new bottle today and kind of catch up on the time since I saw it last.