User here

I'm only aware of buying them direct. But they are a great company to deal with. So far I have left the couplers in the light rust finish that they come in. Though one could paint or apply powders to change them. The stock color is sufficient for most people. Using Sergents means being hands on. You have to get right over top of the cars and use the magnet in the wand to lift an internal ball bearing and then use the pick on the wand to flick open the knuckle or just to align the coupler. Just like the real thing they stay where you left them so if you uncouple on a curve your scale brakeman has some extra work to do  

If you already manually throw turnouts, only use your throttle for controlling the locomotive and are otherwise very hands on/in with your operations I think you'll enjoy them. Some here speak of spoiling the illusion when you reach your hands into the scene to uncouple cars. If you are in that camp then Sergents may not be for you. 

I bought some pre-built ones but also the assembly jig and kits. Assembling your own isn't too hard as long as you are careful and if you do accidently glue the coupler shut don't force it, drop it in some acetone to dissolve the CA a glue and start over. 

feedback from any Sergent coupler users

I've tested them in both S and HO scales. They look good but are harder than kadees to use. One has to be able to look almost straight down on the cars to align the couplers because they have no centering springs and very narrow gathering range. The S size was also very hard to assemble and get reliable operation as they take a lot of filing of quite hard metal. Even the assembled HO versions are touchy when it comes to coupling pressure ,some work fine and others needed quite a bump to get them connected. The magnetic uncouplers will stick to the ends of metal cars if one is not careful when inserting them between the cars.  I think they wold appeal to someone who wants to build realistic looking cars and doesn't mind the operating problems, It would definitely have to be a layout with easy access to the coupling areas so one could align the couplers. They probably would seem fine if one had 20 cars but lose their charm if one had 200 cars. I didn't like them enough to spend the extra money and went with kadee "scale" head whisker couplers on my current HO stuff.....DaveB

It's worth a try

I can't say that I have a lot of experience with Sergent couplers, but I have assembled a couple of dozen and equipped a few cars and a couple of engines. They are definitely a little more "fiddly" than regular Kadee-style couplers, but I find that both coupling and uncoupling gets easier with practice. I like the prototypical appearance, and I enjoy the hands-on experience. It's very easy to convert an engine and a few cars, so I would suggest you buy a couple of six-packs and an uncoupling wand, convert a few pieces of equipment, and play with them a little. You'll soon find out if you think it's worth the additional effort and (small) expense. In bulk, the Sergents are actually cheaper than Kadee's near-scale whisker couplers (at least from my sources here in Canada).

I think Andy at the Proto:87 Stores (http://www.proto87.com) also stocks the Sergent couplers. I bought mine direct from Sergent Engineering, and can wholly recommend that.

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Jostein

I like the Kadee

I like the kadee couplers both the scale and regular. The delayed feature is also something I like as well as it lets me move cars from place to place with out touching them. Nothing is harder on details than someone that has to look at everything with his hands. It may be very realistic to manually uncouple everything and then pull away but all of that reaching in is tough on the scale details. The operating parts, like couplers, need to be robust and reliable as well as durable. If something that is a bit less prototypical than some others and will accomplish this then I am in favor of it.

If another type works for your operation and layout good for you, enjoy yourself. I think the less coupler picks and 050s in use the better we will be as far as our scenery and structures not to mention rolling stock will be. Even a very careful person will have a sleeve or watch etc catch something sooner or later, and a sneeze at the wrong time could be disastrous.

Yesterday one of our newest members who has recently gotten into the hobby made the comment how are you going to get that train into the yard? I said backing it in and using the magnets to uncouple. His challenge, "No Touching". The train was about 80 to 90 cars and had two H-24-66s on the point. A CVP wireless throttle was used and the cars were cut into 5 tracks backing them through our curving yard lead and several switches to the magnets and uncoupling. At the end he said very impressive demonstration of how to do that. I am not sure this would have worked out well with needing to do the magnet and pick thing to break up the train as some of the tracks were a fair reach from the isle.

The neat thing about doing this we just built a new curved crossover and installed it in our yard throat and it is working great. As to this newer modeler, every time we do something George will work on his railroad and improve it a bunch as well as his equipment. It shows him that you can do this or that and it is not to hard to do so.

The other thing we tend to do is help each other improve our skills. Nice thing about our club is all of us have different skills and we are willing to share them with each other. I have heard good things about the Sergeant couplers and have also heard that they are not compatible with other brands of knuckle couplers. I have several hundred freight cars and they are all equipped with Kadees. So if someone else has something with accumate or one of the other types that are similar to Kadees they will function. I do know that one can pull trains in excess of 160 cars with kadees and not have problems and you can back the train up as well.

Rob in Texas

User here

I'm an actual Sergent (HO) user, so hopefully this response will be useful for you.

Note that there is a link you should check out from 2009 here on MRH.  There is a lot of conversation about them in that post including their cost, strength, use, etc.

I think they are great if you have the right layout (everything reachable, good lighting), if you don't interchange your rolling stock a lot, and you don't mind reaching in the layout. The cost is reasonable if you buy in bulk, and it only takes a little bit of care to put them together successfully.

IMHO, they look better, and operate better than other products. I'm very happy with mine, and I'll be using them on my next layout as well.

I too, use Sergents, but have

I too, use Sergents, but have only half the ore fleet converted.  I keep a handful of ore cars with a Sergent on one end, Kadee on the other, for emergency 0-5-0 insertion in a train when needed.  The cabeese are also equiped with one of each, and turned as needed by the 0-5-0.  After full conversion, they will have the Kadees removed.

These couplers no longer come in rusty red because of hazardous chemical concerns.  They are now in a blue-grey, not unlike newly cast real couplers.

They look great, and work as well as the real ones, so yes, you have to align them properly.  I have large radius curves, which are more forgiving when coupling there.

I assemble my own, due to the sheer quantity needed.  Every once in a while, I build a clunker. They are going in a heap for a mass solvent bath and repair. 

The key is to ream, burnish and clean well.

I love em

I bought a set of unassembled Sergents and built them myself. They're not hard to assemble, just requires a little patience. I dont have a layout, I'm more into building and super detailing cars, so these are a dream come true. As far as looks go, these blow anything else out of the water, no trip pins, to big spring on the side, and they have the casting-flag hole in the knuckle. 

I cant speak for the operation side of these, as I said I dont have a layout, so I have no clue as to how much weight they can withstand before they fail. Someday when I do build a layout, I'll still use Sergents, I'm hooked on them!

minimum radius?

anyone know what minimum radius they will work/couple at?

Sergeanst VS Kadees : Coupling on curves

Dear Loren,

As far as "train in motion" curve performance,
as long as they have the same coupler swing as a Kadee,
anything a Kadee can do Sergeants can do.
(arguably Kadees have more slop in the knuckle<> knuckle geometry, and thus can "bend in the middle". However, with the myriad factors at play, both options can be considered functionally equivalent...)

In terms of "coupling on curves", arguably the Sergeants have an advantage,
in that they do not have "self-centring".

As such, assuming the operator lines-up the couplers correctly (entirely as per proto),
sergeants stand a far better chance of a successful coupling on < 18" radii curves than Kadees.

Of course, if the coupling situation is a "blind" one
(IE inside a warehouse/structure, behind a structure, in hidden staging, etc etc)
then Kadees will likely "auto-couple" without any human intervention, "pre-alignment", or knuckle-opening on track with radii> 18". Sergeants however will still require "manual alignment, and at least 1 knuckle open".

related info: I'm contemplating a layout depicting the Blue Herron papermill in Oregon City, Ore. One of the attractions is the "Razzle dazzle", a localised move where 3x 50' Railbox boxcars must be spotted one-at-a-time, on a traction-railroad-tight-cuved spur, with knuckles-butted (IE pushed together, but not coupled). In model terms, it would appear that Sergeants may well be the best choice for such a situation.

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

PS what equipment are you considering in asking the question? Length, truck spacing, coupler swing, curve radii, and gathering area, will all affect the valid values, largely independent of the coupler system under test...

Minimum radius

I've tested mine on curves as tight as 18", without issue. The practical minimum will depend on the cars and locos you use. Sergent couplers don't have a centering spring, so they're easier to line up and couple on curves, compared to Kadee-style couplers.

--
Jostein

Minimum radius

 I ran some around 12 inch curves on  my Harlem Transfer test loop. Their limit would be when the couplers hit the side of the draft gear box. What makes them hard to couple is the gathering range is very small compared to Kadee couplers so one has to align them quite accurately on a curve or on a straight. If you can look straight down on the cars it not hard but if you are looking from an angle it can take a few tries to get it right. ....DaveB

actually, i will have fairly broad curves

30 inch minimum...but wanted to know the operational limits.   I have a 'test' set coming from a fellow list member for about half price.   I think Sergents will fill the bill nicely as I shouldn't have any high volume coupling and uncoupling, plus for realism, I cut the pins off Kadees anyway so operationally they will be similar.   I will not be using any passenger equipment nor will i be switching any extra long cars.   half the trains will be semi-unit type...i.e. relatively fixed cuts of cars.   semi-operational hump where using the magnet will be easier than cutting with a skewer.

really looking forward to being able to uncouple double shelf on tank cars more easily.  plus the realism factor on both appearance and operation intrigue me.

thanks for all the info.

Sergent User

Your comment about gluing

Your comment about gluing them makes me wonder... what is the likelihood of failure without glue?

I built a batch and forgot to glue them - maybe a dozen or so.  I usually assemble a bunch, then glue them, but in this case, sans glue, they were thrown into the box of completed couplers and their identity lost.

So I am left wondering what the result will be.  Probably a prototypical broken coupler event!?!

Without glue?

Without glue, failure will be high. It doesn't take much to hold them together, but you'll loose the knuckle and ball pretty fast.

James brought up a good point about the uncoupling rod; I also made my own that works much better than than the one you can buy from parts on hand. I'll post a picture in a little bit.

No Glue = Lost Knuckle

Uncoupling rod

I thought I'd share my "home" uncoupling rod for my fellow Sergent users.

I made this as I have had a tendency to drop, and break, the great one you get from Sergent.

I assembled this out of a piece of basswood (the length makes it easy to find, and use!), some plastic sleeve, two rare earth magnets, nylon thread, and a scrap piece of piano wire.

The plastic sleeve holds the magnets to the tip of the basswood; the wound string holds that and the piano wire in place. Everything is glued as well.

You'll note that it's a bit oversized; this makes uncoupling an alignment a ton easier!