Adjusting heights of Rapido couplings.

[Eric the Red]

  As a newbie, I'm generally quite happy with them. However, I get frequent problems of 'detatchments' when running, and it appears to be that couplings on locos/stock are at different heights. is there a way to adjust them?
Thanks.

[PLD]

Which manufacturer and what type of coupling mounting (sprung/unsprung/NEM)? - A photo would be useful if your unsure.

However a couple of other things to also consider. Unless the couplings are mismatched in height by more than 50%, frequent uncoupling is unlikely to be solely due to the couplings and can also be a symptom of other issues, e.g. poorly laid track or excessive speed through curves or over point work.

[ntpntpntp]

Generally they are not designed to be adjustable as such, so if you have a coupling which has a pronounced droop or lift then that needs to be addressed on an individual basis.  The different coupling mounting methods can affect how you go about trying to adjust, but probably something is bent or perhaps a spring is missing.

Also keep in mind that although the Rapido coupling is a de facto standard for N, different manufacturers do end up implementing the coupling and mount slightly differently, especially the old style T-shank coupling pockets etc.   If I find a pair of wagons persistently misbehaving they are usually two different brands, so I'll first try turning one wagon through 180 degrees and if still problems move it somewhere else in the train.

A little dab of copydex or tacky wax on the inside of the coupling face can help.

[Eric the Red]

Generally they are not designed to be adjustable as such, so if you have a coupling which has a pronounced droop or lift then that needs to be addressed on an individual basis.  The different coupling mounting methods can affect how you go about trying to adjust, but probably something is bent or perhaps a spring is missing.

Also keep in mind that although the Rapido coupling is a de facto standard for N, different manufacturers do end up implementing the coupling and mount slightly differently, especially the old style T-shank coupling pockets etc.   If I find a pair of wagons persistently misbehaving they are usually two different brands, so I'll first try turning one wagon through 180 degrees and if still problems move it somewhere else in the train.

A little dab of copydex or tacky wax on the inside of the coupling face can help.

Thanks. I'll try Tacky Wax, as it also seems to have many other uses - modelling and other items!
ERIC