Sixties Snapshots - 00 scale

Looks very good to me and certainly a simple and cheap option that improves the coaches no end. Will have ago at this.

 

John

John, Excellent - it has taken me some time to get round to this little job. I think using quality black card is key to the job.

 

Good luck

 

Ray

That's a good tip and an excellent tutorial. Many thanks for sharing it.

Excellent tutorial - very much like the coach connectors. Have you ever thought of Spratt and Winkle couplings. I tried this for the first time a few months ago and found them surprisingly easy to do. They are also very cheap.

That's a good ...... Many thanks for sharing it.

Mikkel

I really appreciate your complement. Regards Ray

..... Spratt and Winkle couplings....... surprisingly easy to do. They are also very cheap.

Thank you for the comment - I like cheap and easy. I shall investigate further. I tend to keep coaches in fixed rakes so that is OK. Did you keep a Bachmann / Hornby coupling on the ends of the rake?

 

Regards

 

Ray

Addenda

 

Seems that I had not done enough testing:

 

Four weeks later and I have to admit to a fault in the design posted at the beginning of November. I have discovered one set of Peco Curved points on the layout that would not accommodate the original design of connectors. The problem is that the ends of the connectors were too narrow and would slide apart and then lock. The solution is straight forward - the rubbing plates need to be at least 14mm wide. You can either glue on a separate new rubbing plate 14mm wide or the connector can be remade as detailed above using the updated sizes.

 

Regards

 

Ray

This great stuff Ray(now why didn't I think of that) A simple approach with excellent results.

Need to subscribe to your blog and find some time to go through all your old posts.

This great stuff Ray(now why didn't I think of that) A simple approach with excellent results.

Need to subscribe to your blog and find some time to go through all your old posts.

Thanks, it is great to get encouragement.

 

Regards

 

Ray

Hello Ray,

I'm attempting to modify a pair of those 60' Collettes into a BR(W) dining car pair of 1960. To do this I need to fit bow-ends to the coaches. As I'd like to re-use those original rubberized corridor connectors, I'm wondering if you've any suggestions on the best way of removing them without damage?

 

They look like they might push theough, from the outside, but they may be glued on the inside rubber flange. So thought I'd ask before trying anything that might damage them.

 

Also, I'm wanting to fit NEM Pockets to these coaches, if you've any experience/advice in that arra.

 

As always, Ray, your assistance is appreciated,

Rick

Hello Rick

 

Hapy New Year!

 

Difficult questions - you wouldn't be asking otherwise!

.....the best way of removing them without damage?

 

They look like they might push theough, from the outside, but they may be glued on the inside rubber flange. So thought I'd ask before trying anything that might damage them.

 

Also, I'm wanting to fit NEM Pockets to these coaches, if you've any experience/advice in that arra.

As you say when you squeeze the rubber connectors they look as though they should push through / pull out.

 

I have to admit my cheap and cheerful solution was tailored to not dismantling the coaches as they seem rather fragile.  In the past I have been inside the Bachmann ex LMS panelled coaches (which also have rubber corridor connectors).  I cannot remember whether there was any glue but certainly I can remember that one or more were loose once the coach body was removed from the underframe.  I do believe that once upon a time these connectors could be bought off places like eBay, maybe even the Replica web site which up until recently still had Collet Coach bodies for sale.  (There is actually one still available on eBay as of 07/01/15).

 

I have not gone down the road of fitting NEM pockets - athough I have been very tempted with the ex LMS 68ft Restaurant Car.  I have a small collection of Bachmann pockets that have come with spare couplings which might be attached in lieu of the Bachmann mini coupling.  However I don't know whether there are adhesives that will bond the 'nylon' type plastic used to make the coupling pockets.  Once when I 'won' a bag of couplings on eBay there was a 'home made' pocket in white plasticard.  Now that would not be too difficult to make and could be fixed to the bogie using MEK / Butanone.  Again if there are only a small number to be made the plastic from CD cases comes to mind - you could use offcuts as packing if the height was not correct.

 

Let me know if you think of anything else to ask.

 

Regards

 

Ray