Ta for pursuing this and posting your findings. I've a set of Dingham etchings to play with at some point but had held off due to not being entirely happy with the finished appearance - this goes some way to helping solve that.

Thanks

Steve

Glad I could help. Thanks for the comment.

I think this might be my new standard. It is just awkward that the latch end needs to not have chains added to get the 'genuine' coupled look. By having more realistic rake / consist the trade off is the wagons snoozing in sidings look less realistic due to the lack of chains. Always a trade off.

Options options.

A question that I have regarding Dinghams:

While obviously the leading ramp of the hook needs to be raked back as dramatically as it is to ensure that the other vehicle's loop will readily pass over it, does the capture side of the hook need to be parallel to it?   It does need SOME rake to ensure that the loop will not pop out while being pulled, but need it be as much as it is?

If it were less, the looseness of the coupling would be reduced; the adjacent wagons would be closer together.

I think possibly a millimeter could be gained.

I am not in a position to test this theory out myself....

...and that has got me to the point of sorting out how, as a dyed-in-the-wool 3 link devotee, I was going to shunt etc effectively. Taking this approach and a knowledge of how a train will break to be shunted should allow a strategically placed wagon with these couplings as described above to be the point of separation, leaving the 'realistic' 3 link equipped wagon(s) in their siding and the 'separation wagon' to recouple to the train to proceed onwards. Local shunting may be an issue, but right now I leave this page educated and for that my thanks are profuse!

Best,

Marcus

I have to add that my premise is that of a local pickup goods in which one or more wagons are shunted by the loco - pushed, that is, with no pulling - and that is often with other wagons still coupled, so the separation point makes sense to me. Of course, others locations did things differently according to manifests, but as I said, my thanks for germinating this idea at a practical level for my needs.

I have to add that my premise is that of a local pickup goods in which one or more wagons are shunted by the loco - pushed, that is, with no pulling - and that is often with other wagons still coupled, so the separation point makes sense to me. Of course, others locations did things differently according to manifests, but as I said, my thanks for germinating this idea at a practical level for my needs.

Hello! After almost 2 years I think I only saw these two replies of yours.

As I didn't get many replies here or on S4 I'm very happy to read that the entry is helping someone.

Have you tried it further if so how are things? I haven't yet as I haven't built any more Dinghams since but likely will.