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Hunt Coupling System


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Just seen a post about these.

 

For me, coupling isn't particularly about being close together but the draw of Kadees or these new ones is the ease of taking rakes on and off the track.

 

But that's my layout.

I understand other layouts make use of the auto uncouple and other still want close coupling.

 

https://westhillwagonworks.co.uk

 

Dave has a review video here:

 

 

I've ordered a couple of HST sets.

Will report back how I get on with them.

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15 minutes ago, Mjpscott@gmail.com said:

Where do you order from - is there a Web Site?

https://westhillwagonworks.co.uk/

 

They seem to be concentrating on fairly modern stock at present.  From the video they look impressive if you don't need automatic uncoupling.  I wonder whether they would be any good for a 1930s/ branch line with small 4-wheeled wagons?  I will watch this thread with interest.

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Currently out of stock. Do look good - would be much easier on our rakes of Mk1s than the Hornby R8220s whcih cause apopexy amongst guest operators......and earache for me! Will try again later ....

 

A 12 vehicle rake including loaded motorails on the back will be an ultimate test.

Edited by Phil Bullock
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2 hours ago, Phil Bullock said:

 ...A 12 vehicle rake including loaded motorails on the back will be an ultimate test.

Judging from the treatment in the video where a diesel model on a couple of coaches was first pushed and then reversed vigorously by hand, and thus pulled along dead on the couplers,  should be no trouble in terms of sufficient force to stay coupled up.

 

48 minutes ago, sharris said:

I can see they might lead to some interesting operational puzzles if your layout has a reversing triangle or loop and you like to do a bit of shunting.

If the maker were to introduce a version with both poles on the front face of the magnet consistently positioned left/right, that would provide an 'always couples' option for such an operation, just as conventional mechanical coupling systems.

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Great for semi-fixed rakes, but I can’t see much use for it on a 1950s BLT.  How do you uncouple wagons and how do you prevent them recoupling themselves as soon as the magnets are within a few inches of each other; in fact, even when you intend to couple, how do you ensure that the wagon stays still until the loco contacts with it?

 

But I’m considering it within coaching rakes.   

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Same here - use within a fixed coach rake with kadees on the outside for connecting to locos for easy uncoupling at a terminus, 

Got a set bought so I can mod some 1970's triang/Hornby Mk2's. Was originally going to use Bachmann tension close couplers, but will now use the NEM from those to mount the hunt couplers.

 

With regard to having both poles on the heads, you would then have to have separate under / over stacked variants. At least at present you can just flip the single variant to the the one you require.

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I've been wanting a better coupling for my older style HST for sometime. Getting around the step in the power car coupling was my biggest sticking point. Every other option for close coupling seemed to need mods in this area.

 

I have a pack on order and I'm looking forward to seeing how they preform.

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4 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Great for semi-fixed rakes, but I can’t see much use for it on a 1950s BLT.  How do you uncouple wagons and how do you prevent them recoupling themselves as soon as the magnets are within a few inches of each other; in fact, even when you intend to couple, how do you ensure that the wagon stays still until the loco contacts with it? .....

 

I don't think they are designed to be used for that purpose.

They're specifically designed for quick assembly and removal of vehicles in fixed rakes.

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They are clearly the DBs within rakes, especially gangwayed, and I’m wondering how they might perform in an auto set.  The potential issue is buffer lock on tight radii with the the long buffer housings, but a rigid coupling that holds the vehicles apart might prove very useful.  
 

It’s worth ordering a pack just to experiment with!

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1 hour ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

 

I don't think they are designed to be used for that purpose.

They're specifically designed for quick assembly and removal of vehicles in fixed rakes.

If they are fixed rakes why do you need to add or remove vehicles?:)

 

A simple hook & loop would do that. (Not a tension lock!)

The Roco & Hornby close couplers also allow that.

TBH I can't see the point of it.

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I think putting a proprietary name on magnets sticking to one another is going a little far. My grandkid's Brio seems to be identical functionally.

 

I'd be much more impressed if there was also an uncoupling system.  I'll stick to Sergent Engineering Couplers which can be uncoupled by simply waving a maget over them plus my own ideas for now.

 

Andy

 

 

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Hi there we manufacture and designed the hunt coupling system, These are aimed at simplicity for people to add and remove rolling stock on and off the layout along with close coupling also allowing rakes to be pushed around the layout easily i.e those running mk3's with a dvt.

Tested for second radius and above and with 1 in 4 gradients and offering reliable coupling solutions for many

 

More are back in stock next week due to the extremely amount of sales within the first 24 hours! we are working around the clock for more to be released as soon as possible, keep an eye out on our facebook page for updates

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2 hours ago, Andy Reichert said:

I think putting a proprietary name on magnets sticking to one another is going a little far. My grandkid's Brio seems to be identical functionally.

 

I'd be much more impressed if there was also an uncoupling system.  I'll stick to Sergent Engineering Couplers which can be uncoupled by simply waving a maget over them plus my own ideas for now.

 

Andy

 

 

Why is it going too far?  What is wrong with a bit of ingenuity?  Yes it may not be completely original, but you couldn't fit Brio coupler parts to a 4mm scale model without it sticking out like a sore thumb.  Its not intended to be an uncoupling system, its for rakes that are semi-fixed, making it very easy to cut vehicles in and out of a rake in the fiddle-yard, for instance.

 

Didn't Sergent Engineering put a proprietary name on knuckle couplers, when many types already existed?

 

People moan about things that annoy them (such as using fixed bar couplings that require a rake to be up-ended to be split apart), but when someone comes up with a solution, they get slated.

 

I for one think these are a good idea, I'm looking into a way of incorporating them into my own stock which is kadee fitted, both loose and fixed rakes

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2 hours ago, Half-full said:

Why is it going too far?  What is wrong with a bit of ingenuity?  Yes it may not be completely original, but you couldn't fit Brio coupler parts to a 4mm scale model without it sticking out like a sore thumb.  Its not intended to be an uncoupling system, its for rakes that are semi-fixed, making it very easy to cut vehicles in and out of a rake in the fiddle-yard, for instance.

 

Didn't Sergent Engineering put a proprietary name on knuckle couplers, when many types already existed?

 

People moan about things that annoy them (such as using fixed bar couplings that require a rake to be up-ended to be split apart), but when someone comes up with a solution, they get slated.

 

I for one think these are a good idea, I'm looking into a way of incorporating them into my own stock which is kadee fitted, both loose and fixed rakes

 

Sergent Couplers are absolutely scale auto couplers with a unique and ingenious internal operating mechanism, that does not spoil the scale size or appearance. They can also be uncoupled entirely hands off. What you describe as other "many types" of knuckle couplers are none of the above.

 

A similar sales spurt occurred a few years back when some "inventor" advertised magnetic model railway air hose couplers on Ebay and Youtube and claimed a patent. The only problem after an investor paid him a huge sum to purchase the "rights", was that the same design had been the subject of articles two years before in two different model railway magazines on both sides of the Atlantic.  So that design and almost certainly this similarly working one are already in the public domain.

 

Andy

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23 minutes ago, Andy Reichert said:

 

Sergent Couplers are absolutely scale auto couplers with a unique and ingenious internal operating mechanism, that does not spoil the scale size or appearance. They can also be uncoupled entirely hands off. What you describe as other "many types" of knuckle couplers are none of the above.

 

A similar sales spurt occurred a few years back when some "inventor" advertised magnetic model railway air hose couplers on Ebay and Youtube and claimed a patent. The only problem after an investor paid him a huge sum to purchase the "rights", was that the same design had been the subject of articles two years before in two different model railway magazines on both sides of the Atlantic.  So that design and almost certainly this similarly working one are already in the public domain.

 

Andy

Sergent Couplers are still knuckle couplers though!  There is nothing to say that someone else hadn't came up with the idea beforehand, but just didn't market it.  I agree that they look very good and work very well.  I'd also heard about the magnetic air hoses, before they came to prominence. 

 

I'm not saying that these magnetic couplers are unique, and no doubt someone has devised a similar system, I even had thoughts myself a few years back.  West Hill are bringing them to the mass market, I've not seen anyone else offering them for 4mm NEM fitted stock (and the older Airfix style coupler), what is wrong with that?   

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