gnairn23 Posted November 12, 2020 Share Posted November 12, 2020 Hello all, I recently bought a Hornby Class 142 Regional Railways Pacer. It is one of the older ones, so it has a model in both trains, however the previous owner has installed an electric connection at the coupling. My question is, do you have to keep the trains together at all times or can you taken them apart an put them back together without damaging them? Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Bird Posted November 12, 2020 Share Posted November 12, 2020 It really depends on how the connection has been made. Is it a plug and socket that can be easily separated or is it more permanent. If the former, unplugging and replugging shouldn't cause any damage but, if done frequently it could cause the connection to become loose over time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnairn23 Posted November 12, 2020 Author Share Posted November 12, 2020 Hello, this is the train.. You can see the electric connection between the two trains, they aren't stuck together and can be moved apart. Some other people says you should keep them permanently together but I don't see why. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnairn23 Posted November 12, 2020 Author Share Posted November 12, 2020 thoughts? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ColinK Posted November 12, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 12, 2020 From the pic it looks like you can just pull the cars apart. When putting them back together make sure the connectors go together the way they were connected. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnairn23 Posted November 12, 2020 Author Share Posted November 12, 2020 thanks, you can pull them apart, just that some people were saying they should stay together permanently. Apart from that Iam really happy with it, it has a motor in each train and the wiring across them adds up to great performance! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halvarras Posted November 12, 2020 Share Posted November 12, 2020 I've looked into this version of the Hornby Pacer, it's R451 released in 1996. An online search for 'Hornby Pacer R451' brings up a view of the underside and it appears that this connection was fitted as standard by Hornby - probably because their claim when the model was first released in 1988 that if one car stalls on a dead frog turnout the other will simply push it across turned out to be inconsistent with smooth running. How strange.... This should be relatively good news because Hornby will (should) have designed it to be robust enough to be connected and disconnected often, but as ColinK says do this carefully to ensure that they go together properly without binding which could result in damage to the contacts. I have recently obtained a Hornby Skipper, an early version without inter-vehicle connections, and I'm contemplating the best way to achieve such an inter-vehicle connection. It will probably end up looking something like this! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnairn23 Posted November 12, 2020 Author Share Posted November 12, 2020 nice man! It's a funny story that led me to buying this. I had the Northern Rail version that you got in a train pack called spirit of the North. I accidentally glued the trains together and when pulling them apart it broke the whole coupling, so I just had to buy a new one. I just wanted to know it is safe to couple and de couple them as I don't want to damage this newer(older) Pacer! Great wee trains though, completed my complex layout on it's first attempt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrel Posted November 13, 2020 Share Posted November 13, 2020 I'm pretty sure you can buy the couplings as spares so you may be able to get your old one up nd running again. When the 142 first came out there was no electrical connection between the motors and it ran badly. I modified mine with a simple plug and socket between the coaches and the unit ran beautifully over all sorts of pointwork 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Bird Posted November 13, 2020 Share Posted November 13, 2020 it's interesting to see that the model appears to be more popular than the real thing! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnairn23 Posted November 13, 2020 Author Share Posted November 13, 2020 5 hours ago, darrel said: I'm pretty sure you can buy the couplings as spares so you may be able to get your old one up nd running again. When the 142 first came out there was no electrical connection between the motors and it ran badly. I modified mine with a simple plug and socket between the coaches and the unit ran beautifully over all sorts of pointwork This is my old Pacer 142 in Northern Spirit livery. The first mistake I made was accidentally gluing the couplings together, The second mistake was trying to get them apart again, eventually pulling the whole Coupling off.. This is what it looks like.. Is she dead? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted November 13, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 13, 2020 8 minutes ago, gnairn23 said: This is my old Pacer 142 in Northern Spirit livery. The first mistake I made was accidentally gluing the couplings together, The second mistake was trying to get them apart again, eventually pulling the whole Coupling off.. This is what it looks like.. Is she dead? No, just sleeping (unlike the Norwegian Blue). If you can't find the coupling as a spare from the likes of Peter's Spares, make up a fixed coupling and then put in a new wired connection. You won't be able to split the unit but that is not great handicap on 4 wheeled vehicles. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnairn23 Posted November 13, 2020 Author Share Posted November 13, 2020 I was thinking of taking into Harburn Hobbies in Edinburgh but I don't want to waste the journey from Glasgow to be told it's unfixable. Do you guys think it is salvageable? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir TophamHatt Posted November 13, 2020 Share Posted November 13, 2020 Fairly easy to repair. I'd glue the coupling back (and keep it permanently coupled) on OR fit kadees in their boxes (look at Kadee 146) As for the electrical connectors, if you chose option 1 above, you'd need to resolder the connectors. If choosing option 2, I believe Richard at Roads and Rails have small connectors that you could use. Both options will require you to effectively re-join the wires together. As for glue, I'd look at simple PVA. I've tried using Super Glue, which didn't do too well with some applications. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnairn23 Posted November 13, 2020 Author Share Posted November 13, 2020 problem is I need a whole new coupling part.. the one I have is a right off, if I take it to Harburn Hobbies they might not have the spare part. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnairn23 Posted November 13, 2020 Author Share Posted November 13, 2020 Finding the coupler for the Class 142 is impossible to get as a spare. I'am going to take it into a local model shop to repair it, but I don't know how they are going to do that without the spare piece? Can they put a different type of coupler on it or something? This was the train.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnairn23 Posted November 13, 2020 Author Share Posted November 13, 2020 anyone else got some input into this? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted November 13, 2020 Share Posted November 13, 2020 As others have said it looks repairable. How it is repaired is down to how capable the person in the shop is to repair it, I would envisage a lot will depend on if they really want to take it on as a few shop keepers I know wouldn't touch it. To repair it personally I would look to make a bar out of brass rod bent to a U shape and then glue it to one car only with a corresponding slot in the chassis underneath the other car to locate the bar in. I would then look to get a suitable seperatable plug from RS components (or similar) for the electrics. You have asked a few times about separating the units but unless you have to I personally wouldn't be separating them. If you want to separate them for storage reasons I would look at it a different way and find a way to store them as a complete unit (eg make a storage case) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnairn23 Posted November 13, 2020 Author Share Posted November 13, 2020 thanks for the comment. I actually have two pacers now, the Northern Rock one with the broken coupler, was a present in 1999 from my mum and dad and xmas. The other Regional Railways 2 motored one I bought a few days ago to replace the Northern Rock one. But, sentimentality has me wanting to get the Northern Rock Pacer working again. The Regional Railways 2 motored one I am happy separating the units to go back in the box but as you say I need to see if this repairer in Glasgow will take the Northern Spirit on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnairn23 Posted November 13, 2020 Author Share Posted November 13, 2020 My final question is, is it worth taking into the repair shop for a £20 evaluation and diagnosis when I know you can't get the spare coupling part at all. Realistically what can the repair man do? Can it still be coupled and wired without the old part? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted November 13, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 13, 2020 13 minutes ago, gnairn23 said: My final question is, is it worth taking into the repair shop for a £20 evaluation and diagnosis when I know you can't get the spare coupling part at all. Realistically what can the repair man do? Can it still be coupled and wired without the old part? Yes, so long as you are willing to keep the unit together. Unsolder the existing broken wires and put in some new wires. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnairn23 Posted November 13, 2020 Author Share Posted November 13, 2020 I don't see why they'd have to stay coupled together, :S I'am thinking if they can repair it, they'd put a new type of coupling on the unit and maybe bypass the wiring all together, I don't know. Thanks for answering my questions by the way, it is an important sentimental childhood model and I'd love to get it back running! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cctransuk Posted November 13, 2020 Share Posted November 13, 2020 8 hours ago, gnairn23 said: I was thinking of taking into Harburn Hobbies in Edinburgh but I don't want to waste the journey from Glasgow to be told it's unfixable. Why not e-mail Harburn Hobbies with the photo attached and ask them if they can fix it? John Isherwood. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnairn23 Posted November 13, 2020 Author Share Posted November 13, 2020 I phoned them up and they said that they don't have the part and so therefore can't fix it. I might be going to a place in Glasgow but they charge £20 for a diagnosis and if they can't get the part I don't see how they can fix it either.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cctransuk Posted November 13, 2020 Share Posted November 13, 2020 9 minutes ago, gnairn23 said: I might be going to a place in Glasgow but they charge £20 for a diagnosis and if they can't get the part I don't see how they can fix it either.... I wouldn't do that if I were you - if they can make £20 for saying "Sorry, we can't do anything with that" they're making easy money, and have no incentive to even try and make a repair. What you are trying to do is not difficult for any reasonably competent modeller who knows how to source suitable components. Do you not know anyone who could do this for you? John Isherwood. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now