Jump to content
 

Metal buffer heads (including collars)...


Recommended Posts

In the days of Mainly Trains, I used to be able to buy black metal buffer heads with a collar and a shaft that would slide into the buffer housing. They were very similar (perhaps the same product) as those that come with the Ratio LNWR/LMS coal and open wagon kit. (I think that kit, perhaps other Ratio kits too, though many use plastic buffers instead.) My question is whether anyone knows a supplier of this or a similar product - or has a hotline to Ratio/Parkside to encourage them to make these as spare parts (in boxes of 20 and 100, I would suggest). The closest product I know is the one from H&A Models. But (i) these are steel colour, not black and (ii) they do not have the collars. As you might of guessed (and I can't be alone) - I really dislike having to cut out those tiny plastic collars from the sprues: for every two or three success, one splits, and one pings to infinity and beyond...

Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Steamport Southport said:

Are you sure it wasn't Slaters rather than Ratio? Slaters wagon kits have metal buffer heads.

 

Try Wizard Models. They do buffer heads as part of the 51L range as well as quite a few sets of buffers.

 

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/

 

 

 

Jason

Hi Jason - the slaters buffer heads are steel and don't have the collars. They look very similar to the H&A product to me. 51L do various white metal buffers, and I have a lot of this kind from various sources, but they require that you cut off the existing buffer housing and drill. I can do that easily enough. But this is much more work than is often needed because the existing plastic housing is often/usually fine for my purposes (Powside, Ratio, Cambrian, Parkside. Mousa are not a problem since they have the collar printed as part of the buffer assembly.). There are finely machined black buffer heads that come with tiny springs so you can make them active. 51L and/or MJT; can't remember. These are good for their job, but expensive if all you want is to glue a buffer head into a plastic housing. And in any case, they don't have the collars. I'm holding an unpainted Ratio LNWR wagon in my hand now - it has the buffer types I mentioned - black, neat and with collars. This is from one of the newer Parkside packaged versions - so someone has a supply!

Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, k22009 said:

MJT part of the Dart casting range may be suitable, they have buffer heads with and without collars.

 

https://www.dartcastings.co.uk/mjt.php#WagonComponents-Buffers

 

Usually a good service from them, happy customer here.

 

Dave

Yes - I'm also happy with Dart/MJT. But it's either buffer heads without collars (and with springs), or fuller buffers including housing, collars and heads. I'm after the product in the middle: heads plus collar but no housing, like the ones I used to get from Dave Cleal. At least, I assume it was there; I can't think where else it would have been. I find it odd that something so useful should have vanished from the spares/accessories market...

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
9 hours ago, t.s.meese said:

Yes - I'm also happy with Dart/MJT. But it's either buffer heads without collars (and with springs), or fuller buffers including housing, collars and heads. I'm after the product in the middle: heads plus collar but no housing, like the ones I used to get from Dave Cleal. At least, I assume it was there; I can't think where else it would have been. I find it odd that something so useful should have vanished from the spares/accessories market...

 

Items 2374, 2735, and 2376 are just the buffer heads, collars and springs, 20 in a pack.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
3 minutes ago, Asterix2012 said:

Looking at the description there is no mention of collars?

 

You're correct, i assumed as these have a stepped shank in lieu of a collar that was what the op was looking for.

Link to post
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, 2mm Andy said:

Are these Markits buffer heads what you are looking for (albeit unblackened)?

 

https://www.petersspares.com/markits-m28-mbufwrlnwr12-lnwr-12-wagon-buffer-heads-plug-inbrass-pk4.ir

 

Andy

That's the sort of thing, Andy, thanks - might give them a try, but a bit pricey for only four; packs of 40 for the price of 20 please! - but not quite the same mould as the one's I have in mind (and in my LNWR wagon buffer housings). 

Link to post
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, k22009 said:

 

You're correct, i assumed as these have a stepped shank in lieu of a collar that was what the op was looking for.

Thanks - but no, the Markits link from 2mm Andy shows the pattern I'm after. But I'm still left wondering who made/make the ones for the LNWR ratio wagons/Dave Cleal...

 

Edit: I've purchased the Markits items from Pete's spare, as in 2mm Andy's link. By eye and the Internet, they look like different moulds to the Ratio ones; I'll feedback when I have them in hand, though perhaps I'll need to buy another Ratio kit... 

 

Second edit: 3.40GBP for 4 Markits brass buffers with collars vs 3.00GBP for 12 steel buffers without collars from H&A: https://www.hamodels.net/wagon-buffer-heads.html
I guess this is as much down to the brass as the collar (if you don't do shunting, I see no advantage in brass), but the Ratio double wagon kit (PC576) is great value (~15.76GBP) absorbing the cost of 8 black metal collared buffers (of unknown type because of the black cover finish) as it does.

Edited by t.s.meese
2nd addendum
Link to post
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, markjj said:

Have you tried Alan Gibson?

That's where I got complete Buffers plus Buffer heads springs and collars when I did 4mm a good few years back. They are still listed in the catalogue they have online on page 20.

http://www.alangibsonworkshop.com/Catalogue.pdf

Thanks, Markjj - I've looked at those - but I think they are of the same ilk as the dart/mjt product - i.e. spring designed for shunting (which is fine, but extra expense if you don't shunt). I don't think these have collars either. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...