The Chaldrons, By Accurascale

[Bishdurham]

On 29/10/2021 at 18:03, Butler Henderson said:

As far as I can work out none of the packs replicate wagons preserved at Beamish so could there be a further pack or packs for Beamish?

Beamish acquired their waggons from Seaham Harbour so the Londonderry pack looks spot on.

[Compound2632]

On 29/10/2021 at 16:13, Accurascale Fran said:

They do not connect pole to pole, so it doesnt matter which way each wagon is facing, they will always connect. 

 

Now that is an advance on the classic Lego coupling!

 

 

Though I believe they have had a reversible magnetic coupling for some time.

[Butler Henderson]

On 02/11/2021 at 14:16, Bishdurham said:

Beamish acquired their waggons from Seaham Harbour so the Londonderry pack looks spot on.

If the list on wikipedia is correct https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Beamish_Museum:_Railway_wagons_%26_coaches#Londonderry_Railway_4_tonners

there is no complete pack covering the wagons at Beamish.  12 features in pack J Vane / Londonderry Chaldron Pack  and 1833 alebit with chalked markings in pack H Accurascale Londonderry Chaldron Pack.

[Accurascale Fran]

Hi everyone,

 

Just a heads up that the NER, Seaham Harbour and Earl of Durham packs are getting endangered, with over 70% of the entire Chaldron run now pre-sold here at Accurascale. So, don't miss out if you fancy some!

 

Thanks to everyone who has ordered so far and we're delighted with the support on what was a step into the relative unknown for us.

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

[Accurascale Fran]

Hi everyone,

 

Our cute little Chalrdon wagons have caused quite a stir, not least their new magnetic chain couplings. A full NEM socket and tension lock coupling would overpower something so small and dainty, so we had to get creative! We came up with a magnetic chain alternative to give it a more prototypical look.

 

But, how do you couple them to a loco or another item of stock? Well, as you can see in this video, we have that covered too. We're back at the engineers workbench performing more tests, and in this short video we show you our coupling solution for locomotives and other stock with NEM pockets. Snap in and play!

 

 

Each chaldron pack will contain these NEM couplings to allow you to couple to your locomotives or other stock. We are also considering offering them for sale in dedicated coupling packs should there be suffiecent interest by those who are looking for an alternative coupling solution.

 

Meanwhile, research and testing continues, and Chaldrons continue to sell! We don't have a huge number of packs remaining, so if you fancy some, please place your pre-order ASAP. £44.99 per three pack, delivery in Q2 2022! https://accurascale.co.uk/collections/chaldron 

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

[Michael Hodgson]

But how do you uncouple the loco again without having to handle the vehicles?

[Accurascale Fran]

Just now, Michael Hodgson said:

But how do you uncouple the loco again without having to handle the vehicles?

 

Hi Michael,

 

The hand of God is required to separate. We know this isnt the silver bullet solution that everyone would desire for couplings, but I don't think such a silver bullet exists unfortunately!

 

Cheers,

 

Fran 

[Michael Hodgson]

A pity, as they couple up so easily.  So much simpler than the fiddle of trying to connect 3-links, the unreliabiity of tension locks and the cost of Kadees.

 

In theory it should be possible to do it electromagnetically, repelling opposite poles.  Unfortunately the practicalities of making a sufficiently powerful electromagnet small enough, never mind hanging it on a chain seem insurmountable.

 

The equivalent of an uncoupling ramp would need some sort of underboard device that restrained the wagons (grabbing them by the axles?) and mechanically forced the loco away - loco power would not be enough to avoid wheel slip if you tried to drive the loco away from restrained wagons.  

[PaulRhB]

Some sort of plastic tweezers or scissors with a wedge blade would probably work well. 
Or a pair of tweezers held closed between the buffers then released to push the buffers apart? They only need to open slightly more than the power of the coupling to pull wagons together. 

Imagine the blue bits are the wedge blades moving together in the direction of the red arrows. You might be able to find some kids scissors or similar that could be adapted?

 

Edited November 16, 2021 by PaulRhB

[Michael Hodgson]

23 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

Some sort of plastic tweezers or scissors with a wedge blade would probably work well. 
Or a pair of tweezers held closed between the buffers then released to push the buffers apart? They only need to open slightly more than the power of the coupling to pull wagons together. 

 

... and to separate the wagons far enough that they don't immediately recouple.

Until they arrive and we've had time to try it, no idea how far apart that might be.

 

And of course unless it can be concealed and done from below the baseboard through some sort of hole, you've still got the hand of God holding the tweezers - so you might as well just use your fingers.

[Islesy]

Have to ask Michael, how do you uncouple your rolling stock on your layout at the moment?

[Ruston]

1 hour ago, Accurascale Fran said:

The hand of God

This is one of the eternal questions of railway modelling. Do you put up with a giant hand coming into the scene for a few seconds, or do you put up with a ridiculously huge and ugly tension lock coupler, or equally hideous and non-prototypical (for most UK prototypes) Kaydee being stuck on every engine and piece of rolling stock all the time?

 

For me it's no contest - it's the hand of god every time, so I use 3-links. I don't want my models permanently defaced by some ruddy great lump of a coupling stuck on the ends. These magnetic couplings seem like a good compromise for those who would find using 3-links too much of a faff but don't want the usual couplings spoiling their models.

[PaulRhB]

57 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

And of course unless it can be concealed and done from below the baseboard through some sort of hole

The simplest form would be a wire that rises through a hole to axle height and holds the wagon in place while the loco pulls away but if the couplings too strong the loco will probably just sit spinning! 
It’s used as a simulated brake while shunting on a few layouts with gradients. 

[PaulRhB]

3 minutes ago, Ruston said:

For me it's no contest - it's the hand of god every time, so I use 3-links.

And once you can’t see them anymore in 4mm move to O gauge!  
 

Now there’s another idea for the wagons chaps  

Edited November 16, 2021 by PaulRhB

[Michael Hodgson]

1 hour ago, Islesy said:

Have to ask Michael, how do you uncouple your rolling stock on your layout at the moment?

Tension locks - uncoupling ramps, some solenoid operated, some simply sprung.  I have some 3-link (run as fixed rakes), but they buffer lock on my curves when propelled.

 

The trouble is the various brands/styles of tension lock aren't very compatible, and there is a very irritating tendency for trains to divide en route.  I had been considering a move towards fixed couplings within rakes but that is a pain when it comes to putting stock onto the track, and it now looks like I will be migrating towards Hunt couplings.  It will be a big exercise as I have a lot of stock, and it will in any case have to wait till I have fitted decoders to a lot of locos.  I might keep tension locks on locos and ends of fixed rakes.  

[MarkSG]

42 minutes ago, Ruston said:

This is one of the eternal questions of railway modelling. Do you put up with a giant hand coming into the scene for a few seconds, or do you put up with a ridiculously huge and ugly tension lock coupler, or equally hideous and non-prototypical (for most UK prototypes) Kaydee being stuck on every engine and piece of rolling stock all the time?

 

That is, indeed, one of the big dilemmas we face!

 

42 minutes ago, Ruston said:

For me it's no contest - it's the hand of god every time, so I use 3-links. I don't want my models permanently defaced by some ruddy great lump of a coupling stuck on the ends. These magnetic couplings seem like a good compromise for those who would find using 3-links too much of a faff but don't want the usual couplings spoiling their models.

 

I have to admit that I'm still using tension locks, and the Hand of God to uncouple them, which is probably the worst of both worlds!

 

But, for some bizarre reason, I find that my brain is less bothered by tension locks than knuckle couplers. I did experiment with Kaydees, but, to my mind, they just look wrong on UK steam era models. And I know that tension locks are also wrong, but they're wrong in a different kind of way. Knuckle couplers look wrong on steam era models because they're too similar to real-life modern couplings, so they come across as an anachronism. Tension locks, on the other hand, are straight up fictitious - they don't bear any resemblence to any prototypical couplers, anywhere. So my brain just sort of filters them out - it's part of the "willing suspension of disbelief", along with unprototypical curves and unavoidably jerky movements (ye cannae scale the laws of physics!) that we just have to put up with.

 

Once I've completed the scenic work on the layout I might turn my mind back to the rolling stock and see how well I get on with 3-links, or possibly some other kind of non-prototypical coupling that's a bit less obtrusive than tension locks or Kaydees (Dinghams look nice, and I like the simplicity of Alex Jacksons). But, for now, I'm sticking with tension locks for the sake of simplicity and familiarity.

[Steamport Southport]

Kadees look right on stock that should have them. SR/LNER/Pullman/BR coaches.

 

I doubt they would look right on "ancient" chaldron wagons though.....

 

 

 

Jason

[Compound2632]

(Got to agree with Jason now and again!)

[McC]

These NEM chains, will expand our range of magnetic coupling / NEM options. 

[Bishdurham]

Would it be possible  to fit three links to the coupling hook and the NEM chain to a locomotive?

[Accurascale Fran]

18 minutes ago, Bishdurham said:

Would it be possible  to fit three links to the coupling hook and the NEM chain to a locomotive?

 

It should be though it might get a bit tangled? Do you mean both on the locomotive or the three links on a wagon and have it magnetically attached to the loco via the NEM chain?

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

 

[Bishdurham]

7 minutes ago, Accurascale Fran said:

 

It should be though it might get a bit tangled? Do you mean both on the locomotive or the three links on a wagon and have it magnetically attached to the loco via the NEM chain?

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

 

I was thinking if the locomotive had both it could couple to other stock (with 3 link) and the chaldron.  I seem to remember seeing pictures of old colliery locomotives which had chains to attach to older wagons.  Of course the issue may be the magnets attracting the 3 link rings (simple fix use non-ferrous links).

 

Thanks

 

Richard

[Accurascale Fran]

23 minutes ago, Bishdurham said:

I was thinking if the locomotive had both it could couple to other stock (with 3 link) and the chaldron.  I seem to remember seeing pictures of old colliery locomotives which had chains to attach to older wagons.  Of course the issue may be the magnets attracting the 3 link rings (simple fix use non-ferrous links).

 

Thanks

 

Richard

 

Thanks for clarifying, Richard. It's been a bit of a long day! We can put it to the test and see.

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

[The Stationmaster]

Ever since I saw working remote uncoupling of three link couplings on a layout exhibited at a show (the excellent Cardiff Small Show) a few years back I have wondered just how feasible it might be for a larger layout.  The version I saw kept the wagons the same way round all the time and the method would only work in that manner  as soon as a wagon got turned there would be problems. (And yes - the three separate links were effectively 'solid' and soldered together making them just one link - but it worked, very well) 

[atom3624]

Loving this discussion.

I live with tHoG tbh.

 

Here's a little twist for you ...

The idea's a lovely one by A/S, but by linking 2 3-links together, does that make them 6-link coupled?

 

Al.