Instanter Couplings - From where?

[admiles]

I'm currently painting and adding a little bit of detail to a pair of Bachmann Brassworks HEA hoppers.

 

I'd like to change the coupling hooks as the fitted ones dont have a hole to fit any form of coupling chain. Does any one know a source of Instanter couplings including the coupling hook? Struggling to find anywhere at the moment.

 

Will also be adding air brake pipes and while looking at Paul Bartlett's fantastic wagon photo site I've noticed that some HEA's had two air pipes per end (one with red fitting and one with yellow) and some only the air pipe with a red fitting. Can any one shed some light on this for me? Wouldn't all airbrake stock be fitted the same?

[BrushType4]

For your instanter, try GJH plant. They don't normally come with the hook, but give Graham a call and I'm sure he will be able to help.

 

The extra air pipe you can see is a through pipe. I think this extra air supply was sometimes used for air operated hoppers for opening and closing the air operated hopper doors.

 

 

[66C]

Parkside Dundas do these in their fittings and accessories range - part number is PS82.

 

Regards.

[Poggy1165]

I'm pretty sure PECO do them too. Though PECO can be hard to source given their old-fashioned insistence on always selling through a third party.

[HeavyDuty]

^{I can confirm the PECOs - I have a few packs sitting right here. I believe I sourced them from an eBay vendor last year.}

[Pugsley]

CPL Products also do 7mm instanters as a complete kit, including the hook.

 

WIth regard to the brake pipes, ISTR that BR adopted a two pipe system initially as this had advantages in terms of speed of application and release, but this was gradually abandoned in favour of a one pipe system (it may be something to do with UIC wagons from the continent, but I can't remember the exact reason).

[dubmill sidings]

Slaters do an instanter coupling with a cast instanter link. I prefer the Parkside ones as they are cheaper but just as good.

[dubmill sidings]

Regarding the air brake hoses on each end of the wagons, the red one is the brake pipe and the yellow one is the main reservoir pipe. When air brakes were first introduced in the 1960's the system had both pipes and was called a 2-pipe system. The brake pipe is charged to 5 bar pressure to release the brake and then reduced to approx. 3.3 bar to provide a full service application. The main reservoir pipe was pressurised to 7 bar and was basically there to charge the brake supply reservoirs during brake release. The air brake system can function as a single pipe system and during the 70's and 80's a lot of operators removed the main reservoir pipe to create a single pipe system purely on the grounds of cost saving. The only down side is that it takes longer to recharge the brake supply reservoir as all air has to pass down the brake pipe, through the distributors to the reservoir, hence brake timings were slower. In recent times the second pipe has been reinstated or included from new due to auxiliary systems such as hopper doors and opening roofs requiring lots of air. The HEA I believe didn't have air operated doors, just mechanically operated ones. Happy modelling.

[admiles]

Ok, a few sets of Parkside couplings duely ordered.

 

Very interesting information about braking systems. You live and learn as they say.

 

A big thank you to everyone for the information!! Helps no end.