A Nod To Brent - a friendly thread, filled with frivolity, cream teas and pasties. Longing for the happy days in the South Hams 1947.

[Tallpaul69]

14 hours ago, TrevorP1 said:

 

You're trying to get me banned from the Brownies aren't you Paul!

 

Seeing as you asked though, I was particularly disappointed with the droopy, slack appendage hung from the front of Kernow's D6XX Warship. My attempt at sorting it is here: D600 coupling mod. About half way down the page. You've already mentioned Oxford's wagons which are particularly bad. Also I've already commented about the Model Rail 16XX on the appropriate page so I won't say any more here ... oops I just have... Dapol's D63XX is a bit iffy and many wagons in red boxes. What makes some of these examples worse is that they are built in such a way that to make any worthwhile mods require wholesale butchery. It shouldn't be necessary, this is 2020 not 1950.

 

Before anyone jumps in I'm well aware that many folk make their own, or fit systems which don't need the NEM pocket. In an ideal world so would I, but I have a layout to build plus research/obtain/build/modify engines, stock and buildings for, so until I have nothing better to do I am reliant on the NEM pocket to use whichever coupling suits the application.

 

Good ones? I'll argue against myself about sticking to standards. I like the type fitted to some Bachmann wagons where the pocket is tucked up under the chassis i.e. it's 'too high'. Bachmann fit a cracked tension lock but it makes fitting these a possibility Fixed Instanter Couplings for short rakes of wagons.

 

Now off to find a rock to hide behind...

 

 

 

No need to hide Trevor,

I must admit that as both my Kernow Warship and my Dapol D6300 are sitting boxed in the "awaiting chipping" pile, I hadn't looked too closely at their couplings! So thanks for the warning and your efforts on page 5.

Couplings are a huge project for me that seems always to be a can that gets kicked down the road by other "priorities"!

It's something I'm planning to do a post on in "Lower Thames Yard" soon.

My master plan on couplings is Kadees for ease of coupling/uncoupling anywhere on the layout, with most stock being in sets (any thing from 3 wagons upwards) with Kadees at the ends and tension locks in between. Some stock particularly wagons will be done both ends so as to cater for shunting the pick up goods.

A number of Parcels will be done both ends to allow for the morning Reading to Princes Risborough train which reversed at Maidenhead with the individual vans returning to Maidenhead one by one on the branch passenger trains to be sent back to Reading and beyond on the evening Maidenhead to Reading Parcels.

But I have yet to Kadee a single loco, most of which will need both ends doing.

 

Keep up the good work

Cheers

Paul

[Oldddudders]

5 minutes ago, Tallpaul69 said:

My master plan on couplings is Kadees for ease of coupling/uncoupling anywhere on the layout, with most stock being in sets (any thing from 3 wagons upwards) with Kadees at the ends and tension locks in between. 

Some Hornby coaches come with optional close-couplers. I find these work well within fixed sets - and they're free! Roco originated a similar design, and may enable even closer coupling, but are not free.....

[TrevorP1]

1 hour ago, Tallpaul69 said:

 

Couplings are a huge project for me that seems always to be a can that gets kicked down the road by other "priorities"!

 

 

When I first began running trains about a year ago (which was the first time I'd been able to do so for many, many years) I was completely unaware of the problems I was about to face. More derailments were caused by couplings than any other cause put together several times over. Eventually I got it sorted(ish) and now I take nothing for granted.  

 

At the moment I'm using the Bachmann 'pipes' between their coaches with a Roco where the set has to be divided to go onto a cassette. Bar couplings from James Trains parts (see same website as the fixed Instanters) supplement by Roco (upside down where possible) are used on other sets. I've also got a bar coupling between two D63XXs which are permanently coupled. I'm moving to the Instanters mentioned above on some wagons although I find mounting a Bachmann short tension lock on a Parkside mount placed well back gives an acceptable compromise and makes it possible for the driver to 'pick up' one wagon at a time as per the real thing. Ends of sets, plus one end of engines and brake vans have a tension lock.

 

That lot seems complicated but it works for me! I guess it's all about what suits your needs.

 

Reading on RM Web about the layouts of other people, in some cases very experienced modellers, it seems that for most there is no one coupling that suits all their needs. But that is their own choice. There is still no excuse for the very poor efforts fitted by some manufacturers.

[KeithMacdonald]

11 minutes ago, TrevorP1 said:

Reading on RM Web about the layouts of other people, in some cases very experienced modellers, it seems that for most there is no one coupling that suits all their needs. But that is their own choice. There is still no excuse for the very poor efforts fitted by some manufacturers.

 

Is there not something like a RMWeb article or blog on "An Idiots Guide to Couplings"?

 

I agree about the poor efforts on some wagons - perhaps it's manufacturing to the "lowest common denominator"?

 

Some might say : "If only they were built to a standard".

The wonderful thing about standards is there's so many to choose from!

[Denbridge]

My personal choice, for many years has been the excellent Spratt and winkle couplings. They are easy to make &install and are all but invisible once painted.

[bgman]

On 25/02/2020 at 20:02, bgman said:

The one thing I have noticed with Oxford's wagons is the way in which they seem to always couple up easily, unlike some of the other products OEM coupling systems on the market !

 

Ooops ! Didn't expect to start everyone off on the subject, sorry Rob if its taken up your thread !

 

G

[bgman]

In other news, my daughter wanted to have a trip out with the grandchildren so I suggested Pecorama as my oldest grandson hasn't been before. How do you tear a train mad two and three-quarter year old boy away from there ! Great fun though.

 

Also had a chat with Steve Flint in passing and there seems to be a very upbeat feeling about new products coming onto the market.

 

G

[checkrail]

Agree with recent remarks about couplings.  When I returned to this game in 2012 my biggest disappointment  was the lack of decent r-t-r track (since addressed) but the next was the lack of good, unobtrusive ready-to-use couplings with remote uncoupling ability.  I've not had a lot of success with aftermarket solutions like Sprat & Winkle, though I may revisit them one day.  I currently use shortened Bachmann straight T/Ls, 36-030, or even better 36-061, with NEM pockets.  The pockets are fitted to Parkside PA 34 mounting blocks (supposedly designed for the cranked coupling 36-027 but I don't use those).  The mounting blocks are glued to the vehicle floor using a bit of Plastikard packing if necessary) and set back if possible so that the coupling loop is in line with the buffer faces. If setting them back that far isn't possible I shorten the coupling and the NEM pocket by 2 or 3mm  with a Stanley knife, and fix the coupling back into the pocket either with superglue or by fusing together with an old bit in the soldering iron.

 

The shortened couplers are a bit less obtrusive and give satisfyingly close coupling, yet will still negotiate 2 foot radius curves (inside curve of Peco curved points in fiddle yard)

 

 

Many wagons are also fitted with the 'Brian Kirby' modification to allow remote magnetic uncoupling, but that's another story.  More on that on my layout thread and elsewhere on this forum.

 

(Thanks for the bandwidth Robin!)

 

John C. 

[Limpley Stoker]

Has anybody managed to try the new Hunt magnetic couplings?  Sven, my guru on couplings, says it is just like Brio but without the wood. They must have some merit- they have sold out in a week .

 

https://westhillwagonworks.co.uk/couplings-new-c-2/

 

 

[checkrail]

32 minutes ago, Limpley Stoker said:

Has anybody managed to try the new Hunt magnetic couplings?  

They did look good, especially for coaches within rakes, enabling easy retrieval of a coach from the set.  But I don't think you'd want them on locos, and they don't solve the remote uncoupling question.  Having given my granddaughter a Brio set for Christmas I know what Sven means!

[gwrrob]

59 minutes ago, Limpley Stoker said:

Has anybody managed to try the new Hunt magnetic couplings?  Sven, my guru on couplings, says it is just like Brio but without the wood. They must have some merit- they have sold out in a week .

 

https://westhillwagonworks.co.uk/couplings-new-c-2/

 

 

 

I'll give these a go on my Hornby subs and Bachmann Mk1s when they come back into stock.

 

https://westhillwagonworks.co.uk/couplings-new-c-2/hunt-couplings-close-coupling-10-pairs-for-nem-sockets-p-23

Edited February 27, 2020 by gwrrob
added detail.

[bgman]

1 hour ago, Limpley Stoker said:

says it is just like Brio

 

My grandson was quite happy with them this afternoon at Pecorama ! 

 

[Mallard60022]

7 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said:

 

Is there not something like a RMWeb article or blog on "An Idiots Guide to Couplings"?

 

I agree about the poor efforts on some wagons - perhaps it's manufacturing to the "lowest common denominator"?

 

Some might say : "If only they were built to a standard".

The wonderful thing about standards is there's so many to choose from!

There have been several that were definitely  A Coupling's guide to Idiots

Ar$£. 

[TrevorP1]

2 hours ago, checkrail said:

Agree with recent remarks about couplings.  When I returned to this game in 2012 my biggest disappointment  was the lack of decent r-t-r track (since addressed) but the next was the lack of good, unobtrusive ready-to-use couplings with remote uncoupling ability.  I've not had a lot of success with aftermarket solutions like Sprat & Winkle, though I may revisit them one day.  I currently use shortened Bachmann straight T/Ls, 36-030, or even better 36-061, with NEM pockets.  The pockets are fitted to Parkside PA 34 mounting blocks (supposedly designed for the cranked coupling 36-027 but I don't use those).  The mounting blocks are glued to the vehicle floor using a bit of Plastikard packing if necessary) and set back if possible so that the coupling loop is in line with the buffer faces. If setting them back that far isn't possible I shorten the coupling and the NEM pocket by 2 or 3mm  with a Stanley knife, and fix the coupling back into the pocket either with superglue or by fusing together with an old bit in the soldering iron.

 

The shortened couplers are a bit less obtrusive and give satisfyingly close coupling, yet will still negotiate 2 foot radius curves (inside curve of Peco curved points in fiddle yard)

 

 

Many wagons are also fitted with the 'Brian Kirby' modification to allow remote magnetic uncoupling, but that's another story.  More on that on my layout thread and elsewhere on this forum.

 

(Thanks for the bandwidth Robin!)

 

John C. 

 

That's very similar to my method John and I find it works well. As you say they will negotiate sharp curves so why the need for ridiculously long ones? The 'fixed instanters' are useful but only on groups of wagons, say cattle trucks or milk tanks.

 

I should have added that I have no need for automatic uncoupling. As long as there isn't a scale six feet between vehicles I'm on the way to being pleased.

[Jack P]

Just chipping in with coupling talk;

 

For ease of use, my corridor coach sets are all coupled with kadees, this serves 2 purposes as being both practical, and somewhat prototypical, as both southern coaches and Pullmans used knuckle couplings.

 

On all other stock - coaches/locos/wagons I use screw/3-link couplings, which usually means I either need sprung buffers or couplings to negotiate anything more than the widest of corners.

 

Not strictly the most practical, or sensible, but I enjoy it, and i enjoy the way it looks, both static as an individual model, and when running a lose coupled train.

 

 

 

[St Enodoc]

13 hours ago, Mallard60022 said:

There have been several that were definitely  A Coupling's guide to Idiots

Ar$£. 

Present company excepted, of course.

[TrevorP1]

Sorry if this is going on about couplings too much but I’ve just been skimming through the review in BRM of the Bachmann 159 unit. Not ‘my scene’ by a long way but the model is fitted with working representations of the prototypical couplings. Relatively straightforward on a DMU maybe but is there hope for us yet in that a manufacturer is at least aware of how bad RTR couplings have got?

[gwrrob]

This month will be the 7th anniversary of this thread and it's been very quiet on here lately but hopefully that will change later this week with the arrival of something new. In the meantime we see 1361 class 1363 with her NA shunter's truck.

 

[Mikkel]

Great shot and congratulations on seven years of ANTB Rob. Long may it continue 

 

On 27/02/2020 at 19:15, Limpley Stoker said:

it is just like Brio but without the wood

 

Sounds like my first sexual encounter.

[M.I.B]

On 27/02/2020 at 18:15, Limpley Stoker said:

Has anybody managed to try the new Hunt magnetic couplings?  Sven, my guru on couplings, says it is just like Brio but without the wood. They must have some merit- they have sold out in a week .

 

https://westhillwagonworks.co.uk/couplings-new-c-2/

 

 

 

Great if your stock has NEM pockets.  Or if you  can add them.    

[Captain Kernow]

14 hours ago, gwrrob said:

This month will be the 7th anniversary of this thread

Are you taking requests, Robin?

 

[KNP]

Where do want the balloons and banners hung?

[ian]

More importantly - where's the cake?

[Limpley Stoker]

Seven years of 1947 has been so entertaining in Brent - long may it continue and thank you so much for the effort you put Into it!

 

[46444]

1 hour ago, ian said:

More importantly - where's the cake?

 

More like where's the pasties m'luvver?

 

Congratulations Robin with 7 years of ANTB. 

 

If you're doing requests it would be good to see your lovely 1369 Class at work... 

 

Cheers, 

 

Mark

 

 

Edited March 2, 2020 by 46444