Sprat & Winkle couplings on Hornby Gresly coach

[stewartingram]

A recent convert to S&W, I'm slowly having a go at fitting my stock with couplings. The layout is not yet operable, so I'm doing this in fits and starts.

I recently purchased a couple of ready made S&W coupling packs, just to get started. The thinking was that if ready made, they would be right, and I could make mine afterwards to match their sample. Having worked through my 1st train - a rake of horseboxes (permantly coupled with simple hook and loop), I have reached the Tail End Charlie. This is a Hornby Gresley corridor brake (actually one of those split from the N2 1948 pack, in BR Brown, if it matters).

My coupling is a full, ready made, S&W loop and hook coupling. I have set the height as recommended, which in simple terms is mounted level with the lower edge of the bufferbeam in most cases. (And yes I do check with a jig).

I have turned over the coach in a cradle, removed the bogies, removed the NEM "swivel" coupling. Plastikard has been used to pack the underside of the floor level to the bufferbeam, giving a flat surface to mount the coupling on. The wire loop of the coupling is about level with the face of the buffers, maybe a tad proud. This makes the outer edge of the baseplate level with the face of the buffer beam. So far so good?

When the bogie is replaced, & the coupling in the "uncoupled" mode (ie dropped, with its tail horizontal and touching the base - fine.

However , in the "coupled" mode (hook horizontal, tail now dropped), it fouls the bogie.

 

What am I doing wrong, how do others get over this? I presume that with other coaches, this fouling is likely to occur. I am following what I believe is the right guidance, to mount the couplings on the body rather than the bogie.

 

Thanks in advance, Stewart.

[jcm@gwr]

Hi Stewart,

 

I've had this problem as well on bogie stock,

but they are all a bit different, depends on the length of the bogie

/position of swivel point/and overhang of buffer beam.

 

2 of the options I have used (with varying degrees of success) are:-

 

1) shorten the length of the 'paddle', but don't forget to increase the

weight to compensate (trial and error I'm afraid)

 

2) straighten the paddle, so that it is level when coupled. This does

mean you have to have a longer staple (mounting/swivel point) that

is set higher behind the buffer beam, also you might need to make

a hole in the coach floor. [you also need to put a second/wider staple

to restrict the paddle from dropping down]

 

The third option is to mount it on the bogie, not ideal I agree, but it

might be the only option.

 

Good luck, Jeff

 

Edit:  further info added

Edited November 30, 2014 by jcm@gwr

[jcm@gwr]

BTW, I've also managed to adapt the

coupling enough to be able to fit it to

a modified NEM cam close coupler.

(it took a lot of faffing about!)

 

Jeff

[richard i]

Or mount all your couplings higher, mine go through the bufferbeam, this stps them fowling the bogie on all stock, wagons are set this way too, it sounds unsightly but it is really not to the eye at normal viewing distances. The issue then becomes on r-t-r wagons as some have a false lower floor, but it is easier to cut this away than muck around on the bogie stock. It also makes mounting the wire very easy as it is secured through holes in the buffer beam rather than stuck below it

Richard

[jwealleans]

I built a pair of D & S coaches for the next Ely layout and our S & W maestro fitted couplings to them.  The bogies are right at the end of those with very little room above them.  This is how we did that:

 

 

Derek has always put the couplings through the buffer beam and as someone has already said it isn't at all obtrusive.

Edited October 18, 2018 by jwealleans

[john new]

On 30/11/2014 at 21:38, jcm@gwr said:

Hi Stewart,

 

I've had this problem as well on bogie stock,

but they are all a bit different, depends on the length of the bogie

/position of swivel point/and overhang of buffer beam.

 

2 of the options I have used (with varying degrees of success) are:-

 

1) shorten the length of the 'paddle', but don't forget to increase the

weight to compensate (trial and error I'm afraid)

 

2) straighten the paddle, so that it is level when coupled. This does

mean you have to have a longer staple (mounting/swivel point) that

is set higher behind the buffer beam, also you might need to make

a hole in the coach floor. [you also need to put a second/wider staple

to restrict the paddle from dropping down]

 

The third option is to mount it on the bogie, not ideal I agree, but it

might be the only option.

 

Good luck, Jeff

 

Edit:  further info added

Apologies for resurrecting an ancient thread but about to adopt S&W couplings:-

 

Re point (3) above, what is the problem with bogie mounting the couplings? Not yet having tried either option having them swivel with the bogie seems a more logical option than fitting it to the body. Although I say that I have read several posts stating the opposite, i.e. that body fit is the way to go, but they don't explain why. Is sharpness of your minimum radius a factor?

 

Edited February 20, 2022 by john new
Punctuation corrected

[jcm@gwr]

9 hours ago, john new said:

Apologies for resurrecting an ancient thread but about to adopt S&W couplings:-

 

Re point (3) above, what is the problem with bogie mounting the couplings? Not yet having tried either option having them swivel with the bogie seems a more logical option than fitting it to the body. Although I say that I have read several posts stating the opposite, i.e. that body fit is the way to go, but they don't explain why. Is sharpness of your minimum radius a factor?

 

 

There are 2 possible problems,

Firstly, I think you'll struggle to fit them on the bogie, because of clearance issues between 

bogie and body, for the movement of the paddle.

Secondly, it'll set your height too low for the rest of your stock, and potentially cause other

problems.

[john new]

9 hours ago, jcm@gwr said:

 

There are 2 possible problems,

Firstly, I think you'll struggle to fit them on the bogie, because of clearance issues between 

bogie and body, for the movement of the paddle.

Secondly, it'll set your height too low for the rest of your stock, and potentially cause other

problems.

Good points, I was thinking of some form of bracket off the bogie but as you say probably impractical.  WIll be working through my freight stock first. I am only at the trial phase currently.

 

Edited February 21, 2022 by john new

[stewartingram]

re bogie mounting - Thirdly, it is commonly noted that coupling using bogies leads to more likely derailments compared to body mounting.