Bassett Lowke Auto Couplers

[Nearholmer]

Has anyone ever seen one of these in reality?

 

Pictures from RM August 1956, and to me, it looks a seriously over-elaborate novelty.

 

Kevin

[Metropolitan H]

Interesting - It is very like the modern "Spratt & Winkle" couplers, but working the other way round. On the S & W couplers the hook is arranged to be pulled down by a magnet and the loop is fixed - they work well.

 

Regards

Chris H

[Il Grifone]

It looks very similar to the H0/00 Trix prewar coupling* (it would be logical of course, seeing the trade connections). The upper part of the hook would provide remote uncoupling like Märklin and Rivarossi couplings, which again are a similar principle.

 

All the Bassett-Lowke couplings I've seen (not many I admit) have been a semi prototypical hook and link.

 

* At least the Trix Express version, which has an uncoupling dropper

Edited March 16, 2016 by Il Grifone

[ed nantes]

I have a BL 4 wheel tinplate open wagon with auto couplers, but these bear no resemblence to those shown in the diagram.

 They look awful and gigantically over size. I always wonder why Hornby Dublo couplers weren't used on O gauge

 Come daylight I'll try to take a picture .

[Nearholmer]

Ed

 

A picture, and a date if you know it, would be very interesting.

 

Was the HD-style coupler patented? I'm pretty sure that Mr Pritchard's improved version of it was.

 

Or, was it simply that BL gave-up on, or lost the plot on, 0 as a "children's scale", and didn't think that automatic couplings were a selling-point with the adult customer?

 

Anyway, I like drop-link couplers a lot, and thoroughly dislike the Hornby (very occasionally) automatic, so this is a matter of pure curiosity for me!

 

Kevin

[Il Grifone]

The Peco Simplex coupling was most definitely patented, in conjunction with Meccano Ltd., who had the rights for 'toys', whereas Peco had them for 'scale' models. They brought a successful infringement law suit against Trix, who I understand paid to use them.

 

I assume the patent has expired, as Playcraft/Jouef used a version in the sixties (using the Trix uncoupling dropper position) and Lima and Tri-ang used it on their 0 gauge ranges.

 

Hornby's coupling (mine usually couple without problems, but the less said about the intervehicle spacing the better!) has since become the Continental H0 standard in modified form.

Edited March 5, 2021 by Il Grifone

[ed nantes]

Ed

 

A picture, and a date if you know it, would be very interesting.

 

Was the HD-style coupler patented? I'm pretty sure that Mr Pritchard's improved version of it was.

 

Or, was it simply that BL gave-up on, or lost the plot on, 0 as a "children's scale", and didn't think that automatic couplings were a selling-point with the adult customer?

 

Anyway, I like drop-link couplers a lot, and thoroughly dislike the Hornby (very occasionally) automatic, so this is a matter of pure curiosity for me!

 

Kevin

Kevin , 

 Attached pic , I don't know  a date of manufacture, obviously pre war. A bit ugly and intrusive. I got it mainly for curiosity value.

 

 The BL  drop link aren't  too bad to connect  but Exleys when a long rake are  a nightmare. And the similar Fleet couplings are even worse.

[goldfish]

On 14/03/2016 at 21:42, Nearholmer said:

Has anyone ever seen one of these in reality?

 

A little late, but yes.

 

 

This is presumably the 3-rail version with the long bar. I have not been able to locate an original hook, but they work well with Hornby automatic couplings with the loop removed.

From my first experiments with an improvised ramp it seems that the 3-rail version might need a ramp on either side of the track, but with the ramp in the middle of the track the loop lifts and falls with no problem. They are compatible with drop link couplings, but will only automatically uncouple.

 

An interesting toy for lock-down.

Edited May 13, 2022 by goldfish

[Nearholmer]

Many thanks.

 

Since this thread started, I found an entire rake of wagons with the couplings that ednantes illustrated, and showed pictures in my own thread, but I still haven't found one of the ones like yours - they must have been seriously unpopular with customers!

[goldfish]

24 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Many thanks.

 

Since this thread started, I found an entire rake of wagons with the couplings that ednantes illustrated, and showed pictures in my own thread, but I still haven't found one of the ones like yours - they must have been seriously unpopular with customers!

 

Even a short acquaintance with these couplings is enough to realise that they are impractical and unwieldy, at least in the long bar form. I very much doubt that B-L covered their tooling  costs. Definitely a "seriously over-elaborate novelty".

[goldfish]

Although these Basset Lowke couplers were seemingly not a commercial success the design was novel and innovative. With the ramp in the centre of the track for 2-rail the operating arm swings backwards and forwards as you would expect, but with the ramp outside the track for 3-rail the operating arm "rotates". Or rather one end lifts up and it pivots on the mounting bracket. For it to work properly the ramp needs to be smooth metal or things jam up. Properly set-up though they seem very reliable. The long bar is 3.5 inches long, and having all your stock fitted with them would end up being a complete pain. The loop is firmly mounted in locating holes, but the operating arm is loose and just sits on the bracket and can easily be knocked out of position.

 

 

 

Bassett-Lowke's other design of automatic coupler, as illustrated by ed nantes above, look much more practical, but in the short bar version these couplers are possibly less intrusive. I have never seen the short bar version so this is just a guess.

Edited May 13, 2022 by goldfish

[Nearholmer]

Looks not only rather ugly, but likely to snag on every possible lineside obstruction too: point levers; platform ramps etc.

 

Still looking for one, though, for curiosity value.

[goldfish]

2 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Looks not only rather ugly, but likely to snag on every possible lineside obstruction too: point levers; platform ramps etc.

 

You missed stray loops of wire and the sleeve of your jumper, but you are on the right lines:-)

[goldfish]

I have yet to find an original hook to go with the loops of these couplings, but I am now in a position to offer view of the two types of Bassett Lowke auto-couplers side by side.

 

 

 

It is easy to see why neither of these proved a success.

Edited May 13, 2022 by goldfish
Replaced image.

[Rick Osman]

Just bought a few of the hook and loop couplings on eBay and they are going to work fine coupling my Big Big Train stock to my Faller Hit Train stock; I shall be sorting out more.