Vacuum pipes which can be connected

[Western Star]

[My apologies if you have read this post on another forum / e-list... ]

 

There have been a couple of interesting MRJ articles which describe different

approaches to having "connected" vacuum pipes between coaches. For example:-

MRJ 164 describes the use of magnets and bungy cord to create pipes which

connect "on-approach" of two wagons - in 4mm scale. In a later issue Martyn

Welch describes the use of electrical cable and screw thread button dies to

create ribbed pipes for attachment to lost wax vacuum fittings - in 7mm scale.

 

I suspect that the insulation from electrical cables as used by Martyn is too

stiff to be used as described in MRJ 164... similarly I think that bungy cord

is not likely to have a realistic appearance in 7mm. I appreciate that Slaters

provides a spring for the vacuum pipe in their 7mm kits, this may be an option

although I feel that a pipe made from a spring is going to have an "open" look

and thereby mar the impression.

 

What success or otherwise has any RM Webber had in making realistic 7mm vacuum

pipes which are flexible enough to use the "on-approach" magnetic way of

coupling?

 

Thank you in anticipation, Graham Beare

[Pugsley]

How about using the spring with something flexible inside it, such as the bungy cord?

[Guest stuartp]

Round string or thin shoelace ? I remember looking for round elastic in a haberdasher's when Jim's article first appeared in MRJ (jim s-w of this parish) but not finding any fine enough.

 

Edit - it would probably have been helpful to mention that I was working in 4mm, so what was too coarse for me might be just right for you.

[The Stationmaster]

Many years ago either CCW or Exley (I think) used to sell 'connectable' 7mm scale vacuum pipes. Alas my pold catalogues have long gone but if someone has some from the mid-late 1950s there in might lie a clue

[Ian G]

i use soft springs for vac pipes look through my work bench

 

Ian G

[dikitriki]

How about silicon tubing. With a temporary core in, it could perhaps be run through a die and ribbed, and with small neodymium magnets, you could couple automatically.

 

As an aside, one of the Heyside group produced some working self-coupling 3 link (of sorts) couplings using 4mm neodymium magnets. We put the 2 vans so equipped at the head of an 8 coach express, and to our astonishment, they held. Haven't worked out the uncoupling yet!

 

Richard