dugdug03 Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 (edited) Afternoon, I am not sure if anyone has noticed but 37-576, 37-576A, 37-576B, 37-576C & 37-576D don't all have uniform coupling so if you have a mixed rake you will find that the coupling heights differ. This is causing me a bit of a headache when shunting, Wagons 37-576A (5961), 37-576B (5955) & 37-576D (6758) appear to have a drop down lower coupling with some sort of spacer between the chassis and NEM. Wagon 37-576 (57575) does not have this spacer and causes height issues when joining with the others. Unfortunately i don't own any 37-576C (5969) so can check, but looking at pictures online it appears they also have the spacer? Does anyone have any feedback on how i can cure this issue so the couplings all line up correctly? Also on the NEM's there appears to be mixed numbers of 1,2,3 and 4...What are these reference too? Edited February 16, 2022 by dugdug03 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold tarifa Posted February 16, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16, 2022 From you pictures it appears there is a mix of straight and stepped couplings You can check which is correct for your layout by offering them to the loco. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugdug03 Posted February 16, 2022 Author Share Posted February 16, 2022 Yeah you are correct but on some of the wagons there is no block/spacer so the height regardless of straight or stepped they don’t level up unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted February 16, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16, 2022 A way around this is to remove the couplings, complete as a unit with the NEM boxpockets, waggler, and dovetail from the coupling mounts by levering them gently out at the dovetail the coupling mounts, and putting them aside. Then remove the coupling mounts (the bit of plastic with the dovetail recess,) by unscrewing them from the wagon floor, and put them in your spares box. You can now replace the mounts with Parkside PA34 coupling mounts, designed for their kits but made of soft plastic so that they can easily be trimmed or packed to hold the coupling at your standard height. They simply glue to the wagon floor, and you will have some wobble room in the exact postitioning which may be useful in reducing the gaps between the buffers if your curvature allows it, or increasing them if your curvature doesn't allow it... Replace the coupling 'complete unit'; the dovetail simply pressfits into the recess on the PA34 mount; if it is loose a drop of glue will secure it. PA34s are available from Peco dealers, in a pack of 10, sufficient for 5 vehicles for less than a fiver. If only there was a standard coupling that could be used on all 4mm scale RTR stock! Different manufacturers use different materials and different hook and bar proflles, and Bachmann use 4 different types within their own range, all within NEM specification and allegedly compatible with each other; yeah. right... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 The TTA wagons with the spacer causing the lower coupling height are older releases. Newer released TTA wagons don't have the spacer and come out at a height compatible with Bachmann locos and newer wagons. My solution was to remove the spacer and glue the NEM socket to the wagon underside trying to line up the coupling height with the newer wagons. A bit of a botch but it worked. Having discovered this problem with older Bachmann wagons, I tend to avoid them and buy newer wagons. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugdug03 Posted February 16, 2022 Author Share Posted February 16, 2022 37 minutes ago, The Johnster said: A way around this is to remove the couplings, complete as a unit with the NEM boxpockets, waggler, and dovetail from the coupling mounts by levering them gently out at the dovetail the coupling mounts, and putting them aside. Then remove the coupling mounts (the bit of plastic with the dovetail recess,) by unscrewing them from the wagon floor, and put them in your spares box. You can now replace the mounts with Parkside PA34 coupling mounts, designed for their kits but made of soft plastic so that they can easily be trimmed or packed to hold the coupling at your standard height. They simply glue to the wagon floor, and you will have some wobble room in the exact postitioning which may be useful in reducing the gaps between the buffers if your curvature allows it, or increasing them if your curvature doesn't allow it... Replace the coupling 'complete unit'; the dovetail simply pressfits into the recess on the PA34 mount; if it is loose a drop of glue will secure it. PA34s are available from Peco dealers, in a pack of 10, sufficient for 5 vehicles for less than a fiver. If only there was a standard coupling that could be used on all 4mm scale RTR stock! Different manufacturers use different materials and different hook and bar proflles, and Bachmann use 4 different types within their own range, all within NEM specification and allegedly compatible with each other; yeah. right... Thank you very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugdug03 Posted February 16, 2022 Author Share Posted February 16, 2022 Excellent I might give it a shot! I was hoping I’d get away with it buying hunts couplings or something along those lines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 As others have said it is a case of using either type of coupling to get the best height match. If this does not provide enough adjustment then the mounting blocks can be built up or rubbed down to suit. Frustrating but welcome to the world o tension lock couplings. The numbers you ask about are probably individual mould numbers. A number of couplings will be produced at a time in a multi-cavity mould and this enables control of the individual cavities. You will probably find the numbers on various other small parts. If you are very bored a trip to the local supplier of washing up bowls and storage items will provide hours of fun looking for makers marks. Some will even have a coded symbol for the date of manufacture. Bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PMP Posted February 16, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 16, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, The Johnster said: If only there was a standard coupling that could be used on all 4mm scale RTR stock! Different manufacturers use different materials and different hook and bar proflles, and Bachmann use 4 different types within their own range, all within NEM specification and allegedly compatible with each other; yeah. right... There is no NEM specification for a UK style coupling whatsoever. This is why we have problems across the manufacturers and within ranges with compatibility. There is a European standard for the location of the coupling mount, however that is not an agreed standard within the UK industry. Most are close, but there is no standard for a UK tension lock coupling, or its mounting point, and never has been. Edited February 16, 2022 by PMP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted February 16, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16, 2022 The PA34 mounts have raised ribs on the top (with the model right way up), and these are easily cut off with a craft knife, which is usually enough to bring a coupling set too low into line. If this trimming is not sufficient, the section below can be trimmed down, and in extreme cases you can even cut into the dovetail recess so long as you leave enough meat on it to hold the dovetail with a spot of glue. This equates to about 2.5mm vertical tolerance that you can mount the coupling in, and some fore and aft room as well. If OTOH the coupling is set too high, you can pack the PA34 mount between the mount and the wagon floor to sit lower, the lower limit being when the coupling hook dropper fouls on crossing rails and similar obstructions. Plasticard cut large enough for the raised ribs to be glued to and glued level to the wagon floor will pass muster, and a range of thicknesses or multiples of one thickness achieves the required drop in the set of the coupling. It is important to ensure that, whatever packing you use and however many pieces, it is glued level to the wagon floor in both crosswise and longitudinal directions. Try fit the coupling first before settling on the packing thickness. These methods are for rigid wheelbase vehicles; bogie vehicles and locomotives will require different solutions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted February 17, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 17, 2022 11 hours ago, The Johnster said: If only there was a standard coupling that could be used on all 4mm scale RTR stock! There is, it's called a 3 link/instanter/screw coupling, fits everything, widely available! Mike. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Tomlinson Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 7 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said: There is, it's called a 3 link/instanter/screw coupling, fits everything, widely available! Mike. And it looks a zillion times better, with no great lumps of plastic under the chassis ends, where they shouldn't be! John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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