GWR Iron Mink

[Dunsignalling]

1 hour ago, Ian Hargrave said:

Which is undoubtedly effective I’m sure.Unfortunately,with cack arthritic fingers and eyesight not what it used to be,I’m not equipped to do that. I can however replace a coupling in an NEM socket and do so regularly.In this case I am defeated .Thus I reach with reluctance the conclusion that those attached to these wagons are…to quote a well worn phrase…not fit for purpose.  Sorry for this as I have the utmost respect for Rapido,and the guys here working hard for us all…Let’s hope there’s a fix.

You may find it easier to flip the pocket out of its mount and then remove the coupler from it rather than with it attached to the wagon. I've had the flexy bit at the back of the pocket break in the past when doing the latter with other makes.

 

I dislike NEM fittings generally and removed the entire assemblies. The couplings were therefore still in their pockets, but I've just had a go and they came out without undue resistance. 

 

John

Edited March 4, 2023 by Dunsignalling

[RapidoCorbs]

29 minutes ago, Ian Hargrave said:

 They don't move  that’s what I mean. My pull as such has extracted the unit from its mounting but hasn’t succeeded in removing the coupling from its socket.  The point of an NEM socket is to ensure easy  interchangeability of coupling ,or am I missing something here ?  To illustrate this point,in the last few weeks I have removed and replaced with personal choice some 50 + coaches without mishap. Can you not make this an easier matter to resolve. I do have a genuine issue which I think could be resolved with a little thought..or am I asking too much here,?

 

Hi Ian,

 

This does sound like a strange anomaly. Have you tried pinching the back of the tails with tweezers as in the video I sent?

 

Are both the couplings on the wagon having the same issue? I've just tried the same thing on the 3 Rapido wagons I have here with me and all pulled out without difficulty.

[Ian Hargrave]

17 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

You may find it easier to flip the pocket out of its mount and then remove the coupler from it rather than with it attached to the wagon. I've had the flexy bit at the back of the pocket break in the past when doing the latter with other makes.

 

I dislike NEM fittings generally and removed the entire assemblies. The couplings were therefore still in their pockets, but I've just had a go and they came out without undue resistance. 

 

John

Many thanks,for your response. That however is not the point I am trying to make here…albeit with some difficulty. It should not be necessary to remove a coupling from an NEM socket as,seemingly with the dexterity and skill of a dentist removing a tooth. Surely it’s a matter of just a simple adjustment.I am not asking for the moon after all..

[Ian Hargrave]

12 minutes ago, RapidoCorbs said:

 

Hi Ian,

 

This does sound like a strange anomaly. Have you tried pinching the back of the tails with tweezers as in the video I sent?

 

Are both the couplings on the wagon having the same issue? I've just tried the same thing on the 3 Rapido wagons I have here with me and all pulled out without difficulty.

Thanks. After a mini Herculean pull I’ve at last managed to remove them.Not without a degree of fear that something might break. They are a tight fit to say the least and please for future production keep that in mind . I’m now attempting a run with a pair of magnetic couplings.Will post results.

[Ian Hargrave]

23 minutes ago, Ian Hargrave said:

Thanks. After a mini Herculean pull I’ve at last managed to remove them.Not without a degree of fear that something might break. They are a tight fit to say the least and please for future production keep that in mind . I’m now attempting a run with a pair of magnetic couplings.Will post results.

OK. Having achieved that,the fitting of magnetic couplings to three wagons has produced the desired results and is achieving a shorter working distance than with tension locks. 

[ChicagoNick]

Some of the pictures on this thread are fantastic and very inspirational. I am going on a quest to get the tension lock couplers off it. I love how its modeled with the hole in the coupler hook... Was that deliberate ?.. I know being plastic it can't last.. 

 

Gonna attempt the hook and link thing. Who makes the best hooks and links ? Brassmasters ?

 

 

[rapidoandy]

2 hours ago, Ian Hargrave said:

Thanks. After a mini Herculean pull I’ve at last managed to remove them.Not without a degree of fear that something might break. They are a tight fit to say the least and please for future production keep that in mind . I’m now attempting a run with a pair of magnetic couplings.Will post results.

Hi Ian,

 

You do seem to have an odd one but we will keep it in mind. That said it’s a fine balance - I have also been asked to ensure couplings are a tight fit so that they don’t pull out when operated in long trains - something I have seen in the past.

 

Andy

[Ian Hargrave]

8 hours ago, rapidoandy said:

Hi Ian,

 

You do seem to have an odd one but we will keep it in mind. That said it’s a fine balance - I have also been asked to ensure couplings are a tight fit so that they don’t pull out when operated in long trains - something I have seen in the past.

 

Andy

Ok fine and thanks for that. I have eventually replaced a rake of 7 with magnetic couplings but ,thus far,my trial isn’t successful.My impression is that the magnets are too strong in themselves to permit free running without a derailment . Maybe there are alternatives 

[Dunsignalling]

11 hours ago, Ian Hargrave said:

Many thanks,for your response. That however is not the point I am trying to make here…albeit with some difficulty. It should not be necessary to remove a coupling from an NEM socket as,seemingly with the dexterity and skill of a dentist removing a tooth. Surely it’s a matter of just a simple adjustment.I am not asking for the moon after all..

Sorry I misinterpreted your intention, Ian.

 

You seem to have got hold of some weird ones. A chance meeting of couplers at one end of the manufacturing tolerance with pockets at the other, perhaps?

 

Where I do retain NEM mounts, I normally have to add a 10 thou plastic strip to stop couplers flopping about in the pocket. My number of Rapido wagons is not great as a proportion of my stock and, although the front coupler on my Hunslet did put up a bit of a fight, it was nowhere near as tight as you've described.

 

Glad to hear you've beaten the little blighters at last!

 

In my experience, magnetic couplers seem to work best with Close Coupler Units which have rather more (and freer) movement than wagon mounts.

 

John

Edited March 5, 2023 by Dunsignalling

[VIA185]

No sophisticated lettering needed. Kidderminster 1965-ish, standing approximately where the SVR station is now. 

[NHY 581]

48 minutes ago, VIA185 said:

No sophisticated lettering needed. Kidderminster 1965-ish, standing approximately where the SVR station is now. 

 

 

Despite not being a colour image, there's no real need. That image gives a very good indication of general level of distress. 

 

Thanks for posting. 

 

Rob. 

[NHY 581]

15 hours ago, Ian Hargrave said:

Thanks. After a mini Herculean pull I’ve at last managed to remove them.Not without a degree of fear that something might break. They are a tight fit to say the least and please for future production keep that in mind . I’m now attempting a run with a pair of magnetic couplings.Will post results.

 

 

Hi Ian, 

I also intend to replace the couplings on all my Rapido wagons, in my case with shorter Bachmann jobs. I therefore decided to check mine. 

 

All five of my Minks are fine. Good interference fit but they come out without bother. 

I've also checked my opens and again, all five's couplings are fine. 

 

I think, as others have suggested, yours was a bit of an anomaly. 

 

Rob

Edited March 5, 2023 by NHY 581

[Michael Hodgson]

On 22/09/2022 at 12:45, The Stationmaster said:

The main place to have found them would be stood on the blocks in goods yard sidings where they a served  as document stores for stuff which had to be held for along while (6 years in some cases); possibly some for general storage; but most likely for salvage pending its disposal.

Gordon Bennett!

I hope they kept meticulous records of which wagon to search if you needed an old document, and where the wagon was!

[VIA185]

17 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

 

 

Despite not being a colour image, there's no real need. That image gives a very good indication of general level of distress. 

 

Thanks for posting. 

 

Rob. 

From memory, it was a dark red-brown with traces of dark grey. (CJL)

[No Decorum]

5 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

 

 

Hi Ian, 

I also intend to replace the couplings on all my Rapido wagons, in my case with shorter Bachmann jobs. I therefore decided to check mine. 

 

All five of my Minks are fine. Good interference fit but they come out without bother. 

I've also checked my opens and again, all five's couplings are fine. 

 

I think, as others have suggested, yours was a bit of an anomaly. 

 

Rob

Interesting. For modern block trains, I tend to fit the shortest Kadees which will work but for older prototypes, I retain tension locks (more shunting). I take a look at couplings and if they are Hornby length, I’ll replace them with Bachmann short straights. Having looked at the Rapido version, I thought they were short enough not to need replaced.

[Ian Hargrave]

16 minutes ago, No Decorum said:

Interesting. For modern block trains, I tend to fit the shortest Kadees which will work but for older prototypes, I retain tension locks (more shunting). I take a look at couplings and if they are Hornby length, I’ll replace them with Bachmann short straights. Having looked at the Rapido version, I thought they were short enough not to need replaced.

Thanks for your observations.Having ,as posted above,fitted a rake of then with magnetic couplings which was a failure,I looked again hard at the gap and in the cold grey light of dawn saw that there was no advantage in any case.This despite my assertion last evening that there was. Mea culpa etc.

 

 

 

[chuffinghell]

15 minutes ago, No Decorum said:

I take a look at couplings and if they are Hornby length, I’ll replace them with Bachmann short straights.

I generally replace the longer Hornby ones with the short Bachmann ones

 

I don’t have a Rapido Mink (late to the party so mostly sold to profiteering eBayers) so I can’t comment on the Rapido wagon itself but  I can understand @Ian Hargrave’s concern about doing damage during removal because they are usually a snug fit regardless of manufacturer, however @RapidoCorbs use of tweezers is one I’ve used many times and makes removal effortless

[NHY 581]

17 hours ago, No Decorum said:

Interesting. For modern block trains, I tend to fit the shortest Kadees which will work but for older prototypes, I retain tension locks (more shunting). I take a look at couplings and if they are Hornby length, I’ll replace them with Bachmann short straights. Having looked at the Rapido version, I thought they were short enough not to need replaced.

 

 

Morning ND. 

 

There looks to be about 2mm (ish ? ) difference between the short Bachmann loop and the Rapido offering. 

 

 

I need to re-stock as I'm out. Once I have, I'll post some images for comparison. 

 

Rob. 

[Harlequin]

39 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

 

 

Morning ND. 

 

There looks to be about 2mm (ish ? ) difference between the short Bachmann loop and the Rapido offering. 

 

 

I need to re-stock as I'm out. Once I have, I'll post some images for comparison. 

 

Rob. 

 

Yes, I measured mine yesterday: Rapido 11.25mm from Pocket to face, Bachmann 9.75mm from pocket to face. I.e. 1.5mm difference.

 

So if both couplings between two wagons are changed from Rapido to Bachmann the wagons are 3mm closer (assuming the hooks have the same offset from the buffing face).

 

But they could be closed up even further if you're not running with trainset track radii.

 

Edited March 6, 2023 by Harlequin

[GreenGiraffe22]

Visiting my layout at the parents today, having a play with a goods train which is about 60% all the new Rapido wagons I've purchased over the past year with the new iron mink towards the back =)  Not sure if a C Class would have been capable of pulling all that on its own but it looked odd in 00 so I drafted in a D, it's pleasing to watch anyway! 

 

And please ignore the absolutely state of the railway, it's become less a model railway and more a test bed for new toys, half of it barely works anymore, needs a good rebuild! One day... 

 

 

[Compound2632]

7 minutes ago, GreenGiraffe22 said:

Not sure if a C Class would have been capable of pulling all that on its own

 

I make that 24 and the van - counting the bogie bolster as equal to two - well within the capability of a real C!

[GreenGiraffe22]

28 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

I make that 24 and the van - counting the bogie bolster as equal to two - well within the capability of a real C!

 

It probably wouldn't look as long in 1/1 either! A small roundy does rather change perception 

[BMS]

On 05/03/2023 at 09:55, VIA185 said:

From memory, it was a dark red-brown with traces of dark grey. (CJL)

Kidderminster did have at least one ex Taff Vale Mink - . So was the red brown either TVR or early GWR?😀

[VIA185]

2 hours ago, BMS said:

Kidderminster did have at least one ex Taff Vale Mink - . So was the red brown either TVR or early GWR?😀

It's long time ago to remember but I think the red-brown was pure rust. (CJL)

[NHY 581]

11 hours ago, Harlequin said:

 

Yes, I measured mine yesterday: Rapido 11.25mm from Pocket to face, Bachmann 9.75mm from pocket to face. I.e. 1.5mm difference.

 

So if both couplings between two wagons are changed from Rapido to Bachmann the wagons are 3mm closer (assuming the hooks have the same offset from the buffing face).

 

But they could be closed up even further if you're not running with trainset track radii.

 

 

I feel an experiment coming along....

 

Rob