roythebus1 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 (edited) An idea I got from looking at the "small traders" section further up the page a few days ago regarding the same topic but possibly in the wrong place. That article dealt with the new Hunt magnetic couplings which I've recently bought a trial pack of. I've always liked close couplings having been a convert to European modelling in the late 1970s and their adoption of various close couplings and the use of Kadee couplings for their versatility and reliability. In the 1990s with the availability of some British outline that matched the European standards I started collecting British outline models again. Along cam a firm making something called the Kean close-coupling system. This was based on the Roco KK system used on European models with great success. I'd built a small German layout with a spiral at one end using no.1 radius curves on the inner track and i was surprised to find the Roco KKs worked even with scale length DB stock. So I took the plunge over the years to try the Kean adaptor on some British stock On later Bachmann and other stock it was easy to change the tension lock couplings to either Roco/Hornby KKs or Kadees. Not so easy on the older stock pre-NEM coupler pockets. Here's where the Kean system was a good attempt. There's detailed instructions how to fit the adaptors to various coaches, some are a straight "glue the adaptor to the floor" or a lot of cutting of the floor and bits off bogies to fit. With Hunt magnets I thought I'd give them a try so here's some pics of the results. Here's the Kean adaptor straight out of the packet... Edited January 10 by roythebus1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Alan Oliver Posted January 10 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 10 I have used them on non NEM pocket stock, so easy to fit Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus1 Posted January 10 Author Share Posted January 10 Bachmann suburbans with Kadees mounted on bogies give too much gap between buffers, but that's needed to prevent buffer locking on curves. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ikcdab Posted January 10 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 10 (edited) i very much appreciate this as its one of my bug-bears - horrible voids between coaches. So close coupling is a must. But equally important is rigidity - seeing coaches "shimmy" back and forth when using hook and bar is terrible. Any of the rigid couplings - hunt or roco close couplers are my choice - hold the coaches a fixed distance apart and are a million times more realistic. However, for wagons, i retain hook and bar as they were loose-coupled and did joggle around. Ian Edited January 10 by ikcdab 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus1 Posted January 10 Author Share Posted January 10 With Kean adaptors and Hunt magnetic couplings I can get the buffers to touch on straights and still go round no.2 radius curves. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus1 Posted January 10 Author Share Posted January 10 I needed to cut a bit out og the bogies to clear the Kean adaptor; this is also used to "steer" the coupling round. Also remove the 2 pips from the top of the bogie to clear the Kean mounting plate. Other pics to show how they perform with Kadees. I could also use Roco/Hornby KKs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 31A Posted January 10 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 10 Coincidentally I have just put some pictures showing how I did this on "Wright Writes", in response to a query re these couplings that was raised on there! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus1 Posted January 11 Author Share Posted January 11 Where can I find the Wright Lines article? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 31A Posted January 11 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 11 1 hour ago, roythebus1 said: Where can I find the Wright Lines article? It's Tony Wright's thread, "Wright Writes": https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/64295-wright-writes/page/3100/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCB Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 On 10/01/2024 at 19:39, roythebus1 said: I needed to cut a bit out og the bogies to clear the Kean adaptor; this is also used to "steer" the coupling round. Also remove the 2 pips from the top of the bogie to clear the Kean mounting plate. Other pics to show how they perform with Kadees. I could also use Roco/Hornby KKs. The problem I see is propelling, especially around reverse curves. I prefer to shorten the buffers to get clearance, they are always modelled as fully extended yet ran partly compressed in service. I always model buck eye coupled Mk1s with buffers retracted and habitually shorten buffers on other prioritising distance between coaches, and ability to propel over exact accuracy as a static model. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus1 Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 (edited) Agreed, on some of my stock I use ABS BR buffers, he made extended and closed buffers. Non-corridor stock did not have the ability to rettract that I can recall. Only stock with the Pullman type gangway used them. I worked on the short suburban stock out of KX in 1977/78. The rules for coupling were that the buffers should just touch when coupling on the straight, not compressed, then hook up and tighten the screw shackle, that would take up a little bit of slack and prevent the coaches bumping about. On main line stock with gangways the buckeye coupler used with buffers retracted. On the outer end with screw couplings, buffers extended. If the loco had centre rubbing plate like the 33/1, 73 and some of the later locos, buffers retract and use the buckeye. Edited January 13 by roythebus1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 31A Posted January 13 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 13 13 hours ago, DCB said: The problem I see is propelling, especially around reverse curves. I prefer to shorten the buffers to get clearance, they are always modelled as fully extended yet ran partly compressed in service. I always model buck eye coupled Mk1s with buffers retracted and habitually shorten buffers on other prioritising distance between coaches, and ability to propel over exact accuracy as a static model. Mine propel OK through reverse curves (crossovers), using Roco couplings which hold the swing arms on each coach together as if they were a single rigid bar. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus1 Posted January 14 Author Share Posted January 14 I'm going to do a test track with a load of Peco 2' points forming crossovers. If anyone has seen the Keen test track over the years he done something similar with no problems on propelling on reverse curves. I've also found wht I think is the answer to fitting KK at the motor ends of DMUs: https://www.roco.cc/static/frontend/Casisoft/Roco/en_GB/doc/AN/1/DE/8040343920.pdf €35 for a box of 10. these seem to take up a lot less space than the Keen adaptors and may be easier to fit. they also have centering springs. There's also some earlier rcp retrofit KK units which I've got on some German stock. Still haven't found it yet! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCB Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 3 hours ago, roythebus1 said: I'm going to do a test track with a load of Peco 2' points forming crossovers. If anyone has seen the Keen test track over the years he done something similar with no problems on propelling on reverse curves. Are you doing a pair of crossovers, facing and trailing or just one. I have an old lifting section I was thinking of using for a similar test track but I'm now wondering how long it will need to be to be a fair test Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus1 Posted January 14 Author Share Posted January 14 Both. :) And using different combinations of KKs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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