Assembling Hornby Tillig type Couplers

[Bill]

I ordered some spare couplers thinking they would be assembled.  Instead I received a coupling Kit.  Now I have tried my best to marry the metal hooky things with the plastic bits but nothing seems to produce a functional coupler.  So Before i am reduced to buying brand new wagons for their couplings and chucking the rest away, does anyone know how the things fit together and how to fit them together.  i would be most grateful. 

[moawkwrd]

One of those looks like it may be correctly assembled already - just looks like the metal hooks have come loose.

 

There is a good pic here of what they should look like - https://www.osbornsmodels.com/roco-408190-scale-1120-tt-close-couplers-24-58123-p.asp

[britishcolumbian]

You can also get them fully assembled from Tillig.

[dunnyrail]

If you already have some constructed ones on say a wagon, coach loco look at how they should be. They are a bit fiddly, I am 75 so not as dextrous as I was but managed it with care and patience. There is a right way up for the main part so that look as mentioned above should guide you.

[Bill]

Hello

I managed to get one slotted in but the result was so stiff that it did not work.  In removing it from my class 8 I managed to remove the socket as well.  So now i also have a class 8 with only one coupling.

Great for shunting :) .  I tried al the others with no joy at all.  The hooks simply don't want to click in. I tried pliers and all I go was a hook that not only would not click but was now bent and could not be straightened satsifactorialy.  I am not even sure which side of that little bar they should go.  That would be a good question.  I just don't see it at all. 

Thanks for the replies so far.

Is there a You Tube Movie somewhere where I can see someone putting one of these little monsters together?

[markw]

The hooks don't clip in, they just rest in the slot.

They are held in place once clipped into the NEM socket.

[D9020 Nimbus]

On 08/05/2024 at 22:49, britishcolumbian said:

You can also get them fully assembled from Tillig.

Are you sure about this? All the Tillig couplings I've come across were likewise in kit form — unless the ones you're thinking of weren't intended for an NEM socket. They do come with a diagram showing how to assemble them.

 

These are very fiddly to assemble, in my experience. I haven't actually done that many — just fitted them to a couple of Piko locos that came fitted with the older style coupling. The hook is very thin and I found it was too thin to hold with tweezers, so had to hold it between two fingers. Then you have to hold it together while inserting it into the socket. It helps to have a lot of light — I did mine in the conservatory. Also helps to have spare hooks…
 

I cheated on the second loco and left out the hooks! This works but can lead to unintentional uncoupling. I'll try again with it soon — just need a sunny day that's not too hot!

[Bill]

On 09/05/2024 at 15:17, markw said:

The hooks don't clip in, they just rest in the slot.

They are held in place once clipped into the NEM socket.

I have a question - How does it slide into the pocket with the hook on the end standing proud like that? 

I tried assembling them with the hook under the little bar and they seem  too stiff.

I have successfully coupled and uncoupled with them like that.

But  they do not work with the ease of the factory fitted couplings. 

So it's a bit of a puzzle going forwards.  Thank you for the photos.

Any more ideas gratefully received..

Perhaps they need a good oiling?

[markw]

To coupling is laying on its side to be able to photograph it, when the right way up gravity makes it sit lower.

The uncoupling tab goes through the central hole, the hook end and the tail end just lay on top of the plastic part they don't go under anything.

[Bill]

Thank you so much . That clears that up.  I seem to have been overthinking it..  :) 

[dunnyrail]

Anyone reading this may be going blub blub blub now.

 

One of my TT acquisitions did not have the NEM bit or a coupling. Not understanding this I did buy a pack of TT120 couplings, some were in 2 parts some complete with hook where it should have been. I wonder if that happened in the post? Anyhow taking a complete coupling to fit I found the NEM bit was missing (only noticed on closer inspection of another vehicle), this clicks into a small permanent part on the vehicle in question. I looked in vain on Hornby website for an NEM Socket then in desperation rang the tech guys who confirmed not available as a spare but did offer to send me one that duly arrived and was clicked in place with the coupling fitted so all is good now.
 

I would like to go to Kaydee, but have doubts about the type and difficulties trying to fit them, though they would look much better particularly on coaches where they would nicely resemble Buckeye couplings.

[D9020 Nimbus]

Dapol Easi-Shunts are a "Kadee" style of coupling and fit the NEM socket which is identical to that used in N gauge. Kadee don't do N or TT couplings — N gauge couplings are produced by Micro-Trains (once part of Kadee, but split many years ago now—originally Kadee was owned by two twin brothers, Keith and Dale Edwards, hence the company name). Micro-Trains don't do NEM-fitting couplings.

 

Dapol do conversion kits for N gauge models without coupling boxes, which might — or might not — be useful.

[Keith Addenbrooke]

On 14/05/2024 at 12:55, dunnyrail said:

Anyone reading this may be going blub blub blub now.

 

One of my TT acquisitions did not have the NEM bit or a coupling. Not understanding this I did buy a pack of TT120 couplings, some were in 2 parts some complete with hook where it should have been. I wonder if that happened in the post? Anyhow taking a complete coupling to fit I found the NEM bit was missing (only noticed on closer inspection of another vehicle), this clicks into a small permanent part on the vehicle in question. I looked in vain on Hornby website for an NEM Socket then in desperation rang the tech guys who confirmed not available as a spare but did offer to send me one that duly arrived and was clicked in place with the coupling fitted so all is good now.
 

I would like to go to Kaydee, but have doubts about the type and difficulties trying to fit them, though they would look much better particularly on coaches where they would nicely resemble Buckeye couplings.

 

North American TT modellers seem to standardise on the Micro-Trains couplers used for N-scale (rather than their Kadee cousins aimed at HO).  The ttnut web Forum is a good place to find out more.  Just a thought, Keith.

[Porfuera]

On 10/05/2024 at 23:37, markw said:

To coupling is laying on its side to be able to photograph it, when the right way up gravity makes it sit lower.

The uncoupling tab goes through the central hole, the hook end and the tail end just lay on top of the plastic part they don't go under anything.

 

I'm not sure whether I'm reading your post incorrectly but I think the little hook/tail should locate UNDER the horizontal bar that goes between the two nubs rather than sitting on top of it. Apologies if that is what you were saying.

 

I've stolen your third photo above and annotated it - I think that the little hook/tail (circled in red) should go under the (extremely thin) bar that goes between the two nubs that stick out on either side (one of which is pointed to by the red arrow):

 

 

So I think the metal part should locate as follows (apologies for the fuzzy photo - my phone isn't really up to macro shots) and the little hook/tail then fits into the slot from underneath, which can just be seen in the photo (pointed to by the red arrow). There is a very thin bar between the two nubs that are on the outside (it is a very small diameter - probably 0.5mm or less) and I think the little hook/tail fits in the small space behind it just where the red arrow is pointing:

 

 

Then I think you should find that the little hook is completely hidden once the metal part is sitting in the correct place, as in the following photo - you can just see the underside of the hook at the bottom left of the coupling:

 

 

Another tip is to check that the metal part is completely flat before you insert it into the plastic part. One of my couplings was very stiff and this was due to the metal piece having been twisted but only very slightly - flattening it removed the stiffness and allowed the metal part fall under gravity as it should.

 

Edited Friday at 17:12 by Porfuera
Added third photo

[osbornsmodels]

On 08/05/2024 at 21:04, Bill said:

I ordered some spare couplers thinking they would be assembled.

they should be assembled no matter what the brand, be it Roco, Hornby or Arnold (can't speak for Tillig). Yours must have been shaken up badly in transit (easily done I expect). The ones we use in our TT120 kits come to us in bulk via Peco.

[D9020 Nimbus]

Tillig couplers come with the plastic bits attached to a sprue, and the metal bits inside a small circular plastic box. Plus instructions showing how to assemble them (this is for the NEM type — Tillig offer many other types, of which I've no experience).