NZmodeller Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Hi Jack Now that I have some short easi-shunt couplings I can share my experience. A combination of short/medium will work for GF MK1s but they will not couple as close as a combination of standard short/medium NEM couplings. You might have to fit the end doors on one of the coaches to bridge the gap (blu-tack them). A short;short combination looks great but the couplings are then under constant tension so will neither uncouple or couple automatically (pointless). Hope this helps Peter 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Dapol have just posted some picks of the conversion packs on their FB page. http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=513649291986157&set=a.219867508031005.63540.214563285228094&type=1&theater Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZmodeller Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Hi Everyone, Please ignore my comments about the short/short combination, further testing has shown that this combination will give a fully operational and satisfactory close coupling. Peter 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Thanks Peter ... time to go shopping! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andygif Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Dapol have just posted some picks of the conversion packs on their FB page. http://www.facebook....&type=1 The instruction sheet for the conversion pack will be going up on the Dapol website this morning hopefully, so we can all see whats going to be required to use them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andygif Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 http://www.Dapol.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=782&Itemid=97 the instructions for the conversion kit are now available to read. scalpels, files and glue at the ready....... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benn Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 (edited) Hi Everyone, Please ignore my comments about the short/short combination, further testing has shown that this combination will give a fully operational and satisfactory close coupling. Peter Hi Peter, I'm having a mess about with some packs of shorts and longs that I got at the weekend, plus a pack of mediums from a few months back. I found the short-short combo on a pair of BGs to be 'too tight to mention', so I've opted for a short-medium and that works a treat, although short-short would look just a touch better I'm prepared to accept the small gap as it works well and still looks very reasonable. I've also fitted some to a farish S+T Toad brake which I've had to add some weight and a little peice of spongey carpet underlay under one axle to give it a bit of drag and stop it running off, this also massively improves coupling and uncoupling. Does anyone know if Dapol will continue to manufacture the 'medium' couplers, as they still have an old cat no., the small and mediums I see being most useful for the "serious" modellers, and the longs for the 9" curve users. (Controversial - if no one bites I'll be dissapointed). I bought a 5 pair multipack of longs on spec, but I'm rapidly realising I won't need them... Anyone want to swap for some mediums or shorts?! Cheers, Benn. Edited November 9, 2012 by Benn Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DapolDave Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Hi Ben, All 3 lengths of couplers will be permanently in the Dapol range. The 'mediums' have an old product number simply because after we released them we changed the way we do product numbers. We may change the medium product code at the end of 2013 when. The next catalogue comes out. Hope his helps Cheers Dave 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benn Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 All 3 lengths of couplers will be permanently in the Dapol range. The 'mediums' have an old product number simply because after we released them we changed the way we do product numbers. Fantastic, cheers Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andygif Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 dapoldave, as has already been mentioned the instructions for the coupling converter are up on the website , what's going to be the recommend method of using them with boggie rollingstock coaches etc? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomJ Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Having seen the conversion packs I am very tempted to take the plunge. I suspect for my diesel era stuff it will be simplest (nad cheaper) to put a magnetic coupler on the end of each rake (or split them into two) and keep the rapidos for in between. However before I dive in I have two daft - one very daft - questions for those who have used them. Firstly what happens if you simply drive over the magnet without stopping and backing up? Does stock stay coupled up? I've a situation where there's a run round loop which some trains will shunt but others just pass through. Secondly, the really daft one. Can you still couple/uncouple by hand if needed? Do I need to fill my fiddle yard with magnets, and what if I play with my stock on someone elses layout? Thanks for humouring me.....! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Firstly what happens if you simply drive over the magnet without stopping and backing up? Does stock stay coupled up? I've a situation where there's a run round loop which some trains will shunt but others just pass through. Uncoupling only occurs when there is a bit of slack between vehicles. If there is tension (such as when a train is running), it is enough to prevent accidental uncoupling. Secondly, the really daft one. Can you still couple/uncouple by hand if needed? Do I need to fill my fiddle yard with magnets, and what if I play with my stock on someone elses layout? Yes. The coupling attaches horizontally meaning you can simply lift a vehicle out of it's rake by hand without disturbing the others. Not sure how easy it is to uncouple manually without lifting the vehicles. Maybe a job for a cocktail stick or mini-scredriver but I have not tried that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted November 12, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 12, 2012 Microtrains couplers which are similar, can be manually uncoupled using a jewellers flat bladed screw driver. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomJ Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Thanks guys, just the advice I needed. Think I'm ready to dip my toe in the world of auto-uncoupling so a trip to my local model shop this lunchtime might be in order. I'll get a couple of magnets from the Squires stand at Warley so I can experiment with Karhedrons method. Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 I use cocktail stick between the couplers and then twisted to reliably uncouple Microtrains, though Ian's screwdriver solution is rather neater! jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 (edited) However it should fit most stock (even if you have to recalibrate it slightly for longer or shorter arm couplers etc) for both freight and coach, as long as you use them body mounted, as we havnt designed these to be bogie mounted at all. Hi Dave, Do you mean the conversion kit work on bogie stock by removing the coupler from the bogie and then fitting the new pocket to the underside of the body? I have a fair number of B-set coaches and early-run collett coaches I would like to convert. Alternatively, can I get hold of the newer collett bogies which do include the NEM pockets? Have you ever done B-set bogies with NEM pockets? Edited November 12, 2012 by Karhedron Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DapolDave Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Hi Matt, At present our conversion kit isnt designed for bogie mounting the NEM couplers, which i know, will be problematical for some. I havnt had a play with body mounting the couplers to B sets but in theory it 'should' work if theres clearance. And no, no NEM's on B set bogies i'm afraid. cheers Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomJ Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Presumably that means that it won't work on the trailing/pony trucks of steam engines either? That's a bit of a shame as it rules out a whole host of my locos and coaches. I had dreams of my 45xx running round it's B-set in my station. Looks like I'm stuck with the rapidos. Realistically for me any system has to have the possibility of converting most stock, it just wouldn't work to have two seperate systems. It's a pity that even some stock I've brought in the last couple of years doesn't have NEM pockets and can't be converted Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Presumably that means that it won't work on the trailing/pony trucks of steam engines either? That is a good question. I have a BLT and tha Dapol small prairies aer my staple motive power. Can these be converted? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul tpxguard Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 (edited) Ive had success with the atm mounts on bogies and i mean not just the atm bogies Edited November 12, 2012 by Paul tpxguard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DapolDave Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Hi confused, Apologies for no reply, as you can imagine with Warley coming up, things have been a bit frenetic. Nope, they shouldn't be like this, and I can't guarantee they will work, so please send them back to me at Dapol and I'll replace them for you immediately. Cheers Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Harbour Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Can't you just rotate the pins around the 'right' way? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Can't you just rotate the pins around the 'right' way? I adjusted the pins on mine to get the delayed action working reliably. It might be worth a go before returning them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benn Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Hold the pin with a pair of tweezers and gently rotate it, it should move easily enough to the correct position, and it's sometimes worth a little play about and ajdustment sesh to get them to operate that little bit better. I've found a reasonable improvement in operation and reliabilty can occur by putting a little 'drag' on one axle of each vehicle that has the couplings attached, I've used some spongey laminte flooring underlay and just sandwiched it between the centre of the axle and the top of the bogie moulding, and stuck it on with a bit of bostik. The vehicle now doesn't roll away or move when being coupled/uncoupled, and also remains tensioned to the loco when being hauled so when passing over the magnets it doesn't auto-uncouple when you don't want 'em to! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andygif Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Does anyone on here know what the lengths of the orginal Dapol NEM dummy knuckle couplers are, ie, short, standard and long? Not even sure there is standard one as they only seem to sell Long and Short as spare parts in pack of 10, 5 of each. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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