Coupling advise

[Earl Bathurst]

Hi

Have just got round to watching the Free Xmas Railway Modeller DVD and there is a layout which a young lady and her father has built and on there they have attached staples to the couplings and seems to work very well.

Does any one have any info on this method and what magnets to use? And do the staples have to be at a certain angle to work?

Thanks

Scott

[jcm@gwr]

Hi Scott,

The coupling method used was developed by Brian Kirby.

I believe he used magnets from cupboard door catches,

available from most diy sheds, but any decent magnets

should work.

Jeff

[Ray H]

I've been experimenting with this type of coupling using 5mm diameter by 3mm thick round rare earth magnets placed in the 4ft with the top of the magnet at sleeper top level - the magnets hardly show when painted the same colour as the ballast. I stick the magnets in place with super glue although I suspect that the PVA used for securing the ballast would do the same job.

 

I've removed the hooks from one end of all my stock - I have an end to end layout with no means of turning locos or stock so I just need to make sure that all the stock is put on the layout the right way round. That means I only need to utilise one magnet at each location where I want to uncouple. I'd previously tried using two magnets and not removing one hook. Those trials weren't too successful although I didn't experiment too much with that option.

 

I have found that some tension hooks are made of brass and some of steel. I tend to discard the steel ones (and replace them with the spare brass ones that I've removed form other vehicles). I then solder a short length of brass wire horizontally (almost) at the bottom of vertical part of the tension hook. The end of the brass wire remote from the tension hook is then angled upwards slightly and a short piece of magnetic wire from the lead offcuts of electronic components is soldered to the underside (i.e. the side nearest the magnet) of the brass wire. In truth I actually remove the hook, solder the magnetic wire to the brass strip and then solder the brass wire to the tension hook and then refit the hook to the coupling. Once all the brass etc. is painted black the additions are almost invisible.

 

I've never attempted to measure the length of the horizontal part of the brass wire and the thicker the lead offcut wire the more it seems to magnetise (which I guess is fairly obvious). Do be careful with the ends of the lead offcut. If they're too low they catch on rails on points and if they're too long they can prevent the hook from lifting enough to allow it to uncouple from the adjacent coupling.

 

I went mad and removed all hooks form all couplings, discarded the steel ones and then modified the remainder. Alas I found that not the hooks are exactly the same shape/size when I attempted to refit the modified ones and often had to make minor adjustments to the hooks before they would operate freely in the coupling.

 

I suspect that longer/larger magnets, placed lengthways under the centre of the track would work better without the need for such precise positioning as I've found is required with the small magnets. Larger round magnets under the sleepers may do the same thing and are, I think, more readily available than long rectanglar ones.

 

I find that the hook tends to rise more easily and stay raised for longer when the vehicle is is pushed over the magnet with the coupling leading but haven't managed to work out why. I haven't experimented with specific lengths of the horizontal part of the brass wire and the angle of the elevated portion is also only set roughly.

 

A disadvantage of only usung one hook for the couplings occurs when coupling heights vary as some hooks don't alway fully engage leading to random unexpected uncoupling if the track isn't perfectly level. I've yet to pay too much attention to this as I only have a couple of wagons where the problem arises.

[gwrman]

Hi, try looking here for replacement hooks and a video of operation

 

http://www.phd-design-etchings.co.uk/Products/Bkcouplings/Bkcouplings.htm

 

Nigel