An Asymetrical double outside slip MK2

[Pyewipe Jct]

All in good time

 

It's absolutely the same with all my stock - I also like the B&B version for the simple reason that you don't have paint the damn things...

[StuartM]

It's absolutely the same with all my stock - I also like the B&B version for the simple reason that you don't have paint the damn things...

Never heard of them, just looked them up and might give them a go as the latch 'appears' to be easier to set up.

Where can you buy these from?

[-missy-]

Looking great Stuart

 

You might get better results chemically blackening Dgs than painting them plus there is less chance of jamming them up too. After all, its what BBs are.

 

Missy

[Pyewipe Jct]

Never heard of them, just looked them up and might give them a go as the latch 'appears' to be easier to set up.

Where can you buy these from?

 

I reckon the last ones I bought were from the N Gauge Society shop, although they do also come up periodically on eBay & I think I ordered some direct at one point, but wouldn't know the address off the top of my head, I'm afraid.

 

I find them a bit easier to make than the DGs, thanks to the loop & dropper being etched in one piece (with then just a couple of turns of iron wire needed on the 'T' of the dropper for the magnet to 'grab'). The pivots for the latch make them a tiny bit more reliable than DGs, in my experience, too, but obviously that comes at the expense of being slightly more 'chunky' in appearance (notwithstanding the blackening).

[queensquare]

Must admit I find DGs much more reliable than BBs. They are also much less clunky in appearance and much easier to fit to stock, particularly locos.

 

Jerry

[StuartM]

Must admit I find DGs much more reliable than BBs. They are also much less clunky in appearance and much easier to fit to stock, particularly locos.

 

Jerry

Thanks for the advice, which other people are confirming, its just that dam latch that annoys the bejebers out of me, but 'from the look of it', the latch on the bb coupling looks a lot easier to set up

[autocoupler942]

I reckon the last ones I bought were from the N Gauge Society shop, although they do also come up periodically on eBay & I think I ordered some direct at one point, but wouldn't know the address off the top of my head, I'm afraid.

 

I find them a bit easier to make than the DGs, thanks to the loop & dropper being etched in one piece (with then just a couple of turns of iron wire needed on the 'T' of the dropper for the magnet to 'grab'). The pivots for the latch make them a tiny bit more reliable than DGs, in my experience, too, but obviously that comes at the expense of being slightly more 'chunky' in appearance (notwithstanding the blackening).

I was at the Royston show the other week and had the pleasure of meeting Derek Bunting. He is one 'B' of the B & B, the other being the late Denys Brownlee - a very close friend (he used to be the Air Raid Warden covering where I used to live in Lower Sydenham). Derek couldn't understand why his coupling is not so popular as DG especially as it is ready blackened, ready formed loop and no soldering required. However, supplies are available direct from him at Derek Bunting 24 Layston Park Royston Herts SG8 9DS    tel:01763 246122 (info in 2mmSA Yearbook) £3.80 each plus SAE. If ordering more than one discuss post costs with Derek. (ps I'm not on commission - I offer this info in memory of Denys)

[Revolution Ben]

Hi Stuart,

 

I think you've created a fantastic atmopshere on the layout, and the trackwork is stunning.  I'm enjoying following your progress, thanks for posting!

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[Donw]

I was interested to see at Warley Edward Sisling was assembling DGs using a one piece iron loop and dropper so no soldering. Seeems a good idea.

Don

[StuartM]

I was interested to see at Warley Edward Sisling was assembling DGs using a one piece iron loop and dropper so no soldering. Seeems a good idea.

Don

Not sure if Edward reads this thread, but perhaps he could post a few photos

It's not the loops or dropper that annoys me, it's the blasted latch. I can make a DG plus loop in around 10mins, but I then spend several hours trying the get the latch to stay in it's slot, in such a way that it

a. won't fall out

b. will lift up

c. but not so far that it won't fall back down again

It seems to me to be more luck than anything else. Anyway I've ordered some B&B couplings, so I'll see how I get on with those

[IanLister]

Not sure if Edward reads this thread, but perhaps he could post a few photos

It's not the loops or dropper that annoys me, it's the blasted latch. I can make a DG plus loop in around 10mins, but I then spend se what works for me is to put the latch in a small vice with the veral hours trying the get the latch to stay in it's slot, in such a way that it

a. won't fall out

b. will lift up

c. but not so far that it won't fall back down again

It seems to me to be more luck than anything else. Anyway I've ordered some B&B couplings, so I'll see how I get on with those

Hi Stuart...good to see the progress you're making; lovely trackwork. I know what you mean about the latch on DGs, it's a bit fiddly. I've found that what works best for me is to put the latch upside down in a small vice with the tails sticking up and drop the coupling onto it. With both hands free I can then use a knife blade to separate the tails enough to hold it but allow it to move freely. What constitutes 'enough', however........

I think sticking with DGs is worth it however. When they're working they're brilliant, in my view.

Regards

Ian

[StuartM]

Hi Stuart...good to see the progress you're making; lovely trackwork. I know what you mean about the latch on DGs, it's a bit fiddly. I've found that what works best for me is to put the latch upside down in a small vice with the tails sticking up and drop the coupling onto it. With both hands free I can then use a knife blade to separate the tails enough to hold it but allow it to move freely. What constitutes 'enough', however........

I think sticking with DGs is worth it however. When they're working they're brilliant, in my view.

Regards

Ian

Thanks Ian,

I assume that you haven't pre shaped the latch first before putting it in the vice ?

DG's are good, when their set up properly but the latch seems to be the weak point in the design, separating the tails enough to hold the latch but allow it to move freely seems to be more down to the phases of the moon than it does a repeatable process. The BB's on the other hand look like the latch is pivoted and therefore (in theory) should be easier and more reliable, I'll let you know when they turn up and I've spent some time with them. I might see if I can make a pivoted latch on a DG

Rgds,

Stuart

[IanLister]

Hi Stuart

I'd be interested to see how you get on with the BBs. I did think about it at one point.

You're right...I don't preshape the latch but fit it straight as I posted above. I find that once the coupling is complete, while still held in the vice upside down, I can shape the latch before releasing it. Pushing it gently over a piece of rod or something seems to do it...all very scientific!!!

Ian

[StuartM]

A DG coupling with the flaps bent the wrong way and a small length of brass soldered to a short length of 0.45 rod making up the latch

This way the latch pivots on the rod which is held in place by the flaps.

This seems to work ok, but the latch still has an annoying habit of sticking in the upright position, even with a small blob of solder on the end to add weight and, so far the latch works better when the wagon with the latch is being pushed against the wagon with the loop, as opposed to the wagon with the loop being pushing against the wagon with the latch, so some refinement is required.

 

ps: I use a loop at one end of my stock and a latch at the other, which works fine because I don't turn my stock.

[John lewsey]

Hi Stuart could tell me how you weathered you minerals it's very effective also are they farish wagons

Thanks john

[StuartM]

Hi Stuart could tell me how you weathered you minerals it's very effective also are they farish wagons

Thanks john

Nothing clever, bought them that way  http://www.grahamfarish.co.uk/image_box.php?image=images1/farish/377-227C.jpg&cat_no=377-227C&info=0&width=650&height=328

[StuartM]

Well the BB couplings have arrived and after taking some time to put the first one together the subsequent ones went together in around 10 minutes.

So far I've made four and fitted them to three trucks, I've found them to easy to make and a lot less time consuming to set up.

Having played with them for an hour they seem very reliable. They are not as delicate as the DG's, but in an odd way I rather like this as they feel more substantial and I feel are less likely to be damaged or put of of adjustment.

I've also experimented with leaving a loop off one coupling, so in effect you have one truck with a loop and one with a latch, this works just as well as the double loop version and makes for a more neater and tidier look.

The other added advantage is that the BB's are already black, so no painting or chemical blackening required, which is a great advantage when you live on an island and Royal Mail won't handle the chemical agent to chemically blacken.

So far I'm pleased enough that I'm going to convert my DG stock to BB and see how we go

 

Pros:

1 Easy to put together and adjust (compared to DG's)

2 No soldering

3 No painting

4 No special tools required

5 Reliable operation

6 Also come with a hole should you wish to 'screw' rather than glue the coupling to the item of stock

 

Cons:

Perhaps slightly more substantial in appearance than the DG's, but for me not enough to worry about

[IanLister]

Interesting Stuart. Any chance of a photo?

Ian

[StuartM]

I went to take some photos of the couplings as requested, but noticed the light coming through the window was shining off the rail heads in such a way that I took this set of scenic photos instead

[John lewsey]

It just gets better and better

John

[Budgie]

In that last picture, the thing that stands out for me is not the asymmetric double slip, but the crossover on its left. Mind you, all of it looks very good.

[bill-lobb]

 

Pros:

1 Easy to put together and adjust (compared to DG's)

2 No soldering

3 No painting

4 No special tools required

5 Reliable operation

6 Also come with a hole should you wish to 'screw' rather than glue the coupling to the item of stock

 

Cons:

Perhaps slightly more substantial in appearance than the DG's, but for me not enough to worry about

 

 

Its strange, but I've moved in the opposite direction. Having started off preferring BBs, I now tend to favour DGs. I found that I would need 2 more hands to hold everything in place while bending up the lugs and wrestling the pivots for the loop and latch into the requisite holes.

 

Bill

[StuartM]

BB's in action

 

 

[John lewsey]

Hi Stuart can you put a picture of both couplings on and which one do you prefer

John

[StuartM]

Hi Stuart can you put a picture of both couplings on and which one do you prefer

John

John,

As requested

First photo is of the BB's

Second photo is of the DG's

Having  built both and played with both, I prefer the BB's.

Both are 'very' fiddly to make and will test your manual dexterity to the limit, but personally I think the BB's are easier to set up and to my mind look better.