Voyager

[Tom Garnet]

The Grafar voyager in X-contry livery is a superb model, but, try as I might, I find the coupling system almost impossible. The recommended method of placing carriages and driving units on the track after fixing one coupling bar to each leads to what, to me, are insurmountable problems of sagging coupling bars and getting bars and sockets to line up accurately. Any helpful suggestions would be most welcome.

[mikeharvey22]

I placed the four cars on their roofs next to a length of straight track and coupled up the whole train. I then rolled it over on to the track and carefully placed each bogie on the track. I have never had a derailment and the unit is still intact and running. Reminds me that it maybe time for some lubrication, so I may have to roll it over again. I used the same process to connect up the rigid bar couplers on the Blue Pullman. It is a bit likely wrestling a snake as you roll it over.

 

Mike

[Portpatrick]

When I wanted a class 220 4 car in XC livery I went for the Farish rather than Dapol as the latter semmed to have the wrong bogie design. The GF unit looks superb. But like Tom I find aligning is simply impossible. And to be honest I had already tried coupling it upside down and then rolling it. But at least one if not more of the joints still comes undone. And then another as you try to recouple that.

 

And then if you have a mishap at an exhibition, try sorting it quickly in front of the public. Or in a crowded fiddle yard.

 

Sadly Farish fouled badly on this one. Dapol's magnetic couplings are vastly superior. I wonder if something like the hook and loop Dapol use within their 156 units would work.

 

Any alternative ideas very gratefully received.

[johnlambert]

How about Dapol's knuckle couplings? I've not tried them on my Blue Pullman but I've used them for close coupling on some of my coaches and diesel multiple units. In an ideal world I'd have knuckles between the coaches in a set/rake (call it what you will) with magnetic couplings at each end.

 

I did use the coupling bars once on my BP but agree with the 'snake wrestling' comment; couldn't get them to couple on track so had to assemble the set upside down and then roll it onto the track. I suppose the bars work best if you keep the set in some sort of cassette storage system where you can run it in and out and don't keep coupling/uncoupling.

[Tom Garnet]

I placed the four cars on their roofs next to a length of straight track and coupled up the whole train. I then rolled it over on to the track and carefully placed each bogie on the track. I have never had a derailment and the unit is still intact and running. Reminds me that it maybe time for some lubrication, so I may have to roll it over again. I used the same process to connect up the rigid bar couplers on the Blue Pullman. It is a bit likely wrestling a snake as you roll it over.

 

Mike

I tried a similar solution, though lining up rod ends with sockets was tough. I don't look forward to disconnecting for storage.

[Portpatrick]

Once they are coupled it runs well and looks great. But for those of us whose unit comes out only sometimes (e.g. yesterday with the club layout at an exhibition)there has to be a better solution. I am looking at alternatives though not sure yet at least how you might mount these in such a way as not to interfere with good runnung, esp on 180 debree bends at 12 inch radious on the club layout. I suspect gluing a nem pocket on the underside would make the whole thing too rigid. If only I could simply unscrew the current bar receptacle and replace it with something else.

[arran]

HI All

 

That system is one total pain in the backside i must say, i gave up in the end and made my own system out of brass rods, but the Dapol idea was so much better.

 

Regards Arran

[Tom Garnet]

Once they are coupled it runs well and looks great. But for those of us whose unit comes out only sometimes (e.g. yesterday with the club layout at an exhibition)there has to be a better solution. I am looking at alternatives though not sure yet at least how you might mount these in such a way as not to interfere with good runnung, esp on 180 debree bends at 12 inch radious on the club layout. I suspect gluing a nem pocket on the underside would make the whole thing too rigid. If only I could simply unscrew the current bar receptacle and replace it with something else.

If only! Would the Dapol NEM conversion kit work? I rather doubt it. I think I was wise to resist the very strong temptation to buy the Blue Pullman!

[Tom Garnet]

How about Dapol's knuckle couplings? I've not tried them on my Blue Pullman but I've used them for close coupling on some of my coaches and diesel multiple units. In an ideal world I'd have knuckles between the coaches in a set/rake (call it what you will) with magnetic couplings at each end.

 

I did use the coupling bars once on my BP but agree with the 'snake wrestling' comment; couldn't get them to couple on track so had to assemble the set upside down and then roll it onto the track. I suppose the bars work best if you keep the set in some sort of cassette storage system where you can run it in and out and don't keep coupling/uncoupling.

Would Dapol knuckle couplings be able to replace the current Grafar "pocket" assemblies?

[Portpatrick]

If only! Would the Dapol NEM conversion kit work? I rather doubt it. I think I was wise to resist the very strong temptation to buy the Blue Pullman!

Some interesting ideas.  I like the idea from Arran.  Must work out how to actually do it.  To use the existing monting screws and have a hook on one and loop on the other ?

 

I too am doubtful about the new conversion kits.  I suspect he frlexibility of a coupling in a NEM pocket would not be sufficient to allow the train to go round curves.

 

Interestingly we were running 2 Blue Pullmans on the club layout at a show yesterday - 1 each way.  The 2 owners have not replaced the standard couplings as initially provided with the optional bars and they were fine.  The curves on the inner fast line of our 4 track main line are a little under 12 inch radius.  Perhaps Farish could produce revised NEM pockets which can screw in the underside where the current bar pockets are screwed in.  Worth dreaming.

[mikeharvey22]

I think that there is a practical way to convert the Farish Voyager coupler to make the individual cars easy to join and divide. Seeing as I ought to lubricate the power car I will give this a try using the spare coupler. It might also be a way of achieving closer coupling between the cars.

My idea is to cut the bar coupler in half and possibly shorten each half by a mm or so. For each one make up a 1.5 mm thick non -magnetic (plastic sheet should do) oblong buffing plate with three holes - the centre hole to match the diameter of the coupler shaft, and a 1mm diameter by 1mm deep one to each side to accept a 1mm diameter x 1mm deep neodymium magnet. Glue the buffing plate to the shaft so that the plate is flush with the end of the cut shaft. Secure a magnet in each of the 1mm holes with one North pole and one South pole showing on the face of the buffing plate. Insert the couplers into the housings on the Voyager cars, rail the cars and they should auto couple by the opposite poles attracting. The shafts of the couplers might need to be rotated to aid the coupling process. They should function in a similar way to the Dapol Voyager. I have some 1mm magnets so I will give this a try later in the week, and check whether the train holds together with the magnetic one on the power car when it is leading, and that there is no contact between the buffing plates and the car ends.

Mike

[Tom Garnet]

I think that there is a practical way to convert the Farish Voyager coupler to make the individual cars easy to join and divide. Seeing as I ought to lubricate the power car I will give this a try using the spare coupler. It might also be a way of achieving closer coupling between the cars.

 

My idea is to cut the bar coupler in half and possibly shorten each half by a mm or so. For each one make up a 1.5 mm thick non -magnetic (plastic sheet should do) oblong buffing plate with three holes - the centre hole to match the diameter of the coupler shaft, and a 1mm diameter by 1mm deep one to each side to accept a 1mm diameter x 1mm deep neodymium magnet. Glue the buffing plate to the shaft so that the plate is flush with the end of the cut shaft. Secure a magnet in each of the 1mm holes with one North pole and one South pole showing on the face of the buffing plate. Insert the couplers into the housings on the Voyager cars, rail the cars and they should auto couple by the opposite poles attracting. The shafts of the couplers might need to be rotated to aid the coupling process. They should function in a similar way to the Dapol Voyager. I have some 1mm magnets so I will give this a try later in the week, and check whether the train holds together with the magnetic one on the power car when it is leading, and that there is no contact between the buffing plates and the car ends.

 

Mike

Thanks for this proposed solution, Mike. Please let me know (a) how well your ideas work, and (b) if they work as well as it seems that they should, from where you obtain these tiny magnets.

 

Francis Walker aka Tom Garnet

[Portpatrick]

Thanks for this proposed solution, Mike. Please let me know (a) how well your ideas work, and ( B) if they work as well as it seems that they should, from where you obtain these tiny magnets.

 

Francis Walker aka Tom Garnet

Rather.  Looks very interesting.  I wait with anticipation.  As it uses the original bars in their pivoted mounts, there should be the necessary flexibility.

[mikeharvey22]

As requested I am reporting back on the magnetic coupler solution to the Voyager drawbar challenge. I prepared things just as I outlined in post #11 above. Because I had some 100 thou by 40 thou strip to hand I used this for the buffing plate which is 6mm x 2.54mm x 1mm. The diameters of the three holes turned out to be 1mm for the two magnets, and 1.7mm in the centre for the drawbar shaft. The magnets were fixed with cyanoacrylate, and a 6mm x 2.54 mm x 1mm doubler plate from the same strip was fixed behind the buffing plate to give some extra surface area for the cyano bond on the magnets, and a bit more meat for the joint to the drawbar. I shortened the drawbar by taking 2mm from the centre. In the event I found that this was the absolute maximum for 263mm radius curves, with the electrical junction boxes at cantrail level in contact when propelling round curves (i.e. with power car trailing). Putting the half couplings into position was much easier, and easier still when reverting to the fixed drawbar at the end of the test after I dislodged the end skirt! I used the powered car and the adjacent unpowered passenger car for the test couplers.

 

On the plus side the theory worked OK, and the powered car coupled to the adjacent coach with the magnetic coupler. With buffing plates of this size the coupler needs to be correctly oriented as it will not rotate completely on its axis when on the track. The two buffing plates coupled squarely and would have been quite inobtrusive if painted black. With the power car leading and 3 unpowered cars behind the train moved smoothly on straight track even on a 1 in 50 gradient. This also worked OK with the powered car propelling the train. Propelling round curves was not a problem with the revised shorter coupling just allowing the train to round a 263mm radius curve but with the cantrail level boxes at the vestibule ends in contact which is not really a good idea. However it turned out that two of my tiny magnets did not have the strength to hold the train together with the powered car leading on even quite easy curves whether on the level, or rising gradient or even a falling gradient. The rolling resistance of the unpowered cars rises steeply on curves and my two little magnets gave up and the train parted time and again. Backing up the power car allowed the coupler halves to mate again but as soon as the first unpowered bogie hit the curve the train parted again. It worked better on 430mm radius Fleischmann curves but still not reliably.

 

So I am sorry but my little test has not provided the solution to the real problem of coupling up these units. Stronger magnets might help but that almost certainly means bigger and there is not that much usable space under the vestibules. Maybe a bigger magnet on the axis of the drawbar would work, with the added bonus that it would pick up any track debris with magnetic properties! I would say that shortening the drawbar creates more problems that it is worth unless you have very generous curves. True the cars are closer together on the straight but there is still a millimetre + gap.

 

I am pleased with myself for doing a bit of precision engineering drilling neat holes in the buffing plate and fitting the buffing plates to the drawbar halves. But I am cursing myself because with the train apart and away from the track I still did not lubricate the power car, and those drawbar couplers are still a pain. There has to be a workable solution somewhere so I will keep thinking about alternatives. Meanwhile I am off to do the oiling!

 

Mike

[Portpatrick]

Thank you for your efforts and honest feedback , Mike.  More development required perhaps.  If I come up with anything I will report back.  But I am rather busy at the moment so don't hold your breath

 

Colin

[Tom Garnet]

My thanks, too, Mike. Over to Grafar, I think!