Nick Holliday Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Having treated myself to the Hornby Brighton Belle set for Christmas, I have worked out how to safely make the electrical couplings fit, but I am not sure how best to safely uncouple them. Whilst they seem to come apart under brute force, with a straight pull, I am worried that something is going to break. Is there a technique or tool I need? Leaving the set assembled is not, currently, an option, as it weighs in at over four feet long. I have searched all through the BB topic, and most of the similar VEP saga, but nobody seems to have touched on this aspect, so perhaps I am missing the obvious. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I have one too and it is very fiddley and bits fall of the coaches. Mine will not see the light of day at an exhibition because of this and also one of my operators is far from careful with my stock! Maybe forming the unit into a semi-permanent coupled 2 and 3 car set that sits in a customised box might be one way although still very tricky! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forester Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Not sure if the lack of replies is because no-one else has the problem, or because everyone else has given up. Like Nick I need to use more force than I've ever applied to a plastic model before and I am now reluctant to join them up again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Faced the same problem, and moved the unit off the railway and onto a long bookcase for storage with the help of my wife, who is much less clumsy than me! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Colin Posted January 5, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 5, 2015 This is all very worrying - mine - bought just before Christmas - has yet to exit its box! Should I leave it there and just EBay it at a silly price in a couple of years when the 1960 version will probably be very rare? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwich station Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 What I do with mine is lay it on it's side, which can be a work of art in itself (tipping 5 coaches gently). Get a jewellers screw driver of the appropriate size, I have a set of 6 and the 1 I use is no4 (if no1 is the smallest). Insert it between the couplings on the side (while putting your finger under the coupling for support) and gently twisting. Mine comes apart with no bother at all without having to resort to brute force. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 This thread is a little depressing maybe an opening for a solution by an enterprising trader? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Holliday Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 I am not sure I would have used the word "depressing" but surely someone has solved this problem. The first production came out nearly 3 years ago, so some of the buyers of the 1930's and 1970's versions must have taken them out of their boxes (and then put them back) by now, yet there is no comment within 18 pages on the subject. Or have Hornby changed the type of coupling for the current 1960's set? Is the VEP coupling similar/better/worse, or does it being only a 4 coach set make things easier? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold tetsudofan Posted January 6, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 6, 2015 ......expensive solution ....... but it works...... Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzyo Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 ......expensive solution ....... but it works...... Tubes-01.jpg Keith Looks like they do a lot of running! Put a ant-vacuum valve in and then you could remove all the air and keep them a bit longer! It would also keep dust out as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold tetsudofan Posted January 6, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 6, 2015 Looks like they do a lot of running! Put a ant-vacuum valve in and then you could remove all the air and keep them a bit longer! It would also keep dust out as well. Ozzyo, The models get a lot more running than you obviously think....... An entry/exit track to the tubes has been laid: The tube is removed from the wall and lined up with the entry/exit track: The flap at the end of the tube (which keeps the dust out) is removed and the model heads of to join the layout proper: Simples!! Off the wall and on the layout before you could blink...... Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I can see someone shouting out look what that blokes got with Belles on! XF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Colin Posted January 6, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 6, 2015 Or a Belle end if he dropped the tube........ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevelewis Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Uncoupling the 5 Bel or for that matter Bachmann 4 CEP, 2-EPB and the Hornby 2 BIL & 2 HAL and for that matter the Arnold Hornby N gauge 5-BEL Obtain 2 pairs of long nosed Miniature Pliers Hobby shops and online retialiers sell these usually although my local market in Mold has stalls where they are usually obtainable for around £1 or so a Pair. To couple or uncouple the above units simply guide the Male Coupling into the Female Coupling using the said pliers, I have been doing this for years with other manufacturers electrical couplings and the Hornby & Bachmann ones when they were introduced and it works easily Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 That's one very slick and professional cartridge system. (I nearly said polished). Is it home made or commercial? Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzyo Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Sorry Keith, it was the diversity of your collection the threw me from the Blue Pullman to one of the new Swiss? double deckers. A number of people that have that sort of verity tend to be collectors only. Nice system. OzzyO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold grandadbob Posted January 7, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 7, 2015 That's one very slick and professional cartridge system. (I nearly said polished). Is it home made or commercial? Andy Looks like these (which I'm thinking of getting for the Rapido APTE when it arrives) http://shop.train-safe.de/en/home/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzyo Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Looks like these (which I'm thinking of getting for the Rapido APTE when it arrives) http://shop.train-safe.de/en/home/ Kerching!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold tetsudofan Posted January 7, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 7, 2015 Hi Guys, Apologies for the lateral thread drift (although it does provide a solution to the coupling/uncoupling of the Brighton Belle) you are right that it is the Train-Safe system that I'm using. Saw the UK Representatives advert in Continental Modeller a few years ago and made contact and was immediately told that the system was expensive. Thought about it for a few years but did nothing until I visited Dortmund ModellInterbau last year where Train-Safe had a display stand. Had a long conversation with them and decided it was what I wanted. Measured things up when I got home and after an exchange of e:mails ordered on the website taking advantage of a generous "show discount". The tubes arrived in a number of large boxes a couple of weeks later. Suppose I am a "collector" of sorts but blame that on the fact that having spent 34 years of my working life living abroad (mainly in the Far East especially Japan working for UK, German & Swiss banks - when banks were banks!!) my tastes are quite varied. Have discussed my collecting habit with my GP but he tells me its not treatable on the NHS . At least, thanks to Train-Safe its easy to run some different trains when I want to..... ....... and, yes, one of the tubes is reserved for the Rapido APT-E ....... but it would be nice to have a Bulleid 4-DD to keep the SBB DoubleDecker company....Rapido listening? OK, time to get back on topic, Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 So how long do they make the tubes? Andy PS I actually wanna 60's "Belle", so I'm not being too facetious. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grovenor Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 So how long do they make the tubes? Andy PS I actually wanna 60's "Belle", so I'm not being too facetious. A few seconds in the link above and you find Up to 300 cm in length Our Display Cases come in lengths of up to 300 cm without any disturbing interruptions, transitions or distortions. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.