SHAPEWAYS COUPLINGS

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RailwayRobbo
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SHAPEWAYS COUPLINGS

Post by RailwayRobbo »

Hi guys, I hope everybody is safe and well out there in the current situation.

I was wondering if anyone as used the above couplings?
They're called NEM OO gauge straight 3 link couplings. (They also do other types of couplings as well).
I'd describe then as drawbar type couplings for permanent rakes of wagons.
They come in 3 sizes. Type 1 gives a distance of 18mm between the NEM pockets, type 16 = 19mm and type 31 = 20mm.
Of course the sharper the radius of the curve the longer the coupling needs to be.
I was wondering what length would be suitable for a Peco small radius point.
I was thinking of making up 2 permanent rakes of full and empty 16 ton coal wagons and leaving tension lock couplings on each end of the rakes for the loco and brake van. They could stop in the fiddle yard on Petersdale which is fully covered with a clear plastic cover so they wouldn't get dusty.

RailwayRobbo (Pete).
Bigmet
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Re: SHAPEWAYS COUPLINGS

Post by Bigmet »

These are I guess a rigid bar link to go between two hinged NEM pockets as found on wagons? Provided the pockets are positioned correctly the 18mm version will be safe for spacing on the nominal 24" radius of the Peco small radius point. Whether this works reliably with the plastic hinge action of the pockets I don't know, nor whether there is an effective limit on train length, pushing or pulling; but I will be interested to hear what you find should you go ahead with a trial.
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Ironduke
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Re: SHAPEWAYS COUPLINGS

Post by Ironduke »

if you're referring to these:Link they look like they would put the hook below the buffer beam.
Regards
Rob
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RailwayRobbo
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Re: SHAPEWAYS COUPLINGS

Post by RailwayRobbo »

Was just going to place an order for some Shapeways couplings price (£12.55) but it turns out the postage is nearly £10 so I'll give them a miss for now and stick with the good old tension couplings.
I'll look out for them when I next go to an exhibition whenever that maybe.

Pete
RailwayRobbo
Bigmet
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Re: SHAPEWAYS COUPLINGS

Post by Bigmet »

Glad you posted that, it has reminded me to try some of the 'hoses' connectors that Bachmann suppiied with their mk1 coaches. (I reset these to 16mm between coupler pocket faces when I first tried them on these coaches, and they worked well, but were replaced by the Hornby R8220 which they were packing wth their coaches, whcih was both more convenient and gave the same close coupled effect, with all gangway faceplates in contact on straight track.)

And having tried it out, that 16mm spacing between coupler pocket faces will work on a Peco Streamline 24" radius point, and a 24" radius curve, provided the wagon buffer length is scale for 18" = 6mm. (Bachmann 10' wb wagons.)
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