Greetings people,
I am looking to improve couplings on 00 freight trains, in situations where I will leave the trains made up. By "improve" I mean more realistic in how it looks. Based mainly on this excellent video this excellent video, I am just about sold on using these, together with NEM pockets. They are reasonably priced - before you factor in postage from the US!
Before I make the leap, I wonder if I could ask you wonderful people if you have either (i) tried these yourself and how you got on, or (ii) if you have tried something similar?
These are the ones I would probably use as I am set in the sixties.
I do intend to use Kadee couplings for those instances where I do want to disconnect.
Like I say, appreciate your thoughts.
Cheers
Al
Shapeways couplings for NEM sockets
Re: Shapeways couplings for NEM sockets
Steam era freight, I only have half of a coupler solution.
Loose coupled freight, I am now 'twenty years in' on shortening the NEM pockets and Bachmann miniature tension lock mountings . What this delivers is the full loose coupled effect, trains buffer up when pushed, open out to 2mm between bufferheads when pulled, works down to 24" centreline radius curves found in the yards. Magnetic uncoupling by the well known BK modification on selected wagons and all freight-only locos is reliable and (bonus!) works on Kadee magnets.( A selection of fitted wagons which operate in the pick up freight and tripping freight trains are also coupled in this way.)
Now this 'loose coupling' might be done with a 'loose' three links magnetic coupler design, but we have yet to see such a product, and I would want to see how it prevents bufferlock, which is 100% reliable by my method: and I still wouldn't buy it unless it could be mounted by DIY in the bufferbeam. Fussy or what?
Fitted freight sets, I have tested magnetic couplings on a set of older wagons with no NEM pockets, mounting the magnetic couplers pivoting in the bufferbeam. Now this doesn't deliver the proper screwlinks all buffered-up effect, but by shortening the buffers by having the heads in part compressed position, the fitted vehicle ends can be more closely spaced than unfitted on the 36" minimum radius of the running lines. (The few fitted wagons I have with sprung buffers can be run set up so just buffered-up on straight track.) Now all I want is a magnetic screwlink coupling representation...
For the present, I am definitely going to use NEM mounted magnetic couplings on future passenger sets, all equipped with close coupling mechanisms. Damn sight easier to vary formations than the Roco pattern coupler, which isn't an autocoupler, but a 'careful-manual-intervention-coupler'. (Too mean to simply replace them with all magnetic, but ask me again after a couple of years experience of the much easier magnetic option...) Like you, Kadees on the ends of all passenger train and fitted freight formations, for the unrivalled auto coupling/magnetic uncoupling performance.
Loose coupled freight, I am now 'twenty years in' on shortening the NEM pockets and Bachmann miniature tension lock mountings . What this delivers is the full loose coupled effect, trains buffer up when pushed, open out to 2mm between bufferheads when pulled, works down to 24" centreline radius curves found in the yards. Magnetic uncoupling by the well known BK modification on selected wagons and all freight-only locos is reliable and (bonus!) works on Kadee magnets.( A selection of fitted wagons which operate in the pick up freight and tripping freight trains are also coupled in this way.)
Now this 'loose coupling' might be done with a 'loose' three links magnetic coupler design, but we have yet to see such a product, and I would want to see how it prevents bufferlock, which is 100% reliable by my method: and I still wouldn't buy it unless it could be mounted by DIY in the bufferbeam. Fussy or what?
Fitted freight sets, I have tested magnetic couplings on a set of older wagons with no NEM pockets, mounting the magnetic couplers pivoting in the bufferbeam. Now this doesn't deliver the proper screwlinks all buffered-up effect, but by shortening the buffers by having the heads in part compressed position, the fitted vehicle ends can be more closely spaced than unfitted on the 36" minimum radius of the running lines. (The few fitted wagons I have with sprung buffers can be run set up so just buffered-up on straight track.) Now all I want is a magnetic screwlink coupling representation...
For the present, I am definitely going to use NEM mounted magnetic couplings on future passenger sets, all equipped with close coupling mechanisms. Damn sight easier to vary formations than the Roco pattern coupler, which isn't an autocoupler, but a 'careful-manual-intervention-coupler'. (Too mean to simply replace them with all magnetic, but ask me again after a couple of years experience of the much easier magnetic option...) Like you, Kadees on the ends of all passenger train and fitted freight formations, for the unrivalled auto coupling/magnetic uncoupling performance.