N gauge coupling options for hands free shunting?

[johnlambert]

I have seen a couple of comments in threads, from folks who have tried them, and found cars flying off the track during shunting. It is usually because the freight cars (wagons) are too light. They have a tendency to bounce back and forth, causing the open couplers to close again, and the closed couplers bumping each other, pushing the wagons to one side. MT sells small springs to correct this. A single spring is placed on the needle point of one axle, before being placed in the journal box. This creates a very tiny bit of drag, but eliminates the bounce.

Jim F

I found that Dapol EasiShunts can sometimes be let down by stock that's too free-running.

My preferred solution is a small piece of foam glued between the body/bogie and the axle.  This is just enough to keep the couplings tight and stops stock from running away when attempting to couple up.

[Zunnan]

I have in the past used a dab of cyano in the axle bearing to add friction to the rear of a train to keep the couplers taut, and I still use this to reduce the bounce on close coupling mechs fitted to my kit built LMS suburban coaches. British wagons however are on the very light side, and the factory applied steel weight makes matters so much worse in literally dragging vehicles (I had a magnet pull 12 wagons) over an uncoupling site. I haven't had a wagon thrown from the rails using MTs as the spring isn't really strong enough laterally to push anything over, gentle buffering up barely nudges them when coupling if you dry lubricate them on assembly (graphite, not oil or grease). Dapol knuckles however, I've had them refuse to couple unless roughly shunted into, and it has been the rough shunting that has derailed vehicles. Adding weight does help, as does adding some drag. I prefer to add weight personally as it helps the general trackholding of a light wagon where drag makes no difference in this respect.

Farish vans are easy to reweight (I don't own any Dapol vans, so can't say in relation to them), just open them up and discard the steel and you're left with plenty of room to add whatever non ferrous material you like. Opens are harder, the steel weight is between the chassis and wagon floor so they need some quite delicate disassembly to get the steel out. Farish 16 tonners have the door drop springs held in place simply by fitting between body and chassis for example, and you need to remove the axles in order to get at the screws holding them together. Replacing the weight is harder, especially if you want to keep the wagon unloaded. You need a thin non ferrous material in a narrow strip to replace the steel, preferably denser so that you can increase the models weight. I've seen solder used for this, short lengths cut to fit and glued into the void in the chassis, I prefer to use self adhesive window lead, it takes a bit of trimming to get it to fit but you can use the original weight as a template. Alternatively you strip the steel and load the wagons, with the load hiding the weight. This is necessary for Dapol 21t hoppers as there is no weight in them, the 'load' in them is glued in though and makes a right mess getting it out to be able to get at the cavity to drop some fishing shot in.

[Black Sheep]

resurrecting an old thread, but continuing the debate.

So, Dapol couplings are a no go due partly to cost, I can't get them working reliably and don't want to spend that much.

DG couplings I can not get a decent soldered joint between the coupling loop and the dropper, it simply falls apart again with handling (primarily bending the dropper) and I have now lost one entire coupling to the floor along with about half the loops that were made.

I need to be able to couple up to either end of stock, the layout is a loop but also has a terminus and reverse loop so single ended is unfortunately not an option.

number of couplings required is easily over 100 so being able to reliably produce them at reasonable cost is key.

[PLD]

B&Bs...

Work on exactly the same principle as DGs but so much easier to assemble... The loop including the dropper tail is a preformed etch and you can just wrap iron wire around the tail (no bending your own loops and no soldering required) and the latch piece has proper pivots (none of that fiddly tweaking the three prongs to fit it)

In operation, so long as they are mounted squarely, no problems running with them double ended.

[Black Sheep]

Where does one get B&B couplings from?

I could do with just 5 to trial (3 to build and test, two for the inevitable first one not as good as the rest ) but happy to buy a full fret / sprue of them if needs be.

One thing that concerns me about the B&B is that you have to adjust the height of the latch instead of it being straight on the DG, but I presume this is fairly standard?

[martyn]

Hello;
see this thread in the 'Couplings' section of the Forum;

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=36632.0

The address of the maker, and prices, are on it. Somewhere on the Forum, Paul PLD has written an illustrated 'how to' for these. We use them on James St and find them quite reliable; I found it best to make a 'standard ' for the height, then adjust all rolling stock to the  standard. There are other articles on B+Bs in the 'Couplings' section of the Forum.

HTH

Martyn

[Black Sheep]

Hello;
see this thread in the 'Couplings' section of the Forum;

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=36632.0

The address of the maker, and prices, are on it. Somewhere on the Forum, Paul PLD has written an illustrated 'how to' for these. We use them on James St and find them quite reliable; I found it best to make a 'standard ' for the height, then adjust all rolling stock to the  standard. There are other articles on B+Bs in the 'Couplings' section of the Forum.

HTH

Martyn

Thanks, that's a great help, had hoped there was a supplier online as I have bank cards and paypal etc but no cheque book to make payment by post!

A way shall be found, going to go for another attempt with DG couplings (might as well destroy what I've already got) and look at B&B in the new year as nothing's going to get through the post before then anyway

[martyn]

Hi;

Yes, I'm afraid it is snail mail and cheque book, but he does supply by 'return of post'.

Martyn

[Black Sheep]

Hi;

Yes, I'm afraid it is snail mail and cheque book, but he does supply by 'return of post'.

Martyn

Anyone know if he accepts postal orders?
Cashed in the same way as a cheque (can be done at the PO if not crossed)

I've asked for a cheque book before and been told no even though the account used to have one.

[RailGooner]

I wouldn't recommend sending an uncrossed PO in the post - as risky as sending cash.

[danmk1]

DG couplings I can not get a decent soldered joint between the coupling loop and the dropper, it simply falls apart again with handling (primarily bending the dropper) and I have now lost one entire coupling to the floor along with about half the loops that were made.

I need to be able to couple up to either end of stock, the layout is a loop but also has a terminus and reverse loop so single ended is unfortunately not an option.

number of couplings required is easily over 100 so being able to reliably produce them at reasonable cost is key.

I am planning on using DG couplings and have been making the loops out of one piece, and have been able to adapt the coupling to fit the NEM pockets.


See this thread for more information and a video of my success so far.
http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=38772.msg477434#msg477434

Dan

[Black Sheep]

I am planning on using DG couplings and have been making the loops out of one piece, and have been able to adapt the coupling to fit the NEM pockets.


See this thread for more information and a video of my success so far.
http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=38772.msg477434#msg477434

Thanks for that, I'll take a look at your thread, my worry with the one piece loops is the loop opening over time in long trains, have you much experience of this?

I know someone posted earlier their method of bending the wire that hopefully resolves this, but I'm not sure I can accurately make enough of their design.

Dan

[belstone]

I have started work again on the coupler design I was working on in 2015, have redesigned the etched hooks to deal with its worst fault (a tendency to lift the first couple of vehicles off the rails with heavy trains) and should have the revised etch back early in the New Year.  This time I am going to try electromagnets, as I am fed up with all the issues caused by under-track permanent magnets.  I'll update my own topic when I have done a bit of testing. Last time I got so close to having a good reliable design, it would be a shame not to put a bit more work in and fix the bugs:

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=22058.180

Richard

[Newportnobby]

Last time I got so close to having a good reliable design, it would be a shame not to put a bit more work in and fix the bugs:

That's good to hear, Richard.

[Black Sheep]

I have started work again on the coupler design I was working on in 2015, have redesigned the etched hooks to deal with its worst fault (a tendency to lift the first couple of vehicles off the rails with heavy trains) and should have the revised etch back early in the New Year.  This time I am going to try electromagnets, as I am fed up with all the issues caused by under-track permanent magnets.  I'll update my own topic when I have done a bit of testing. Last time I got so close to having a good reliable design, it would be a shame not to put a bit more work in and fix the bugs:

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=22058.180

Richard

Thanks, read the entire topic and commented offering to be a test pilot if required, looks promising