Lima vs. Bachmann vs. Grafar coaches

[Chris Morris]

Obsolete coaches can always be recycled using etched metal sides.

Having said that, I'm not sure that etched sides are still available these days ?

Yes all you need is new sides, new bogies, new wheels and a decent paint job!

Doing that would be satisfying in that you could be proud of the work you have done but its much easier to buy new ones.

[Chris Morris]

The best mod I have made to my Farish Mk1s, which are all the latest design, is to fit short shank Hunt magnetic couplings. Gives a nice close coupling and they never become accidentally uncoupled. Magnetic couplings can be added to pretty much any coach as Hunt now have quite a few coupling type options.

[Newportnobby]

I have to say I have never, in 40 years or so, had coaches uncouple randomly.
Wagons (especially Peco), however, are a different matter but that's drifting off topic

[Bigmac]

The best mod I have made to my Farish Mk1s, which are all the latest design, is to fit short shank Hunt magnetic couplings. Gives a nice close coupling and they never become accidentally uncoupled. Magnetic couplings can be added to pretty much any coach as Hunt now have quite a few coupling type options.

ive found a touch of tacky wax on the couplings works for me:

very easy to "fit"
very cheap
unobtrusive
easy to remove if needed.

whats not to like ?

[AdeV]

I have to say I have never, in 40 years or so, had coaches uncouple randomly.
Wagons (especially Peco), however, are a different matter but that's drifting off topic

I've had that more than once with the Lima coaches, especially Lima to Grafar... but then my "test" track has some fairly tight curves, and the Lima couplings aren't the best.

[Trainfish]

I have to say I have never, in 40 years or so, had coaches uncouple randomly.
Wagons (especially Peco), however, are a different matter but that's drifting off topic

I would usually say that you obviously don't have Dapol mk3 coaches then but I'm sure I saw some somewhere in your thread. You must be the luckiest man on earth if you do and they don't.

[Chris in Prague]

Actually, considering their age, the Minitrix coaches are pretty good. I remember when they were first released, thinking how much better they were in every respect than the Lima ones, which was all that was available then. The sunken windows problem has been fixed by others with an application of that liquid glass stuff.

[Newportnobby]

I have to say I have never, in 40 years or so, had coaches uncouple randomly.
Wagons (especially Peco), however, are a different matter but that's drifting off topic

I would usually say that you obviously don't have Dapol mk3 coaches then but I'm sure I saw some somewhere in your thread. You must be the luckiest man on earth if you do and they don't.

But Dapol aren't mentioned in the thread title  

[Trainfish]

Neither were wagons but you brought them into the conversation