I am thinking of using short lengths of chain as the coupling method for my trains, mainly due to the tight radius curves that I intend to use. What are other members experiences of using this method and what techniques have been used for joining rolling stock together using chain?
Neil
From experience of '3 link' chain couplings on standard gauge layouts they really are a pain to use if you plan to do any form of 'shunting', even just running the loco around.
I've only used chains as permanent couplings in short rakes of 5 wagons (plastic GVT opens) with lifting loop couplings at the outer ends. The short lengths of chain were threaded through a hole drilled in the buffer beam and a short length of wire passed through the chain behind the buffer beam to stop it being pulled back through the hole with a small dab of adhesive to hold the wire & chain in place.
How tight are the curves that you plan to use?
If your curves are that sharp, a much bigger potential problem is going to be the equivalent of buffer locking when pushing round the curves. I think this idea needs thinking through a bit more.
On skips - which are marshalled in rakes of several wagons - I've successfully used three-link chain couplings, but I've made them rigid with paint or cyanoacrylate glue. The visual effect is maintained but the rigid coupling keeps the wagons apart (though of course the ends of the couplings have to be free to move, e.g. by dropping them over a fine pin).
David.
I like the idea of gluing the chain to keep it rigid. The layout I am building is a small suitcase design requiring tight bends in the track. The tightest wil have an inside radius of about 2.5 inches (ie: the same as the outside of a standard CD). I have checked my stock and it can cope with such tight bends, but I think I may have trouble with standard couplings.
I have some Japanese models with "pin and bar" couplings. They look lovely but other than a test run I've never used them.
Using three link couplings on a friends gauge O layout is fun, though even that is restricted to the occasional running session.
Chain link couplings can be very effective when pulling the rolling stock around tight curves, however they are bordering on useless when propelling rolling stock.
They end up pushing the vehicles at strange angles causing them to de-rail.
This is not a problem on a layout with large curves and side buffers.
How tight a curve are you using?
If you have bogies with built in couplings on the end of all your rolling stock (Roco/Minitrains bolster bogies for example) and locos with short coupling overhangs or swinging couplings that self centralise you can get down to some quite tight curves. This is what we do on Meanderbahn with its 9 inch curves. However obviously it is very limiting on what you can run.
Brian Meldon