I've only ever built one kit wagon and that was a Peco 00 SR wagon that had couplings as part of the kit. I've got the Heljan OO9 Gauge L&B E759 YEO and I was wondering where I can get couplings and pockets, if they're NEM, to fix to the wagon please? I've got some (396-001) Bachmann OO9 Narrow Gauge Couplings being sent from Derails, but they would need NEM pockets which I'm struggling to find online. Any help would be most appreciated.
When it comes to kit built wagons I would not bother with NEM type couplings and pockets as you'll need to stick the pocket onto the wagon and then put the couplings into the pockets, ensuring everything is at the correct height.
In my opinion (based on 40+ years of 009 experience) you might be better off getting the type of couplings that attach direct to the wagon - like the Greenwich CPL-1.
For those you'll also need to put a cut out in the buffer beams by cutting away ½ the depth from the bottom edge with the tail of the coupling supported on a plastic card packing piece stuck to the underside of the wagon floor.
Superglue will just about do the job of sticking the brass coupling to the plastic, but I've had issues in the past with couplings coming off as superglue is not very good in the 'shear' direction (force applied along the joint) so reinforce this by drilling thought the etched holes in the coupling's tail and into the wagon floor and inserting a bit of wire, again held in with a bit of superglue.
Something else that may come in useful is some form of coupling height gauge to ensure all your couplings are set to the same height. RT models make a very inexpensive cast resin item that I can recommend (as a very satisfied user).
I agree with Julien.
In fact I find the NEM pockets are not great and I avoid them!
The main issues I find are:
The plug in couplings tend to droop.
The coupling heights are inconsistent between makes and even between different models in a range.
The inconsistent coupling heights has always been an issue in 009/H0e in kits as well as ready to run H0e items going back to the 1960's.
My layouts involve extensive shunting so all the couplings have to be at exactly the same height, that is the height of the loop above the rail, and they also need to be horizontal to work reliably hands-free.
(If the couplings droop in an NEM socket the loop will not lift up on the next coupling.)
I use the small Roco four wheel wagons as a height guide as I use these extensively as bogies and it is near impossible to change the coupling heights on these.
A few years ago now I did measure some of the RTR H0e ranges. This is the mesurement from the rail head to the underside of the 009/H0e coupling loop:
Roco:
Small four wheel wagons: 5.8mm (This is what I use as a guide as they can not be changed)
Larger bogie wagons: 5.8mm
Egger-bahn:
Four wheel trucks: 5.8mm (1963 onwards, first to use these couplings)
Four wheel vans: 5.8mm
Four wheel bogie coaches and wagons: 5.8mm
Tram coaches: (Bogies mae by Lima) 5.8mm
Locos: 5.8mm (No loop fitted.)
Jouef:
Decauville V Skip: 4.4mm
Decauville toastrack coach and log wagon: 5mm
Bemo:
5.8mm. (Others will need to confirm this as I do not have many Bemo items with the original couplings.)
Liliput:
5.8mm (Note the couplings on pivots tend to start to sag over time and even more in the later NEM socket.)
Tillig:
6.3mm. (Measured on the locos that do not have a loop.)
New Minitrains:
Wagons and coaches: 5.8mm
Locos: Most are higher than 6mm, but as I have altered all my ones I can not measure them now.
So going by the above it would appear that most RTR H0e manufactures use 5.8mm coupling height.
Thank you. I've just checked and I've got the Heljan Yeo NEM coupling issue with the Peco L&B coach and other Peco wagons too of course :(