Bemo/Eggerbahn coupling standards?

[B.Meldon]

I agree, perhaps a good place to start would be an exact copy of the Bemo coupling.
However many consider these are too large and obtrusive on 009 models, but making them smaller will involve a compromise in their operation, or at the very least how they are mounted for use on sharper curves relative to the overhang on the vehicle.
Basicaly the narrower the loop the wider the curve needs to be or the more swing will be needed in the coupling depending on the overhang.

This is fine if the way the coupling is mounted takes this into account, but it will not be possible to say it is fully compatible in every situation.

For example the new Peco NEM coupling is different to the Bemo coupling. Obviously it will couple up on a straight bit of track but depending on the coupling overhang and the curves in use it will not be fully compatible in every situation.

Brian Meldon

[George Surridge]

I like your thinking teebee.  I have been in 009 for a year, and the thing that irritates most is ...couplings!  Some work beautifully, some don't. Some good ones of different types won't work together.  But you've discovered this!  I haven't yet decided what is the right way to go on my own developong layout so I am interested to see what you do.  I have sympathy with the view that NG is by nature very 'freelance' so does not encourage standardisation, in fact that's often the last thing we want in my opinion.  But to be able to run carriages or wagons of different makes together is a nice thought!
There, that moved the debate forward didn't it!  I am going to buy some Bemo ones next and see how that fits in.
I will keep watching for any eureka moments you may have!
Regards
Geo

[B.Meldon]

I can fully understand your frustrations George.
As I previously mentioned even the H0e ready to run manufactures have varying heights within their own ranges!
I have quite a lot of locos and items of rolling stock and every one is fully compatible with all the others in any order. I use Bemo and the later wider Egger couplings as well as lots of the Roco bolters as bogies, Liliput rolling stock, Greenwich couplings without the hoops on locos and many others.
The way I have made them all work together is to adjust, modify and even change the couplings as necessary on each new item that I get.
Some need no work at all, others need minor adjustments, but some need the coupling mounting arrangement completely replaced.

I use the small Roco wagons as coupling guide and I just make sure every new item I get works with one of these on the curves I have on the layouts. It is very difficult to change the height of the couplings on these Roco wagons so setting everything else to work with them is probably a good idea as Ii use them extensively as bogies.

The same goes for any kits I build each one is made with couplings that work with the Roco wagons

Doing one vehicle at a time is no problem at all, what would be hard is to change them all at once!

Brian Meldon

[George Surridge]

Thanks Brian, changing all couplings to one style would work (if rolling stock heights etc allow) and he bundles of work!  Now, this might be a naive idea but...advice is given to have the hook on one end of a piece of rolling stock only, and I can understand the reasoning for that.  But in my (limited) experience sometimes the buffer bar with the hook can be the problem...buffer bars touching each other while a hook is too short to drop over. When mixing two makes of coupling most often I suppose.  So...how about cutting off the buffer bar / hook on one end so there's just the hook (leaving enough of the bar to support the hook of course). I am not at my layout to try it just now. There might be an obvious reason for not doing it, in which case I'm sure someone will soon tell me....
Just a thought.
Regards
Geo[/size][/size]

[B.Meldon]

I have the loops on both ends of all items of rolling stock and no loops on all the locos. (But there are exceptions to that as some locos have the loops as well.)

I found the main reason that both loops lifted at the same time was because they were not set absolutely level relative to the track. The ones that cause the problems were all found to be sloping slightly to one side or another.

If they are all absolutely level then I have found that the problem of both lifting at once is virtually eliminated. So again I make sure that with every new item of stock the coupling loop is not only at the correct height but absolutely level relative to the track. Once again I have found several ready to run items that need some work to make the hoops level.

If you do only have loops on one end it limits the direction of the locos and rolling stock on your layout, you can not have any reverse loops or turntables as these will turn the stock and then they will not couple up.



Brian Meldon