Which couplings should I use ?

[JulienW]

Several replies mention stock being used in fixed rakes - could someone please educate me - I assume a rake of wagons are permanently coupled together but how?

My fixed rakes consist of 4 GVT style open wagons (the Parkside Dundas kits). The four are linked with a short length of fine chain, and to do this I drilled a vertical hole through the buffer beam, passed the chain down through it and held it in place with a pin passed through the chain (underneath the buffer beam) and some adhesive.  As there is about 4 -5 mm between the buffer beams this is a little fidely to do ( :o) but looks good.  The end wagons in the rake then have DG couplings fitted to link with the rest of the stock.

The advantage is that there are less couplings to go wrong and they do look very good.  The disadvantage is that they are a bit of a handful to put on the rails (and rerail) as it is quite easy to knock one off whilst putting the others on, nd transporting them can be an issue.  It's aslo annoying when the chain breaks as there is not easy way to couple up again (at least not with the way I have done it) as at least with the DG couplings I can remove and replace a damaged unit.

Other 'couplings' could be made from thread to look like hemp or wire rope (but I don't think that this was widely used) or using a linking bar and pins (which I have used on my unfinished Backwoods L&B crane set).  I have a feeling that one of the European manufactureres uses this on their stock as semi-perminant couplings whereby you can dismantle ther train to go back into the boxes but it is 'interetsing' when it comes to shunting.

[B.Meldon]

I do not use fixed rakes.
But I have tried in the past.
The problems I have had have been related to propelling a train backwards with chain couplings.
Another problem is that if there is a minor problem with one vehicle, through miss handling at an exhibition for example, the entire rake is a failure.
It also obviously limits your options when it comes to shunting wagons and forming trains but then not many 009 modellers do this any way.
I do not use any tiny four wheel wagons on the layouts regularly but when I do use the Roco wagons they appear to work well enough, provided the couplings are correctly adjusted. They even work ok with the electro magnetic coupling ramps that are all set not to raise enough to hit an axel.

I do agree that the appearance of the 009 couplings is not prototypical but I would go for functionality over appearance every time. (But that is just my preference.)

Brian Meldon

[gazzerk]

More helpful info - thanks everyone.

One of the replies mentions electro magnetic uncoupling - where do you get magnets from and at what cost?

[cp.409067]

Thirty-five or more years ago I experimented with some Eggerbahn locos and stock and the then available uncoupling ramps. It wasn't a success - either the uncoupler failed to do anything or it threw the whole train in the air. I quickly gave up and tried 1:43.5 scale later changing to 1:34 and then 1:25 (all on 16,5mm track). For all these later layouts I used the Hornby tension lock coupler modified for delayed action.

In the last year I have built a layout in O9 (7mm scale on 9mm track) and acting on the advice of several modelling friends have used the G&DNGRS couplings. When I looked at the fret I was dubious that (after working in much larger scales) I could get them to work. But the first pair I assembled were fine and I am now enthusiastic about them. I fit the loops to only one end of my stock and a delay pin over the coupling at the other end. They seem to work well with the magnets supplied by G&DNGRS buried between the sleepers.


CP

[gazzerk]

I think thats the way I will go too CP but might concider electro magnets so that I can turn them on and off at will.

[B.Meldon]

Two layouts that I have use electro magnets to power the lifting ramps. The solenoids are 40mm long WW2 relay coils with about a 40 ohm resistance that are superb electro magnets. They take a small amount of power, do not get hot and do not buzz with DC. The central core is threaded and by adding a bolt (set screw) of the appropriate size the magnetic effect can be extended away from the coil if necessary. I will probably have enough of these for my own use but that

[JulienW]

More helpful info - thanks everyone.

One of the replies mentions electro magnetic uncoupling - where do you get magnets from and at what cost?

Have a look at the Model Signal Engineering website.  They sell the DG coupling etches (and a couple of other types) and the electromagnets to suit.  Cost is about

[vulcan]

However having one of the G&DNGRS magnets that can be moved into position using an electromagnet powered mechanism is an option.

Brian Meldon

As a cheaper alternative any permanent magnet could be moved into position (sliding or raising) by mechanical means. I'm sorry I don't have the articles to hand but both methods have been described in the model press. The raising I seem to remember was performed by a pivoting arm acting on a solid rod, topped by a neodymium magnet about 3-4mm dia, which was contained within a tube of suitable i/d.

I like things that don't cost a lot ;D