Coupling Advice please

[ikcdab]

I have a lot of stock and from the beginning have used accucraft chopper couplings. They look prototypical, work well and I am very happy with them.

I have now ordered a set of binnie glyn valley granite wagons. It doesn't look as if the choppers would be appropriate or would fit. I don't have the kits yet but I guess the choppers would just be too big.

It looks as if the kits come with little hooks and wire loops as per the prototype.

So, to the question. Are the couplings supplied with the kit workable? If so, how do I connect to other stock? A wire loop? Or should I look to replace with something else?

Thanks

[tom_tom_go]

The Accucraft couplings you have should have hooks as well so you can use 3 link chain to connect non-chopper stock?

If you find the chopper arm causes issues just remove it.

[ikcdab]

yes they do indeed. I guess I will need to fabricate similar hooks for the GVT stock rather than use the supplied couplings.
Can such hooks be bought or is it a wire bending job?

[tom_tom_go]

I remove the Accucraft hooks and replace with hex bolts as I do not use them.

If you PM me how many you need we can sort something out.

[andymctractor]

I also like chopper couplings. I did the following on a trio of Swift Sixteen hopper wagons. I accept these wagons are larger than your granite wagons but the method might be useful to at least consider. The advantages are that loco shunting uses the chopper couplings yet the proper wagon couplings keep the gaps between the wagons more convincing. Good luck.

[/quote]

[LNR]

Sorry to be a bit off track, but that's a fabulous weathering and paint job. Are they "O" rings for coupling between wagons?
Grant.

[andymctractor]

Sorry to be a bit off track, but that's a fabulous weathering and paint job. Are they "O" rings for coupling between wagons?
Grant.

Hi,
thanks for the comments.
They are O seals.  The trick is to find a size that holds the wagons together when hauled under load also allowing the seal to expand as the wagons negotiate tight curves without pulling the wagons off the rails.  The ones shown are a little large but they did work well for this short train.
I got a handful from a plumber.
B+Q etc sell them but you have to buy a packet with a range of sizes most of which you will never use, unless you are a plumber.

Good luck.
EDIT sorry didn't notice you were from OZ.  I'm sure you have similar DIY retailers to B+Q.

There is a video of them being hauled by my Roundhouse diesel. I cheated a bit as the diesel doesn't have chopper couplings so I had to use an adaptation of the O seal method for the loco.
The hoppers can be seen from about 3 mins to about 7.45 on the videos.
https://youtu.be/UcicgOSWKII

Hope it works.

[Enginehouse]

I have a lot of stock and from the beginning have used accucraft chopper couplings. They look prototypical, work well and I am very happy with them.

I have now ordered a set of binnie glyn valley granite wagons. It doesn't look as if the choppers would be appropriate or would fit. I don't have the kits yet but I guess the choppers would just be too big.

It looks as if the kits come with little hooks and wire loops as per the prototype.

So, to the question. Are the couplings supplied with the kit workable? If so,  how do I connect to other stock? A wire loop? Or should I look to replace with something else?

Thanks

When you receive these kits you will immediately see that they are designed to couple and run in one particular direction only - as such each wagon has completely different ends. I always use fixed length r/e magnetic couplings and so close coupling is extremely simple to fit and infinitely variable regardless of buffer beam design etc. Makes splitting rakes etc extremely easy and around curve reversing easy and with no climbing out problems.

[ikcdab]

I have a lot of stock and from the beginning have used accucraft chopper couplings. They look prototypical, work well and I am very happy with them.

I have now ordered a set of binnie glyn valley granite wagons. It doesn't look as if the choppers would be appropriate or would fit. I don't have the kits yet but I guess the choppers would just be too big.

It looks as if the kits come with little hooks and wire loops as per the prototype.

So, to the question. Are the couplings supplied with the kit workable? If so,  how do I connect to other stock? A wire loop? Or should I look to replace with something else?

Thanks

When you receive these kits you will immediately see that they are designed to couple and run in one particular direction only - as such each wagon has  completely different ends. I always use fixed length r/e magnetic couplings and so close coupling is extremely simple to fit and infinitely variable regardless of buffer beam design etc. Makes splitting rakes etc extremely easy and around curve reversing easy and with no climbing out problems.

Hi Roy thats really helpful thanks. Which magnetic couplers do you use?

[Enginehouse]

Hi Roy thats really helpful thanks. Which magnetic couplers do you use?

I make my own. use 5mm diameter 3mm thick circular R/E magnets, a piece of brass tube and a thin sheet of brass for one end. Thus once soldered up I have an open ended cup that holds the magnet securely. A single length of brass rod links the cup and magnet to the split pin loop going through the buffer beam. I can make 10 in an hour once set up. My Binnie granite wagons run with the couplings below the buffer beams, but with the hooks on the top still in place but unused. As we effectively have a rigid but swivelling coupling the distance between wagons is fixed, both forward and backward. I like the "plop it on the track and push together" auto coupling and the pull apart and pack away function, with no fiddling with chains, dropping and losing them, or having to bend bits to couple up some types of coupling on a curve etc. both my 45mm and 32mm stock all have mag couplings.

[ge_rik]

Hi Roy thats really helpful thanks. Which magnetic couplers do you use?

I make my own.  use 5mm diameter 3mm thick circular R/E magnets, a piece of brass tube and a thin sheet of brass for one end. Thus once soldered up I have an open ended cup that holds the magnet securely. A single length of brass rod links the cup and magnet to the split pin loop going through the buffer beam. I can make 10 in an hour once set up. My Binnie granite wagons run with the couplings below the buffer beams, but with the hooks on the top still in place but unused. As we effectively have a rigid but swivelling coupling the distance between wagons is fixed, both forward and backward. I like the "plop it on the track and push together"  auto coupling and the pull apart and pack away function, with no fiddling with chains, dropping and losing them, or having to bend bits to couple up some types of coupling on a curve etc. both my 45mm and 32mm stock all have mag couplings.

Any chance of a picture? Love to see what they look like (and if they match my mental image).

Rik