Accucraft Coupling replacements - what do you use?

[planty]

On my Ragleth I removed the end of the chopper and just use the hook to attach my (mainly) IP engineering rolling stock with chains.

The end of the chopper is open though and frankly doesn't look great. What do others use to couple if you don't use the std accucraft chopper coupling?

[tuppenced]

What do others use to couple if you don't use the std Accucraft chopper coupling?

I can't abide choppers - never got the hang of them - so I just take off the whole Accucraft unit and replace with a cast brass 'Lincoln Pin' bell-mouth.
OK it's no longer Prototypical for any railway that used 'Norwegian' choppers, but then nor is the ungainly Accucraft offering.

Not getting at Accucraft - there's logic in catering for the very tight radii punters tend to use. Besides, their scale Isle of Man ones (for Trackshack) with proper locking bars are a real Treat - if your curves are suitable.

Meanwhile I'll be bringing a fistful to Peterbro' to trade for spare Accucraft 45mm gauge wheelsets.

David 1/2d

[Chris Cairns]

The incompatibility of couplings!

When I first got my Ragleth Mark I it initially was running on an indoor 45mm layout at our Heritage Railway, either pulling a rake of Accucraft wagons using the chopper couplings (remove one chopper blade per wagon/loco to cope better with tight curves), or pulling a rake of Brandbright coaches (centre buffer couplings) using a 5 link chain & the chopper blade removed from the loco's rear coupling. Using a 3 link chain occasionally caused buffer lock on the layout's 2 tight curves.

However hardly anyone in our local 32mm community uses chopper couplings. At the time you could get centre buffer adaptors from Back2Bay6, but they were out of stock when I enquired and did not re-appear before the sad loss of the owner.



I had a couple of IP Engineering Roundhouse style buffers spare & reckoned they could be adapted to fit. I cut off the threaded studs, used the hook hole for the mount & file'd down the body to fit into the chopper pocket.



ELR Engineering produced anodised aluminium converter buffers, but they have now ceased trading - http://www.elr-engineering.co.uk/accessories.html

Chris Cairns

[tuppenced]

ELR Engineering produced anodised aluminium converter buffers

(I've copied over the photo against the day when the ELR site collapses.)

[planty]

The incompatibility of couplings!

I had a couple of IP Engineering Roundhouse style buffers spare & reckoned they could be adapted to fit. I cut off the threaded studs, used the hook hole for the mount & file'd down the body to fit into the chopper pocket.



Chris Cairns

That's a nice idea, might give this a go!