Live steam - Tender connections

[Steven.T]

Hi guys,
After the crash involving my roundhouse George plunging down, it's now repaired but I am not keen on running it again until I sort this issue out.

The problem being, if the coupling between the tender and loco comes uncoupled (due to derailment etc) the loco is only connected to the tender via the servo cables. The coupling itself is essentially a draw bar with holes in, which a pin located on the tender sits in. There is nothing to stop this pin lifting out of the hole.
This is what happened when my loco took the plunge, the pin came out of the hole, whilst the loco was accelerating ( I was controlling it from the R/C controller, but didn't realise it had come undone) and the loco was pulling the whole rake via the two servo cables, which came undone, sending the loco at open throttle straight off the edge, with no control...

Now, I am trying to find a way to either A) stop the pin coming out of it's hole or B) stop the servo leads uncoupling or C) some alternative way to keep the tender coupled to the loco.

I have thought about chains and hooks, but I think these could be too fiddly, especially with the servo leads and main coupling already being there. I also thought about drilling the coupling pin, and putting an R clip through once connected to the loco, but again this could be fiddly.

A lot of waffle I know, but does anyone out there have any ideas that wouldn't be too fiddly, but be effective enough and stop the servo leads pulling apart? Needs to be something fairly solid, i.e. those magnetic chains wouldn't really be up to the job.

Any ideas?
Cheers,
Steven

[WVLR]

Can you put all the R/C gear onto the loco after all this is what Roundhouse do with Mildred,
which is the same loco but without the tender.

[MDLR]

Could you use a nut and bolt instead of the pin? It would at least have the virtue of being permanent, even if it means a bigger carrying box............

[LMS-Jools]

A small piece of plastic or rubber tube pushed onto the pin after the coupling bar has been connected will probably work. You could also probably bend the bar a little in such a way it is less likely to come off the end of the Pin.
Interestingly I know someone myself with this Loco who has had this happen several times.

[andymctractor]

This is probably not a great help with this specific problem but I bought a Katie with a George tender with all the gubbins on the Katie. This was because my wife preferred the Katie rather than the George, not because of a massive amount of forethought. All runs brilliantly.
I would think Brians idea might be the simplest resolution though and the George does look good.

Good luck

[TonyW]

For the Millie and Bertie tenders that I make, if the owner wants the loco and tender coupled in such a way that they will not come apart in normal use I replace the plain pin with a standard Roundhouse crank pin. You may wish to hacksaw a slot in the crank pin's head so that it can be turned with a screwdriver.

[Keith S]

My "Billy" gets away from its tender and bolts away just like you describe. I mounted the drawbar on a spring to keep it up, have it screwed into the coupler bracket with a crank pin, etc. Doesn't really help.

I think the "R" pin through a hole, or the little piece of rubber hose pushed onto the tender's pin, although fiddly, are your best bet. AND Brian's idea of a bigger box. Leave the tender and the engine connected.

[Steven.T]

I'm inclined to agree there Keith, the R clip would be easily removable if required. The box I have at the minute is more than big enough to accommodate the permanent coupling, my other concern would be getting the loco into the box, it's difficult enough with an N Gauge tender engine!
Some other great ideas there, thanks guys, all worth considering. Moving the radio gear to inside the loco would be the last thing I would want to do to be honest.
Bending the bar causes yet more problems, as I have had in the past, makes the tenders front wheels ride up just off the track, so on anything but uneven track, can cause more derailments

Might go and dig some small R-clips out of the garage tomorrow and see if they are small enough...
Thanks again,
Steven