F & B Ashbury Coaches - the Movie!

[philipy]

I was beginning to wonder if today would ever come, but here we are after almost 2 years, a F & B Manning Wardle 0-4-2 hauling it's train of the F & B's original four Ashbury coaches.

[ge_rik]

What an elegant looking train, Philip. Well worth the time and effort taken.

Rik

[LNR]

Picture perfect. The build, the paint job, the figures, even the curtains. A truly inspiring work of art Philip, and well worth the time it took.
Congratulations, now you can sit back with a smile from ear to ear and enjoy running it.
Grant.

[philipy]

Thanks chaps.

I must admit that the couplings are a major nightmare. I did my best to make them as prototypically close as possible, and Durley did warn me some while back that based on his similar experience it could be problematic... he was right! To get them to couple I have to derail one vehicle to move it over a few mm to get enough slack and then wiggle it back onto the track - not good! Plus, it makes any kind of shunting impossible. The other drawback is that the 'hook on a chain' is only on one end of each vehicle.
I need to come up with some sort of practical mod to improve 'couple ability'

On the subject of shunting, although the loco and coaches will reverse quite happily, since the loco is effectively an 0-4-0, there is a huge rear overhang and it buffer locks with the single central buffers. The only way round it that I can think of is to add a wider face to the loco's rear buffer?

[GTB]

On the subject of shunting, although the loco and coaches will reverse quite happily, since the loco is effectively an 0-4-0, there is a huge rear overhang and it buffer locks with the single central buffers. The only way round it that I can think of is to add a wider face to the loco's rear buffer?

My experience is that British model railway couplings come in only two varieties. They either look like the prototype and don't work reliably, or they work well and look awful...........

The VR narrow gauge stock was always auto-coupled. When first built they used chopper couplings and the rolling stock were fitted with a fairly normal design similar to those fitted to ng stock in other states. The couplings were changed to a small knuckle type when the Garratts appeared.

The NA class locos (think Puffing Billy) have a very long overhang at each end and when built were fitted with a modified chopper coupler. At first glance it resembled a heavy duty Tri-ang coupler with a long narrow buffing face and a hook that could slide sideways. The second photo on this page shows the arrangement fairly clearly. https://www.victorianrailways.net/motiv ... na/na.html

I have three 0-4-2T locos, all of which need care when marshalling the train, if the loco is running chimney first. Which is why they often run bunker first. Two are fitted with chopper couplers and one with link and pin. Link and pin is a pain to shunt with, almost as bad as chain and centre buffers, although you don't get buffer lock.

Anyway, I think you are right, some form of wider buffer face on the rear of the loco would improve things. Also fit wider buffers on the outer ends of the coach rake, so the loco buffer won't need as much widening and will be less obvious. I haven't needed to fit side control to the trailing axle on my locos, but as a last resort it might help in your case.

Can't do much about the hook and ring couplers I would think. The choice there is something that looks right for the F&B, or something that works.

My current steam project is an 0-6-2T with a long rear overhang. The chassis is fitted with Accucraft choppers and has tested OK on the bench, but I may yet have to resort to fitting the NA type of chopper coupler.

Graeme