Garden Railway Forum

I am interested in how these are fitted to the buffer beams of locomotives such as Quarry Hunslets as I can't find any photos of how they are attached (possibly coach bolts?)

The reason I ask is I want to replicate the actual fitment to my 5" gauge engine.

Any photos of how they are attached would be great.

Tom

Perhaps this will help?
https://modeleng.proboards.com/post/188096

although I guess doesn't show exactly how they are fitted...?

No it doesn't, I need to see how the are fitted.

Hi Tom,

It's possible that Roger Hine would be willing to help - http://www.friograil.co.uk/

As well as being a 16mm scale modeller (and producer of battery locos under the "Friog Models" brand in the 90s), he was/is CME at the Quarry Hunslet Heaven that is the Bala Lake Railway, so if anyone would know I guess it would be him?

Good luck with it,

Andrew.

PS Don't look at the For Sale section of Roger's site if you don't want to be tempted by a part-complete 5" Dolgoch...

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Sat Nov 14, 2020 4:19 pm I am interested in how these are fitted to the buffer beams of locomotives such as Quarry Hunslets as I can't find any photos of how they are attached (possibly coach bolts?)

This photo of a quarry Hunslet shows one fitted with dumb buffers. In this case the wood blocks are faced with metal, but I've seen others in service without the facing.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fil ... ichael.jpg

This is a common arrangement with a coach bolt in each corner of the wood block, poked through a hole in the headstock, with the nut behind the headstock (buffer beam). Coach bolts have a low rounded head so less likely to lock and cause derailments.

Fitting the nut behind the headstock must have been a real mongrel of a job on some locos though, with limited space to work on small ng locos.

Also note the grain of the wood is in the longitudinal direction, ie. the face of the buffer block was end grain. Wood is stronger in this direction, but liable to split if hit by a sharp edge. Probably why they are often metal faced........

The first photo on this page shows the loco in service with a damaged block, which shows the 'internal' arrangement of what would be called bush engineering here in Oz.......

https://www.quarryhunslet.mste.co.uk/p ... Marian.php

Regards,
Graeme

Thank you Graeme, knowledgeable as always.