The Gentle Art of Couplings

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jon price
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Sprat and Winkle on curves

Postby jon price » Fri Sep 18, 2015 4:04 pm

I know this is an old thread, but it seemed the logical place to put the question.
I've reached that point with the rolling stock where I have to decide on couplings. Looks like it is down to modified Dinghams or Sprat and Winkle.
Sprat and Winkles are advised against for tight curves. Does this mean they uncouple or derail on tight curves? Or that you can't uncouple or couple up on tight curves. I can live with the latter, but not the former.
Connah's Quay Workshop threads: viewforum.php?f=125

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Serjt-Dave
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Re: The Gentle Art of Couplings

Postby Serjt-Dave » Fri Sep 18, 2015 5:52 pm

Hi Jon. I decided to go for the Sprat and Winkles {mainly because I had them}. I've only got a test track of about 6' in length and the curves are not really that tight, so I've not had any issues with them. I don't doubt that others on this forum will have more of an insight on this. Just out of interest, are you having the hook and loop on each end of the vehicle or just at one end and then just a loop at the other end? I can see having both hooks and loops both end could cause an issue on tight curves as they catch on each other. Having just one hook on a vehicle makes coupling and uncoupling easier but does mean they all have to be the same way around. Hope this helps.

Dave

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jon price
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Re: The Gentle Art of Couplings

Postby jon price » Fri Sep 18, 2015 6:29 pm

Hi Steve

Hook at one end only, as the stock is never going to turn round.
Connah's Quay Workshop threads: viewforum.php?f=125

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Paul Willis
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Re: Sprat and Winkle on curves

Postby Paul Willis » Fri Sep 18, 2015 7:07 pm

jon price wrote:I know this is an old thread, but it seemed the logical place to put the question.
I've reached that point with the rolling stock where I have to decide on couplings. Looks like it is down to modified Dinghams or Sprat and Winkle.
Sprat and Winkles are advised against for tight curves. Does this mean they uncouple or derail on tight curves? Or that you can't uncouple or couple up on tight curves. I can live with the latter, but not the former.


Hi Jon,

First question - are you coming to Scaleforum?

Second question - if you're not, can you wait until after the weekend for a full answer?

The two questions are related. I'll be on the Society Stand all weekend with a load of S&W equipped wagons so would happily show you what they can and can't (in my experience) do.

Otherwise I can come back to you more fully during next week. That doesn't stop anyone else chipping in in the meantime...

Cheers
Flymo
Beware of Trains - occasional modelling in progress!
www.5522models.co.uk

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jon price
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Re: The Gentle Art of Couplings

Postby jon price » Sat Sep 19, 2015 2:44 pm

Hi Flimo
Unfortunately I won't be at Scaleforum, so I won't be able to see and discuss your demo, but I'd be interested in the results. On Monday I'm off for a holiday in Spain, so no rush for a couple of weeks. If I do go for S&W I think I will be using your mounting plates.
Connah's Quay Workshop threads: viewforum.php?f=125

David Thorpe

Re: The Gentle Art of Couplings

Postby David Thorpe » Sat Sep 19, 2015 4:53 pm

Do have a look at Dinghams as well - they'd be ideal as your stock is never going to be turned. They must be about the least obtrusive of all the 4mm automatic couplers, they are fitted to the buffer beam just like the real thing, are compatible with 3-link fitted stock, and they work - I've just fitted most of my stock with them. If you haven't already done so, have a look at http://www.dingham.co.uk/how_it_works4.htm .

DT

John Duffy

Re: The Gentle Art of Couplings

Postby John Duffy » Sun Sep 20, 2015 8:35 am

David Thorpe wrote: and they work -

DT


Yes they do. I saw a very impressive demonstration of them just yesterday.

John

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Knuckles
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Re: The Gentle Art of Couplings

Postby Knuckles » Mon Jan 25, 2016 8:38 pm

If anyone is interested earlier in this thread on page one I blogged a method of bodging Dingham's to make them more realistic.

Thinking of making it my standard.
“He who dares not offend cannot be honest.” Thomas Paine

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Serjt-Dave
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Re: The Gentle Art of Couplings

Postby Serjt-Dave » Mon Jan 25, 2016 8:54 pm

Hi Knuckles. Do you have a link to your blog please.

Dave

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Knuckles
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Re: The Gentle Art of Couplings

Postby Knuckles » Mon Jan 25, 2016 9:06 pm

Serjt-Dave wrote:Hi Knuckles. Do you have a link to your blog please.

Dave



Um...it is literally page 1 of this thread.

It isn't a link to a blog but viewable here. :thumb

viewtopic.php?f=126&t=2934

I posted it on RMweb too. I think you already seen it though as you posted a few below it.
“He who dares not offend cannot be honest.” Thomas Paine

https://www.sparkshotcustomcreations.com/
Mostly 3D Printed Loco kits etc.

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steve howe
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Re: The Gentle Art of Couplings - Dangly Dinghams

Postby steve howe » Tue May 24, 2016 11:54 am

Recently setting up a new set of couplings for a batch of wagons, I found the soft iron wire dropper tends to swing about and miss the magnet on occasions. Perceived wisdom says the dropper should hang loose from the etched arm, but I have found that securing it with a touch of solder seems to make for more reliable operation. I suppose the loose hanging theory is to guard against the dropper catching on objects in the four-foot, but leaving the prescribed 1mm clearance above rail level seems to mitigate this problem.

Steve

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Knuckles
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Re: The Gentle Art of Couplings

Postby Knuckles » Tue May 24, 2016 4:03 pm

I might try this then, although currently I'm still liking my page 1 bodge adaptation.

I have found with the dropers done the standard way that if they are attatched with the wrong stiffness then they can lock at silly angles and not swing at all. :/
“He who dares not offend cannot be honest.” Thomas Paine

https://www.sparkshotcustomcreations.com/
Mostly 3D Printed Loco kits etc.

SCC Price list (7/4/22)
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Julian Roberts
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Re: The Gentle Art of Couplings

Postby Julian Roberts » Tue Jun 28, 2016 6:56 am

I'm not sure where this thread takes AJ's but it seems the right place to write this:

A fortnight ago I was getting my stock prepped up for the Perth show, and adding couplings to a parcels van that I had just converted to P4. I thought it was time I explored two unopened jigs I had bought inexpensively from the EMGS when I thought AJs were worth a try. Having also bought the Scalefour Soc jigs when they were first brought in I have in the first place used those so far.

2016-06-12 09.51.45 (Large).jpg


The result was this:


2016-06-12 09.44.10 (Large).jpg

which has been pictured not far back on this thread, but unlike there, here I have carefully filed where it straddles the rails to fit over P4 gauge track - it comes in EM gauge.

I found this jig opened my eyes to how the coupling is supposed to look in terms of the angles, as the coupling should match the cone slope. The Society height jig shows the height, but the angle in only one orientation. I realised that some, but not all of my couplings (made with the Society jigs) were not showing the correct angle when seen from above. Here is one as it was:

2016-06-11 21.00.27 (Large).jpg


I got two pairs of pliers and as far as possible bent the front part to the right (as seen from above) to nearer the 30 deg angle:

2016-06-11 21.15.22 (Large).jpg


I see only now that the hook part of the coupling has also changed orientation, but from the side view the coupling did not change. (The coupling doesn't look centred in the second pic, I think that got corrected after the picture was taken)

Finding the MMRS site and finding the view from above, which is not in the Scalefour Digest except as a rough sketch, (I never bought the book), was very useful in clarifying how it is supposed to look. http://mmrs.co.uk/technical-articles/al ... -coupling/

I found that about half my stock had this error. So I think I must be making the couplings accurately with the Society jig, but am not using the jig that attaches to the buffers quite correctly - it must be the orientation of the coupling in that jig that I am getting a bit hit and miss.

Anyway my couplings were pretty reliable at the show.

And for the first time one of our uncouplers worked to actually uncouple one of my vehicles!

I have never understood the dropper jig that I got from the Society, though this is the first time I have said so. Maybe someone out there will now demonstrate how it does work. But I had opened the other packet too and tried out the Martin's Model Accessories dropper jig. Fantastic! It is really easy to make the loop type dropper, and I put them on the couplings I was making for the parcels van. This was so much easier than what I had bodged up before, not using the jig I didn't understand, but trying to do it just freehand. Of course it is much easier, being a loop it doesn't have to be soldered into position. Here is the parcels van loop type coupling - obviously when the vehicle is upright the dropper hangs vertically:

2016-06-28 07.25.07.jpg


Yes the wire isn't absolutely central over the wheel as it curves to its fixing point, but in spite of that it worked!

And here is the painfully applied type I had done before:

2016-06-28 07.27.17.jpg


The parcels van uncoupled where it was meant to every time!
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