Which 3-link coupling? Please show your favourites

Philip Hall
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Re: Which 3-link coupling? Please show your favourites

Postby Philip Hall » Thu Apr 08, 2021 10:52 am

I think the difference between the fine and standard Smiths couplings is merely the size of the links, the hook being identical and very big. The fine links are about the same as the ones I posted a picture of. I have also just had the EMGS Newsletter and they are again doing lengths of chain for couplings, so it will be interesting to see what they are like.

Philip

billbedford

Re: Which 3-link coupling? Please show your favourites

Postby billbedford » Thu Apr 08, 2021 3:37 pm

I've updated the Mousa Models 3-link couplings to use a resilient resin:

Couplings.png


These are being included in current kits. Sometime in the near future, I'll make them available on the website. I'm also thinking of producing an 'S' scale version to match the size of the Smiths products.

And I'm supplying these with the supports in place so customers can share the fun of cutting them out...
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Philip Hall
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Re: Which 3-link coupling? Please show your favourites

Postby Philip Hall » Thu Apr 08, 2021 10:53 pm

Philip Hall wrote:I I have also just had the EMGS Newsletter and they are again doing lengths of chain for couplings...


I have just looked at the EMGS website and the chain they are selling is by Brassmasters, which I already have. Looking at it the wire (blackened and quite glossy) is very fine, approx 0.37mm with a length over three links of 12.3mm. This is approximately the same as the old soft iron EMGS chain although that was a touch thicker at 0.41mm. I can't find any of the fine Smiths links but I think they were about the same, maybe a little smaller.

Philip

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Simon_S
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Re: Which 3-link coupling? Please show your favourites

Postby Simon_S » Fri Apr 09, 2021 9:55 am

Screw link and Instanter options here:
Bufferbeam / Solebar Detail | Stenson Models

Martin Kelly
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Re: Which 3-link coupling? Please show your favourites

Postby Martin Kelly » Fri Sep 17, 2021 2:45 pm

Bill, have you considered doing 3D printed instanter couplings to complement your three-link ones (which I think are great BTW)?

SteamAle
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Re: Which 3-link coupling? Please show your favourites

Postby SteamAle » Fri Sep 17, 2021 2:59 pm

Does anybody use the cast brass hooks from the Alan Gibson range?
Philip

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Hardwicke
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3 link couplings

Postby Hardwicke » Sat Nov 20, 2021 3:57 pm

What do members use instead of the old Maygib couplings? I have one etch left. I have a few Ambis ones but not used them yet, but what about links to go with them. The Maygib ones were just so easy.
Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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David B
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Re: 3 link couplings

Postby David B » Sat Nov 20, 2021 4:32 pm

There was another thread about this last year: https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7068

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grovenor-2685
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Re: 3 link couplings

Postby grovenor-2685 » Sat Nov 20, 2021 8:28 pm

To avoid duplicating everything I've merged the topics.
Regards
Keith
Grovenor Sidings

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Hardwicke
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Re: Which 3-link coupling? Please show your favourites

Postby Hardwicke » Thu Jan 27, 2022 10:59 am

The Ambis site seems a bit confusing to my brain, or at least it did after finishing work. Which chain is suitable for 3 link couplings?
Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Which 3-link coupling? Please show your favourites

Postby Hardwicke » Thu Jan 27, 2022 1:08 pm

Hardwicke wrote:The Ambis site seems a bit confusing to my brain, or at least it did after finishing work. Which chain is suitable for 3 link couplings?

I've worked it out now CCL1 or CCE for instants.
Moral of the story. Do not try buying after a night shift.
Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

Daddyman
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Re: Which 3-link coupling? Please show your favourites

Postby Daddyman » Thu Jan 27, 2022 6:04 pm

Hardwicke wrote:
Hardwicke wrote:The Ambis site seems a bit confusing to my brain, or at least it did after finishing work. Which chain is suitable for 3 link couplings?

I've worked it out now CCL1 or CCE for instants.
Moral of the story. Do not try buying after a night shift.

You could always email him to check - he's very helpful. I sent him a picture of a "corrugated gothic" building as I couldn't work out what size of corrugated sheet I needed; he wrote back within a day or so with an answer.

Porcy Mane
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Re: Which 3-link coupling? Please show your favourites

Postby Porcy Mane » Thu Jan 27, 2022 8:15 pm

Philip Hall wrote:I think the difference between the fine and standard Smiths couplings is merely the size of the links,


I think you're right looking at the photographs on the gaugemaster site although I find it hard to say one way or the other due to the size of the images.

https://www.gaugemasterretail.com/magen ... -lp2f.html

https://www.gaugemasterretail.com/magen ... s-lp2.html

This phot of instanter links is probably about 10 years old (probably a lot older) but might give an idea of the size.

Instanter-CompsSm.jpg


As well as the Stenson couplings, Justin at Rumney does scale representations of both the welded (GWR/BR type) & the later forged instanter links as part of his B114 wagon detailing etch and they are very near to scale. Details at the bottom of this page:

https://website.rumneymodels.co.uk/wagon-detailing

These dimensioned drawings may be of help?

CCE1-Ptype-DimsSm.jpg


CCM1-Ptype-DimsSm.jpg


P
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Tony Wilkins
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Re: Which 3-link coupling? Please show your favourites

Postby Tony Wilkins » Fri Feb 25, 2022 5:50 pm

I have a query and this seems as good a place as any to ask it. For some years I have been using these hooks for my 3 link couplings. I purchased a batch of these from a stand a Scaleforum many years ago , but I don't now recall who. Does anybody recognise these?
DSCF1333.jpg

They are etched in 10 thou brass.
Regards
Tony.
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Inspiration from the past. Dreams for the future.

Philip Hall
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Re: Which 3-link coupling? Please show your favourites

Postby Philip Hall » Fri Feb 25, 2022 7:34 pm

I recognise them as I have had some, but unfortunately I can't place the maker. The Ambis ones are a very similar shape but a trifle bigger, my current choice along with Brassmasters.

Philip

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Will L
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Re: Which 3-link coupling? Please show your favourites

Postby Will L » Fri Feb 25, 2022 10:58 pm

I've had some of those, I think they may have come from could they be PC models but I have no proof.

wonkychops
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Re: Which 3-link coupling? Please show your favourites

Postby wonkychops » Mon Dec 11, 2023 8:18 pm

The thin etches were produced a long time ago and I think these came from Radio-Active in Hornchurch Essex in te 1970's (no longer trading). I used to loop the tail around behind a buffer beam/headstock to stop them from being pulled out while a club member used to wind up his own links from florist's soft iron wire. Some years later I started to make my own hooks initially based upon some purchased links (from Smiths), then they started to make the finer links in one material (I can't remember which, brass or steel) so I sought a different source with both links of a similar size and which were finer in scale. At one time May-Gib made some nickel-silver links that were much smaller.
We had some difficultly in using the Smiths links on an exhibition layout, not helped by the overscale pressed and blackened brass hooks commercially available almost touching each other stopping the links from being lifted, while the oval chain that used to be sold for three link couplings would not fit in smaller, more scale hooks. A compromise was needed especailly as the shorter links could derail wagons especially those with long buffers, on tighter curves. You might understand there was very little standardisation of couplings on the layout.
Some years passed and free from the exhibiton merry-go-round I started to produce my own hooks and sought a source of links that I was comfortable with. Having dropped Smiths links I found RogerSmith Models made brass and steel links to a reasonable standard. My hook range (AMBIS) - currently has 14 different designs (though 4 are for screw couplings) was drawn up so the links would work on all the hooks or maybe you could say the hooks were drawn up to accept the links I had standardised upon.
Even with standard buffers (18ins long) there has to be some tolerence for working around less than scale curve radii especially for longer items of rolling stock, so everything is slightly over scale, but actually work quite well if your can see what you are doing. As I use a tiny magnet for a shunters pole I don't need to contort a hook on a pole to hook or unhook a coupling which can lift one wagon off the track by accident. Another problem we regularly had was the links leaving the coupling hook because they were in a "flexible/big slot", so I closed off the Gedge slot in the hooks so the links didn't wander at the most inconvienent moment.
Working with thicker hooks can reduce the tendency to twist a coupling link over which is gaurenteed to derail a wagon on a curve as it shortens the coupling link - though maybe sprung buffers would overcome that issue. With two tails a thicker hook can be trapped in the headstocks and centralised. So I am happy with my compromises, except that it now appears RogerSmith in Italy has dematerialised and his components seem extremely scarce.
But I note Slaters seem to make and sell couplings these days you could try them, even so I think I am being driven back to Smiths by WT coupling links now available in normal and finer scale sizes in brass and steel so I can keep to my choosen path.


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