Screw couplings

Chris Mitton
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Screw couplings

Postby Chris Mitton » Sat Feb 18, 2012 10:19 pm

Can anyone recommend any half-decent screw couplings to go on my rake of Danny Pinnock's GER corridors? I've got a pair from W&T which look to my eye grossly over-scale - and they won't go into the buffer-beam slot without a lot of hacking. I've also got a few on some 00 gauge wagons that look much better to me, but as these are thirty-odd years old I have no idea where they came from!

No, the screw doesn't need to work......

Regards
Chris

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jjnewitt
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Re: Screw couplings

Postby jjnewitt » Sat Feb 18, 2012 10:43 pm

Hi Chris,

Masokits do some nice etched screw couplings. They're fairly straightforward to assemble. I've used then on a number of wagons and I think they look pretty good. They are certainly a lot finer than many others that I've come across.

David Knight
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Re: Screw couplings

Postby David Knight » Sat Feb 18, 2012 10:46 pm

Hi Chris,

FWIW, Exactoscale actually does do a working screw coupling.

HTH

David

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grovenor-2685
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Re: Screw couplings

Postby grovenor-2685 » Sat Feb 18, 2012 10:50 pm

i was going to say Exactoscale http://www.exactoscale.co.uk/drawings/4CP%20S01A.pdf but they seem to have dropped the half decent (non-working) version and you may not be to keen on the pricing for the fully decent (working) version.
Regards
Keith
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Keith
Grovenor Sidings

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David B
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Re: Screw couplings

Postby David B » Sat Feb 18, 2012 11:08 pm

I agree with Justin - Masokits. They can be a bit fiddly but with care they are just the job. The more you make, the easier they become. I am not a fan of the Masokit hook, though, which is etched, and prefer to use Exactoscale hooks.

David

screw_4105.jpg
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Terry Bendall
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Re: Screw couplings

Postby Terry Bendall » Sun Feb 19, 2012 9:39 am

Roxey Mouldings do an eteched screw coupling which you have to assemble. It is probably not as good as the Masokits ones which I have not used, but does give an acceptable result.

Terry Bendall

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ChrisMitchell
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Re: Screw couplings

Postby ChrisMitchell » Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:09 am

I've used the Masokits ones on all my stock needing screw couplings. Look no further.

I've also been quite happy using their coupling hooks as well - they just need a bit of fettling and shaping once soldered together. I found the Exactoscale ones more awkward to use when coupling up.

regards, Chris

Chris Mitton
Posts: 258
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Re: Screw couplings

Postby Chris Mitton » Sun Feb 19, 2012 3:27 pm

Thanks to all of you....

Sounds like Masokits by a clear majority. The working Exactoscales look impressive but it's carrying masochism (and budget!) a tad too far for my taste!

Regards
Chris

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Tim V
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Re: Screw couplings

Postby Tim V » Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:56 pm

Big advantage of the Masokits is that they don't fall apart like some others of old.
Tim V
(Not all railways in Somerset went to Dorset)

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iak
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Re: Screw couplings

Postby iak » Mon Feb 20, 2012 12:38 pm

http://scalerail.phpbbhosts.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=118&t=1107#p9843

A blow by blow Masokits/Exactoscale mash up...
May help those who wonder what the deal is with Mr Clarks beasties??? ;)
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pheald
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Re: Screw couplings

Postby pheald » Mon Feb 20, 2012 1:13 pm

The Masokits screw coupling has worked for me. The offerings from MJT or Kean Maygib are not in the same league. I agree with the comments regarding assembly but with practice these problems go away very quickily. And at the price you can afford to loose on set of parts!

The only downside with this screw coupling is the way the tommy bar sticks out at 90 degrees to the links either leading or following. I have modified the bar so that it drops parallel to the links as is normal practice. But this is time consuming. I am told on some pre-group companies the bar was at 90 degrees so nothing inherently incorrect with that.

I would choose the Exactoscale coupling hook any time however.
Last edited by pheald on Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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James Moorhouse
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Re: Screw couplings

Postby James Moorhouse » Mon Feb 20, 2012 3:32 pm

Does anyone remember these?

screw-link-slaters-02a.JPG


Lost wax brass castings designed by Malcolm Mitchell, they were cast and sold by Slater’s Plastikard.

Very little effort with a file and broach, and just one touch with the soldering iron makes for a very fine, but durable functional coupling.

I did speak to David White at a show about them. He said that he had forgotten all about them, but would be willing to cast some more if I write to him. Well, I’ve got a bit of a stash, so haven't found it necessary to ask him yet. I'm sure Slater’s would cast some more if somebody asked them.

James
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David B
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Re: Screw couplings

Postby David B » Mon Feb 20, 2012 4:24 pm

Interesting to see the different fixing to the coupling hook on the cast version. (Compare with the Masokit coupling).

The GW used a link on their loco couplings whereas other companies used a shackle on to the coupling hook. Was this the same arrangement on stock fitted with screw couplings?

David

craig_whilding

Re: Screw couplings

Postby craig_whilding » Mon Feb 20, 2012 5:59 pm

Useful pictures of a couple of different modern prototype screw links http://www.msvmetal.eu/en/products/screw-couplings.php

The GWR links were different lengths whereas other companies couplings were symmetrical I think.

I always think of the UIC stuff when I see the pair of links to the coupling hook as I think that originally came from the continent?

I've used Masokits couplings with my own hooks though I tend to leave them off now with the AJ couplings.

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James Moorhouse
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Re: Screw couplings

Postby James Moorhouse » Mon Feb 20, 2012 8:09 pm

Many different types of screw link couplings have been used on British Railways. For a summary of the different types, see Ted Scannel's article in Scalefour News 102: A Journey in the Quest for Prototype Fidelity - Couplings. It shows the different types of links used and also that not all tommy bars were articulated. Accessible to members via this link.


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