Hook and loop coupling conversion - US wagon

[viaEstrecha]

Daftly simple question, but that's me, I suppose. I want to put hook couplings on an old Bachmann (?) wagon for my Grandson's railway. However, as shown below, the coupler is rigid with the wagon, and really needs to be able to rotate a bit to accommodate tight or reverse curves. Should I just do some butchery and add a washer somehow to form a pivot where the screw is, or is there a more elegant solution, maybe moving the point of rotation closer to the centre of the wagon, like LGB?

 

[Gizzy]

Bachmann did their own version of the hook and loop coupler, compatible with LGB.

I have one Bachmann bogie wagon fitted as such.

You might find someone here who has some spare if they've replaced them with knuckles....

 

[Gizzy]

Picture of the Bachmann H&L.

Note the long tine, different to a LGB spring....

 

[viaEstrecha]

Picture of the Bachmann H&L.

Note the long tine, different to a LGB spring....

View attachment 340836

Thanks - I see the design. But still mounted rigid on the chassis? The ones I put on fitted well and work OK on the straight, but caused derailments, hence the idea to make them swivel or rotate - I have to make it suitably 9-year-old proof!

 

[Gizzy]

Thanks - I see the design. But still mounted rigid on the chassis? The ones I put on fitted well and work OK on the straight, but caused derailments, hence the idea to make them swivel or rotate - I have to make it suitably 9-year-old proof!

Those ones are mounted on the bogie trucks. The wagon was my first 4 axle bogie vehicle. It has since been fitted with a Toytrain crane and serves as part of my maintenance fleet....

 

[viaEstrecha]

Those ones are mounted on the bogie trucks. The wagon was my first 4 axle bogie vehicle. It has since been fitted with a Toytrain crane and serves as part of my maintenance fleet....

Ah, yes I needed to look closer. Dominic's wagon has axles mounted on a rigid frame, but now you've pointed it out, I ought to be able to pivot from the same unused sockets where the bogies would go. Result!

 

[dunnyrail]

Ah, yes I needed to look closer. Dominic's wagon has axles mounted on a rigid frame, but now you've pointed it out, I ought to be able to pivot from the same unused sockets where the bogies would go. Result!

I have a few of those bachman chassis (2 being the squeeky ones) on here and they can cause issues when propelled through Road 3 left hand end in Alexisbad which is regrettably R1. Same reason all the warnings in ET to ensure that point 2 is at normal as it is a R1 xover. My plan was to have nothing less than R2 when building the new Dunnybahn in the Nits, but space said otherwise in sadly a few places., including the new siding in Alexisbad Carriage Sidings but that was cos I could not get a Trainline45 R2 right hand point p with any ease except importing from the EU which I do not do any more. Though if I get over to the Harz then that may change.

 

[korm kormsen]

using sharp curves on my indoor-layouts, i am "fighting" with these coupler problems for decades.

there are complete different problems for two-axle and for four-axle cars.
to advance my "best" ugly solution for both: link and pin couplers that swivel widely.

two-axle cars - fixed couplers tend to draw cars into the inside of curves. but they are better at pushing cars.
couplers fixed to "turning" axles (LGB style) are better to tow, but bad for pushing cars. (there exists a fix with a diagonal rod)
best solutions would be one-piece tow-bars, that are fixed on the underside of the cars. as near to the axle as possible. (but then one can forget coupling and uncoupling during sessions)

four-axle cars - body-mounted (fix) couplers tend to draw cars to derail to the inside.
truck-mounted couplers have a problem coming out of sharp curves onto straights.
the trailing truck of the first car, entering the straight, pushes its coupler to the outside, while the leading truck of the second car points its coupler more to the inside. - resulting in most/many of the leading trucks derailing to the outside at the end of the curve.
sollutions, i found: either putting a rerailer on the first straight after a curve, or putting guard rails on end of the inside of the curve. like this:




(if pushing, derailing occur entering a curve. only that the leading truck of the following car pushes the trailing truck of the car in front of it to the outside)

again the safest way would be one-piece tow-bars, that are fixed on the underside of the cars.

to combine tow-bars with uncoupling, link and pin is the best solution, i found.




but... forget pushing! the two bars simply shear out, (similar to LGB one foot long two-axle cars) and the carbodies get in contact.

aaand, one needs to build some guards (wire) that uncoupled bars don't hang too low, or coupled bars don't shear out too much to the sides.



disclaimer:
being a roundy-rounder, the question of easy coupling and uncoupling does interest me not so much.

 

[Paul M]

There's always the hook, chain and centre buffer route.

 

[dunnyrail]

using sharp curves on my indoor-layouts, i am "fighting" with these coupler problems for decades.

there are complete different problems for two-axle and for four-axle cars.
to advance my "best" ugly solution for both: link and pin couplers that swivel widely.

two-axle cars - fixed couplers tend to draw cars into the inside of curves. but they are better at pushing cars.
couplers fixed to "turning" axles (LGB style) are better to tow, but bad for pushing cars. (there exists a fix with a diagonal rod)
best solutions would be one-piece tow-bars, that are fixed on the underside of the cars. as near to the axle as possible. (but then one can forget coupling and uncoupling during sessions)

four-axle cars - body-mounted (fix) couplers tend to draw cars to derail to the inside.
truck-mounted couplers have a problem coming out of sharp curves onto straights.
the trailing truck of the first car, entering the straight, pushes its coupler to the outside, while the leading truck of the second car points its coupler more to the inside. - resulting in most/many of the leading trucks derailing to the outside at the end of the curve.
sollutions, i found: either putting a rerailer on the first straight after a curve, or putting guard rails on end of the inside of the curve. like this:

View attachment 340863


(if pushing, derailing occur entering a curve. only that the leading truck of the following car pushes the trailing truck of the car in front of it to the outside)

again the safest way would be one-piece tow-bars, that are fixed on the underside of the cars.

to combine tow-bars with uncoupling, link and pin is the best solution, i found.

View attachment 340864


but... forget pushing! the two bars simply shear out, (similar to LGB one foot long two-axle cars) and the carbodies get in contact.

aaand, one needs to build some guards (wire) that uncoupled bars don't hang too low, or coupled bars don't shear out too much to the sides.

View attachment 340865

disclaimer:
being a roundy-rounder, the question of easy coupling and uncoupling does interest me not so much.

Hook and bar are a solution in certain instances but the shunt value is a real pain, plus when I was all bar couplings via link and pin I found derailments tended to derail the complete consist - not good. All couplings tend to be a compromise including centre buffer and chain so it is what works best for you.

 

[Madman]

Years ago I had all R1 curves and ran a Bachmann bobber caboose and had no issues with derailments. Even with the rigid Bachmann H & L couplers.

 

[viaEstrecha]

Years ago I had all R1 curves and ran a Bachmann bobber caboose and had no issues with derailments. Even with the rigid Bachmann H & L couplers.

I think I would cope, if it were being run on my line, but I can't risk the lad getting frustrated with his railway and losing interest. I have a plan now, to make a mod which allows the coupler to move a little, so hopefully all will be fine. I'll post a pic of my bodge in due course

 

[viaEstrecha]

Bodge executed. Not big and certainly not clever - Dremel used to remove original fixing, new swivelling arm in plasticard, square section glued to steps to prevent it sagging, though the pivot screw is nice and long and ought not to loosen. Just needing cleaning up and a coat of matt black and Dominic and I will test it on his railway tomorrow, when we'll see if it also needs stops to limit the rotation or a rubber band to self-centre.