Problem with Accucraft Coupling and Ragleth

D

davecar

Registered
Hi,

I have had a Accucraft Ragleth for a few months now and I am really pleased with it - my first live steam loco. Most of my rolling stock are fitted with hook and loop couplings so I decided to purchase Accucraft rolling stock to go with my new Ragleth loco. My first and only purchase todate was the guards van (W & L) with a view to purchasing more goods rolling stock at a later date.

However, I am having trouble with the Accucraft coupling connecting the goods van to my loco. Every time the loco and guards van go round a certain bend the guards van is left behind. I have radius 1 curves and I have checked to see that the track is OK. All my track is raised on wood about 9 inches from the ground. Is there any way you can adjust the couplings to make them more stable or any other tips and hints please, or is this a general fault with this kind of coupling? I could use a coupling chain but I am reluctant to do this. I am also reluctant to purchase any more Accucraft rolling stock until I resolve this problem.

Kind regards,

Dave
 
Dave, may I suggest first checking the relative heights of the couplings. I have plenty of Accu couplings and have no problems, in fact if there is a problem it's getting them to UNCOUPLE, though I've devised a tool for that. Second, check their alignment as they go around the troublesome bend. Sometimes the internal spring can add a slight sideways stress. It can be corrected by dismantling the coupling and re-setting the spring on its peg.
 
I have the same problem, sometimes its due to slight rise in the track. As the wagon raises up the coupling hook raises and unhooks. The other problem is on bends where the couplings are quite inflexible and cause derailments.
If I had perfectly flat track it would be better but I havent.
Generally Ive found the choppers to be very good and as Bob say uncoupling is more often the problem.

So Ive added in coupling chains, a few links over the big hooks. Seems to work very well so Ive removed some of the coupling hooks.
 
Before I had some track laid,when I used to visit other garden railways I found that the accucraft couplings did not like R1s. Either they uncoupled or derailed some stock. I`ve now got approx 35 metres of level track laid using R3s on the curves and this seems to have sorted this particular problem.
I now have a problem of the couplings not liking aristo points,uncoupling now and then for no apparent reason.
 
The text on my post above is all over the place,don`t know what happened there
 
davecar said:
Hi,

I have had a Accucraft Ragleth for a few months now and I am really pleased with it - my first live steam loco. Most of my rolling stock are fitted with hook and loop couplings so I decided to purchase Accucraft rolling stock to go with my new Ragleth loco. My first and only purchase todate was the guards van (W & L) with a view to purchasing more goods rolling stock at a later date.

However, I am having trouble with the Accucraft coupling connecting the goods van to my loco. Every time the loco and guards van go round a certain bend the guards van is left behind. I have radius 1 curves and I have checked to see that the track is OK. All my track is raised on wood about 9 inches from the ground. Is there any way you can adjust the couplings to make them more stable or any other tips and hints please, or is this a general fault with this kind of coupling? I could use a coupling chain but I am reluctant to do this. I am also reluctant to purchase any more Accucraft rolling stock until I resolve this problem.

Kind regards,

Dave
Click to expand...

Radius 1 track geometry makes for really sharp dockyard type curves, designed for high revving geared electric powered locomotives and their LGB type couplings. I am afraid it is not really suitable for live steam except perhaps for the geared Regner locomotives. Best bet if using fixed geometry track is to use rad 3 or better. If one requires tighter curves then carefully laid flexible track with transitional curves not only looks good but works much better as well. The real thing never uses fixed radii and straights.

If you cannot alter the track then best bet is to use either centre buffer with chain or maybe bar and pin couplings. I have fairly tight radii on my line (but with transitional curves for the steamers). Even so, a rake of very large bogie coaches needed bar couplings to transit my tightest curve...
 
It is easy to remove the "chopper" from Accucraft couplings and use as a centre buffer type using a simple chain link instead. Common practice at 16mm group meets when trying to couple to disparate locos and stock. Just remove the nut and bolt acting as the "chopper's" pivot. You could try to remove alternate "choppers" in a rake and see if that minimises the problem, daft as it might sound under the circumstances.
Max.
 
Hi all,

Thanks for your very helpful suggestions (as ever with this forum). I think I will have to stick with chains. When I use a chain link the guards van decouples on the bend but then couples up again. I wanted to avoid chains because of the additional hassle but then again I suppose it is all part of the hobby!

I would like to reply to a point that Tag has made regarding live steam and R1 curves. I built my garden railway last year and used R1 curves because I didnt know any better. Having said that I have a long and narow garden and only wanted the railway on one side so I have a 23 metre long track with curves at each end going in and out of the water features and trees etc. I soon discovered that I had a problem with R1 curves when I bought a Bachmann big hauler loco (electric) and I certainly wouldnt buy such a loco again. I have managed to keep it on R1 curves by placing lead weights on the front bogie and careful driving. I have a range of small electric locos and they are fine on the tight layout that I have.
When I wanted to buy my first live steam loco I had a lot of advice from this forum and others and I realised that I was limited in my choice of loco. Also I didnt want to pay a lot of money and then find the loco was always derailing. I settled for the Accucraft Ragleth and it copes fine with R1 curves and todate has given me a great deal of pleasure.

Live steam is possible with R1 curves that is my message, but obviously the choice of loco is restricted.
This hobby as with all hobbies is about compromise. I would have liked to have had a bigger garden railway, but I have to have regards to the use of the garden by my wife, children and grandchildren, hence the narrow layout that I have. I also have an indoor 00 layout in a spare bedroom which is very tight. I suppose compromise is the challenge of this hobby and learning to make the best of what you have and can have.

So although R 1 curves are a pain you can get enjoyment out of live steam with them.

Kind regards,

Dave
 
Dave, I think your problem is a bit like mine,. I want a much bigger railway :thumbup:......................but I don't want a bigger garden to put it in! :thumbdown:

:rolf::rolf:
 
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