Coupling Clinic

One of the advantages of the desk-sitter test track is that it allows for some tinkering and testing of couplers as well as locomotive mechanisms. A lot of the MicroTrains couplers on my wagon fleet have been added as a necessity but never actually used very much for real shunting. Getting them in a fit state to do so can involve a little fettling of drop-arms and plenty of 'Grease-Em' graphite lubricant. 

Of course this only works if the couplers themselves are in a good state. One of the bogies on the van in the picture had been equipped with a Kadee knuckle spring rather than the correct MicroTrains one. I vaguely recall doing this at a time I was short of springs and it worked to an extent but not to uncouple! Replaced with the correct item it was a problem soon resolved, although the idea is a good one of you have couplers in use that you don't want to uncouple accidentally.

So far about 10 of the Shifting Sands and extended fleets have been seen to, the result being much more reliable coupling and uncoupling. This all informs future layout planning....

Colin

Stuck in a Siding

A couple of weeks ago I was offered a couple of Avalon Line 12-seat semi-open coaches by O9 modeller Andrew Blackwell and the offer was too good to turn down. One of the pair was actually my first build of this kit after I had produced the masters for Steve Bennett to cast. Andrew had decided to reduce the height of both coaches to better reflect the originals running of Shifting Sands. Doing this to an already built kit must have been an interesting task!

On arrival I noticed that the coach I built had a distinct warp and I put this down to the way I had built the roof all those years ago. Carefully removing the old roof I managed to replace it, but not without having to do a few other jobs on the way. It was whilst doing this I inadvertently managed to break one of the sides - it's best not to ask how! Although I fixed it it still looked a bit wonky, so I sought another solution. I have often thought of the idea of a coach sat at the end of a siding, or in a workshop, with a few body panels missing as if awaiting or under repair - here was the opportunity...

As can be seen, several panels are missing, I replaced the whole solebar with Plastruct section that matched the original casting, having opened out one panel and completely replaced another with just uprights. I also added uprights under the exposed seat ends to make them it less like the seat backs floated in thin air.

On the opposite side just one panel was opened out. As this exposed the nut that secures the bogie in place I added an air tank from a Dapol Drewery Shunter kit to disguise it. The coach was previously equipped with modified MicroTrains bogies but I have fitted a set of Avalon Line ones for static use. I therefore filled in the gap in the headstocks for the coupler and added a cosmetic coupling pocket that had seen service on a previous static coach (one of the 4-wheel ones that sat behind the caravan on Shifting Sands).

Whilst tinkering with Avalon Line coaches I altered the bogie mounts on my fully enclosed example, removing the MicroTrains pin and socket arrangement and replacing it with the system used on the majority of my bogie stock with a 12BA nut trapped under a styrene mount. The bogies have washers Araldited top and bottom to allow the bolt to pass through neatly. This is a much more robust system than the previous one.

Colin

Up-cycle - Uncoupling Magnets

I have been experimenting with uncoupling magnets for Up-cycle in those few spare moments over Christmas. The Micro-Trains coupling system (as with is's larger Kadee cousins) has the useful facility to serve many sidings from one magnet in the headshunt, using delayed action to uncouple a wagon before pushing it into the siding.  However, this  is useless if you wish to uncouple within the siding itself, you would need another magnet in each siding anyway....

Having decided to install uncouplers in typical uncoupling locations rather than rely wholly on delayed uncoupling, my installation has gone through some development. I initially installed MicroTrains' own magnets, however I discovered that they are not ideally suited for shunting individual O9 wagons as the wagons are the exact same length as the magnets, making for all sorts of accidental uncoupling incidents whilst trying to couple beyond the magnets. I am advised that it is possible to carefully score and snap the magnets to make two shorter ones, but that wasn't really something to try at 3pm on Christmas Eve!

I have therefore created my own magnets from pairs of 18 x 3 x 3mm ferrite magnets from Squires, set approx 0.75mm apart with a styrene strip between, and with some 0.5mm styrene underneath (L-R: individual magnet; magnets in position; the packet as bought):

Some experimentation soon finds the correct orientation of the magnets to attract the droppers on the MicroTrains couplings. The two magnets should attract each other along the sides, the two top poles are the same. I marked each magnet to show which way around it should sit before installing them with the magnet tops level with the rail head:

The sequence shows the magnets in use, starting with pulling up over the magnet and the couplings starting to feel the force of the magnet below:

Pulling apart the couplings are fully attracted to the side:

Pushing back together the couplings adopt the delayed position, should that be required to push a wagon further down the siding:

Obviously these magnets are still quite experimental, but that all adds to the fun!

Colin

Fitting MicroTrains Couplers to the Chivers Finelines O9 Coach

I made my choice to use MicroTrains couplers (and trucks) at a very early stage in my O9 modelling and it isn't something that I have regretted. Admittedly, it has been fiddly at times, has caused some obstacles, but there has always been a solution (even if that was just to fit MicroTrains bogies in place of those supplied in Avalon kits).  The arrival of the Chivers Finelines O9 coach kit has provided the latest challenge - I was determined not to change the bogies over completely!

First things first, the bogies were built as per the instructions, ensuring they were squared up correctly and the wheels sat flat on a glass surface.  At this stage I did not add the coupler mounting strip provided.

Before constructing the body I made openings 3mm x 11mm in the headstocks on either end - this will allow the coupler to swing as the bogie turns, as seen here on the completed adaptation:

The modifications to the mounting strip were all made before it was fitted to the bogie and can be seen in the diagrams below....

Fig 1 - Cut the end of the mounting strip 11mm from the centreline of the hole that fits over the bogie (approx 14mm from the end of the part).

Fig 2 - Shape with a rat-tail file a semi-circular indent into the end of the part - this is to allow the MicroTrains 1015 coupler to work correctly (under pressure it pushed back out of the draft box).

Fig 3 - a) Add a 20 thou styrene shim 8.5 x 5mm under the mounting strip and level with the cut end - when set shape this with the rat-tail file to match.  b) Cut a 40 thou styrene piece 6.5 x 5mm, adding a taper at one end over about 1.5 mm.  Fix this in place and once set trial-fit both the mounting strip and wheelset, if need be use the rat-tail file to create extra clearance.

Once this has all set, drill a 0.9mm hole on the centre line in the exposed 40 thou platform, 2mm from the front edge (check using the draft box to locate exactly). Effectively 'tap' this using the MicroTrains coupler screw and clean up any excess styrene burr.  Optional at this stage is to shape the end of the 40 thou piece to make it less visible underneath the coupler when fitted.  The mounting strip can now be stuck to the bogie:

This view shows how the bogies look once fitted with the wheelsets, the clearances are rather tight but the bogies remain free rolling.  You will need to shorten the MicroTrains screws for the final fitting - I used a razor saw with the screw held in my desk vice:

An overall view of the completed (unpainted) coach with the bogies and MicroTrains couplers fitted:

Colin