Loop and pin couplers

[Anonymous]

Please – any help would be greatly appreciated.

I’ve almost finished a 1:20 model flatcar based on the plans by Wayne Spence on myLargescale.com.

The flatcar is the first step on a planned model railroad based on indoor modules. The theme that I’m working on is a narrow gauge railroad for passenger and freight transport around 1910. The general idea is to make everything as close to the real thing as possible – therefore I decided on link and pin couplers, mounted to car bodies. However I’ve just realized that the overhang on the car ends is so horrific, on LGB radius 1 curves, that I just can’t see the car being able to be coupled to other cars using standard length loops.

Although I’m planning to use slightly larger radius curves on the finished model, I still expect curves to be on the sharp size, due to the size of the modules and the complete model.

Therefore I should very much like to ask readers of this forum if it was also practice to use bars, instead of loops to join cars – and if so what would be the maximum acceptable length of such a bar.

Thanks

Peter

[vsmith]

Bars, wire loop links, heck, paper clip even, are fine by my book, lenth? unless your being extremely scale driven, its whatever lenth allows the car to safely traverse the curve, unfortunatly theres no real easy way to say what that is with out test running the car around the curve. I use links about 1 inch long, partly because it allows my cars to traverse R1 curves but also because it also allows me to reach inbetween and pull pins easier.

[Anonymous]

Hi Vic

Thanks for the reply. You write that you use links about 1" in length - this equals about 20" in real life. I certainly can see the advantage in being able to reach between the pins, however as I'm trying to get the model as close to scale as possible, I'm wondering if a drawbare or link about this length was common pratice in the good old days - or if I should choose a larger raduis on the curves to solve the puzzle.

Thanks again

Peter

[vsmith]

Wider your curves, the wider your selection in locomotives will be, always use the widest possible.

The links that came with the Ozark couplers are only about 1/2" long, this is to scale, however it also means using much broader curves as to avoid bumping end beams and derailing. Mine is a compromise between detailing on the model and function on the layout's tight curves, also all of my cars are 20' or shorter in lenth, longer the car, the longer the overhang and the bigger the issue becomes, the best I can suggest is to take a couple paper clips, cut and bend them to various lenths and see how it works on the cars in question. I use mostly dogbone shaped links about 1 inch long, and brass drawbars on the lokies that are between 1 and 1-1/2 inches long, again to assure function around the R1 curves on my tight layout, if I had 5 or 6 footers I could easily make a new batch of shorter links .

[Anonymous]

Hi again Vic

And thanks again for your responce. Your replies certainly have given med food for thought.

One thing is modelling in the garden with out-of-the-box models, and another is building rolling stock as close to scale and yesterdays pratices as possible. I see now more than ever that is is a case of compromise.

Due to your replies, I've decided to set the following standards for the rolling stock to be used on the coming Silent Lake Rail Road:

- max. car length 20'
- trucks as close to car ends as possible
- loops between pins on couplers to be extended

The flatcar that I'de almost finished is now scrapped, and I'm about to commence the building of a new flatcar to the above standards.

I think that your tips have saved med a lot of annoyances and I look forward to keeping you udated on progress.

Peter

[SandyR]

Peter, in really tight situations, some logging roads used what were called 'rooster poles'. These could be quite long, and were substituted for regular links. I saw one in use at Clarks Trading Post in New Hampshire some years ago.
SandyR

[Anonymous]

I model in 7/8" scale and use Ozark Miniatures 1:20.3 link & pin couplers. I can easily make a 14" radius with my stock. granted my stock are 7 1/2' cars in7/8' scale(6 1/2").