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Diameters of Uncoupling Levers, Grab Irons

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  • Member since
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Diameters of Uncoupling Levers, Grab Irons
Posted by staybolt on Sunday, October 10, 2021 3:58 PM

I've been able to find lengths, distance from car/locomotive/tender surface and ends from Car Builder's Dictionaries and FRA documents, but not diameters. Think it's somewhere near an inch, but I'd like to know for sure so I can choose the correct gauge wire to model these parts. My modeling period is the 1920s if that makes a difference compared to the 2020s. 

Anybody know if there's a pub. I've missed where such specs. might be? 

 

 

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Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, October 10, 2021 4:05 PM

This shows arrangements of passenger uncoupling levers circa 1938:

 AAR_Uncoupling Levers by Edmund, on Flickr

I might have other info but this was something I already had a scan of.

Regards, Ed

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Posted by tstage on Sunday, October 10, 2021 4:09 PM

Ed,

At first guess I would have said no larger than 3/4" OD.  But, given the size of the cars - 1" OD does seem about right.

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

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Posted by staybolt on Monday, October 11, 2021 12:11 AM

Ed,

Thanks....I've been using the 1919 Car Builder's Cyc. of Amer. Prac. for various details and just hadn't dug deep enough. That edition shows 1 in. also for the uncoupling levers and 5/8 in. (min.) for grabs which equates to about .0125 in. and .007 in., respectively, in HO.

         -Chuck

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Posted by doctorwayne on Monday, October 11, 2021 10:14 AM

A friend, who does volunteer work at Steam Town, did some measurements (at my request) for handrails and grabirons on F-unit diesels.

All grabirons, nose handrails, eyebrow handrails, handrails at rear steps, ladder rests, and cab-interior handrails are 1 1/8" in diameter.

The handrails at cab doors and engine room doors are 1 1/2", but the mounting points are 1 1/8"...this seems to indicate that the handrails are pipe, with the 1 1/8" rod continuous within the pipe.

While this info isn't of much use for a 1920's era layout, perhaps it's useful for those modelling the diesel era.

Wayne

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  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, October 11, 2021 10:26 AM

doctorwayne
All grabirons, nose handrails, eyebrow handrails, handrails at rear steps, ladder rests, and cab-interior handrails are 1 1/8" in diameter.

This boxcar was home to the Scale Rails of Southwest Florida N scale layout from the late 1980s to the early 2000s.

I can verify that the ladder rungs on This Boxcar were 1 1/8" because I measured them myself with a caliper.

That is all I know on this subject.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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    May 2019
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Posted by BEAUSABRE on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 12:17 AM

Pure genius! If a hurricane threatens, you send the layout to Kansas City, or wherever, and return after the crisis!!

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 12:29 AM

Time has rolled over the Scale Rails boxcars.

This is what they look like now:

Sad

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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