Fairlight Works

Coupling Clinic II

Scenic development on the Inglenook rattles on, but a layout isn't much use without something to run on it. I had a decent selection of wagons on hand, and to run through the shunting puzzle they all needed couplings.

Using a wagon already fitted with Greenwich couplings as a reference point, I fixed a spare at the end of the fiddle stick to act as a height gauge for the rest. All coupling systems work best when the fitting on each vehicle is consistent, Greenwich especially, so it's worth the time and effort to get them right. I think I'm slightly over "regulation" height here but as long as everything matches this I should be okay.

The Greenwich system uses fixed magnets under the track, which attract iron wire added to the tails of the coupling loops. When the coupling is not under tension (or in other words when the vehicle is pushed rather than pulled over the magnet) the loop will pop up to enable uncoupling. If the stock will always be facing one way on the layout – as it is here – it's often better to fit a loop on one end only to avoid them getting in each other's way.

To have a full coupling test rig I fitted a magnet on the fiddle stick, seen here with the chassis of a Bachmann RNAD van. The standard Bachmann coupling is fitted in a NEM socket, a compatible Greenwich version is available but here I'm testing a prototype 3D printed coupling body which allows a loop to be fitted. This new development seems to work very well, and makes converting RTR stock faster, but it is dependent on the NEM socket being at that consistent height.

With a few vehicles (kit and RTR) suitably fitted I had enough to try running through the Inglenook puzzle in the simpler 3-2-2 configuration. I think it should just about be possible to do a full 5-3-3 version with a bit of a tweak to the front siding, but I'm going to need to prepare more wagons!

Previously at the Coupling Clinic

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