Detailing and Modifying Ready-to-Run Locomotives in 00 Gauge by George Dent

Author:George Dent
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781847978516
Publisher: Crowood

If working on the Hornby Class 56, for instance, the front panel of the chassis must be lifted, by undoing four small screws, to allow the swivelling NEM pocket to be removed. With the draw-hook passed through the bufferbeam, the spring is inserted and squeezed slightly while the split pin is pushed through the hole in the hook and the tails bent outwards to keep it in place.

The use of a sprung drawhook is essential for reliable running and to prevent constant derailments, particularly on curved track; the springs allow the couplings to slacken a little and will also absorb any jolts. Naturally, such springs should be fitted to each item of rolling stock, as well as to the locomotive. Unfortunately, fitting sprung drawhooks to some models can be a near-hopeless task, as witnessed with Bachmann’s Class 20, which hosts a fixing screw directly behind the centre of the bufferbeam, running into the cast-steel chassis. Being faced with hacking a large recess in the metal chassis, and then having to determine how to re-fix the body, left me feeling faint. Instead, I took the lazy route and compromised with a fixed hook, albeit one that protruded a few millimetres more than usual, in an effort to give a little more slack in the coupling. In service, I’ve yet to experience any problems with this machine, although it doesn’t run over any particularly tight corners and I always ensure that a wagon with an especially loose coupling is marshalled immediately behind to compensate: not an ideal solution by any means but it does work.

One of the main drawbacks of using scale couplings is the lack of any automatic coupling or uncoupling. The delicate nature of the links, and the restricted space between vehicles, makes coupling a tricky business. This limitation also dictates that any shunting manoeuvres have to take place on a readily-accessible part of a layout and the constant leaning-over may put a lot of people off. Another negative aspect is that they are simply not suited to layouts with any degree of tight curves, as the couplings cannot cope with being stretched. Buffer-locking and strained couplings both equate to derailments and frustration. Incidentally, an effective homemade coupling tool consists of a long piece of fine, stiff wire with a hook at one end, preferably magnetized to pick up the links. In addition, fixing this tool to the end of a miniature pen-shaped torch will improve visibility.

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