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My own experience is that standardising on a single manufacturers version of the tension lock coupling is the route to reliability on 4 wheel wagons (I do not use this coupler on coaches). The appropriate decision was to go with the Bachmann NEM mounted miniature version, simply on the grounds that 70% of my wagon stock is from that source. Purchase of a moulded mounting block to take the NEM pocket, (available from Chivers Finelines) facilitated the fitting of this coupler to the remainder of the wagons, mostly scratch and kit built stock, but also some Hornby, Airfix, Hornby-Dublo and Dapol vehicles.

Trains of 60 wagons are now reliably operated over 30 inch radius minimum curves, and through medium and large rad Peco points, whether pulled or pushed. I could never quite see the exact reason why similar reliability was not obtained with a mix of mainly Bachmann with some Hornby miniature tension locks: when equipping the various older and kit built wagons whichever version my local stockist had available was purchased, on the assumption that they were compatible. But following trials of trains all of one type of coupler it was clear that reliable running could be obtained this way, so pragmatically the change was made, and the good result has been maintained. Uniform use of another manufacturers tension lock design should produce similar reliability gains.

A welcome side effect on Hornby locos, I found that Hornby's NEM pocket all too frequently fell out of the mounting provided on tenders with prolonged running. Substituting the Bachmann coupler in its' pocket eliminated this trouble as it was a much tighter fit; although the mounting block has subsequently split on a Britannia tender, but with no sign of the pocket coming loose so far.

 

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QUOTE (Saint Johnstoun @ 6 Oct 2008, 21:21) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>..
What a pity the UK manufacturers haven't bitten the bullet and gone for the US style couplers which are far more reliable.
Another way of looking at this is that British railways persisted with loose coupled three link goods stock, long after it was technically obsolescent. That's why I use the tension lock on goods stock on my circa 1960 model. The miniature version may be set with the bumper bar in the line of the bufferheads so that the vehicles buffer up when pushed (but are protected from buffer locking) and open out properly when pulled, just like a real loose coupled train. This contrasts nicely with the coaches where I use Kadee on the ends of sets as a good representation of the real buckeyes employed (a semi-permanent bar or Hornby's R8220 coupler are used inside sets, no slack, and better CCM actuation where fitted for corridor connectors in contact). There is some consequent inconvenience with some steam locos, swapping NEM mounted couplers or exchanging spare tenders; at least diesels are easy, different coupler each end.

Now if there was a truly auto-coupling three link (and alternative screw link) coupler of prototype appearance which provided the loose coupled effect, I would have to move to it for goods stock. The Dingham is close, but not quite close enough to spring the money...

 

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QUOTE (Madkitten @ 6 Oct 2008, 23:54) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I use chain link couplings on everything - even though they run perfectly together uncoupling is difficult though!!!
And there's the rub. On a 400+ wagon operation with breaking up, shunting and reforming trains a major element of interest an autocoupler is a must.