[apreading]

Hello there, first post so go easy on me!

I tried doing searches but didnt easily find what I was looking for,,,

Bought my son the flying scotsman set for Xmas and have since been back to my parents and resurrected some old wrenn stuff from the loft (Notably a Red LMS 0-6-0 and a Peregrine tender engine). Have been buying some more bits since, and the next in line is a Diesel Shunter. I am quite impressed with the sound of the new Hornby 08 class diesels but I notice they do not have the 'old standard' hornby coupling. Now I am sure this NEM thing is better but how well does it couple to all our existing rolling stock? Or can I easily convert it to the older coupling? I am more interested in compatibility and ease of use for my son than close coupling and looks.

I have noticed some talk about Radius 1 curves and some engines not working on them. Is there anywhere you can find information on which engines are not compatible? Space is too tight to have a radius 3 oval so I am stuck with a radius 1 inside a radius 2. Is it just the longer engines that are likely to have a problem, and will the Class 08 likely be OK?

Lastly, I have seen the 08 reviews mention that you need a good controller - is the HM2000 considered up to the job?

Thanks in advance - looks like I have alot to relearn after 15 years and alot has changed too!

 

[John Webb]

The Hornby catalogue in recent years has always made clear which locos they consider to be unsuitable for Radius 1 curves, so this is probably your best source of information if you are buying new.

Hope this is of help,
John Webb

 

[apreading]

Ah - thanks. Couldnt understand why it wasnt on their website if they publish this information. Will look at a copy of the catalogue. Maybe this will have some information about couplings too.

 

[Branchliner]

AP,

I have the new Class 08 Hornby shunter, it runs superbly. The 08 is fitted with the smaller type of coupler which will connect to the larger type.

I have a small shunter which is fitted with the old Hornby coupling, to make it more compatible with the smaller type I removed the hooks completely, this makes curve negotiation much smoother.

Where possible I would go for stock which has the NEM pocket (a sort of dovetail)at each end, this allows you to replace damaged couplings or fit alternative types.

Brian

 

[apreading]

How well does the smaller coupling mate with the larger type if you dont remove the hook though?

Thing is, I have loads of rolling stock from my childhood and he has carriages from the new Scotsman set, so I dont intend buying much if any new rolling stock. So the new shunter needs to be as compatible as possible.

You say the NEM pocket allows fitting of alternative types - does this include a larger coupler like all our other stuff?

Cheers - very good help so far.

 

[Branchliner]

AP

The large and small couplers may mate up on the straight but more often than not the large hook will drop outside the smaller coupling side bar. This is due to the different hook configurations.

The large hook is offset about 2mm to the left (looking from inside the wagon) and has sideplay of about 1.5mm. The small hook is offset 1.5mm to the left but has about 3mm sideplay.

What happens is that the large hook will fall just outside or just inside the small coupling side bar. Because of the smaller amount of side play the tip of the hook will bear sideways either inwards or outwards on curves. Going through a crossover made from standard Hornby points (2nd radius curve) may cause a derailment, express points would work better.

Removal of the hook from the larger coupling prevents the side contact, the obvious problem is that you cannot couple two hookless wagons together. My solution is to mate up wagon trains with all the same couplings. Any locos with the large couplings get their hooks removed.

The only time I couple a small coupling loco to large coupling rolling stock is with some old LNER carriages, I don't get any problems with these, I believe this is because the coupling moves with the bogies which have a short wheel base and follow the track line more closely or it may be that they are so old they have excessive side play.

I am not aware of any large type couplings being readily available to fit NEM pockets, Both Hornby and Bachmann seem to be settling for the smaller and (in my opinion) neater couplings, more often than not fitted into NEM pockets.

Just to complicate matters further, I am in the process of switching to Kadee couplings which are almost standard in the USA. There are numerous other types around, have a look in this forum.

Anyway enjoy your model trains which ever way you decide to couple them up and I hope AP junior gets lots of fun from his Flying scotsman.

Brian

 

[double00]

Well I found out the hard way, that diesel locomotives fitted with six wheeled bogies are unable or will not negotiate radius 1 and 2 curves without the diesel locomotive slowing down to a crawl.
All my new diesel locomotive purchases are restricted to four wheeled bogies and thankfully at present a few are released by the rtr manufacturers.

 

[Dynamite26]

I have a hornby class 56 and two hornby class 47 and they run fine round 1st and 2nd radius curves without slowing down.

 

[apreading]

Thanks for all the advice - nice to know that even the newbie questions are welcomed with such helpful comments.

I am not about to start changing all the couplings on everything just to fit one engine I am interested in - not to mention some of them would presumably need new bogies etc and/or 'destructive altering'. So I guess the new high detail stuff is out for me, although I am sure my 5 yr old son will not notice the difference with his vivid imagination! So, off to ebay to find probably an older Lima or Hornby Class 08 - would people favour one over the other?

I still cant see why an 0-6-0 would have problems with the curves - I have a couple of old Wrenns which are quite happy - why wouldnt modern locos be able to work as well? That is progress I guess..

My son is loving His Scotsman - although he now keeps saying he wants a second tender for it!

 

[Great Northerner]

With regards to wheels, if you turn your old Wrenn locos upside down, and compare them with Flying Scotsman, you can see the difference in the wheels. The tread is much narrower, the flanges aren't as deep, and there may be less "sideplay" on the axles. If the Flying Scotsman is tender drive it may not have the lastest wheel profile as used on the 2005 loco drive version. Progress, and closer to scale, but not able to negotiate tight radius track, and may complain if points are not level or if there are kinks where flexitrack joins on a curve. I'm sure that the Hornby web site used to give details or radius compatability, as I have seen it somewhere but not looked that closely at a Hornby catalogue since 1991.

Lima or older Hornby 08? The Lima was once clocked doing a scale 300 mph! From a spares point of view the Hornby one may be better. It appears that the one to be offered in the DCC set uses the old chassis without full cranks on the coupling rods.