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Smith's instanters

4305 Views 15 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  the volebender general, 
T
New member, Hi to everyone on the board.

I have been deciding how to couple my stock. I have decided that i shall use kadee or roco on my passenger stock and locomotives. this leaves the freight and goods stock to do.

my question is this: How instant are Smith's instanters? Does the instant refer to the fixing to the buffer beam or the coupling and uncoupling?

Any input would be most welcome

Michael
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T
Thanks for the info LMS.

Did check the old link too. Lisa P4 suggests I may need tweezers for instanters, oh dear.

Could someone post some pics of specifically - Smiths instanters- (not discussed in thread above Garry) to see the actual size of the slots.

TVBG
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T
Many thanks Rail Rider for taking the time to post that pic. Very Helpful. I did google but found only suppliers and order pages. Nice to see the whole pack spread out.

The pic is suggestive. Hook and link on fixed rakes of goods wagons. Hook only on Loco's to reduce tweezer factor. What do you think?
TVBG
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T
How stupid am I.

I have looked at Electric nose in the past, and found him to be very helpful if a little rude to Digitrax users. However, I have never thought to double click an image! The link you have posted shows the detail perfectly once it fills the whole screen.

think I will buy a pack or two.

My main issue is that I have spent a lot of effort designing a layout that will have double headers being taken on or off trains. Thus while I'm happy with fixed rakes of wagons I will need to link and unlink locos. I think it will simply be a matter of testing the Smiths coupler and see how I feel about it. It certainly looks the part.

TVBG
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T
Quite right Rail Rider,

A computer and a DCC system and when the Frieght arrives i shall be fiddling with tweezers!

However, somehow, taking a loco off by hand, or switching a MPD yard by hand feels right to me. But switching out buffet cars from a rake or changing mainline points does not.

Have no rational argument for this, and will not pretend there is one.

As they always say in the end; 'its my railway'.

regards

TVBG
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T
Agreed Rail Rider and dr5euss,

My thinking was as follows.

The fixed coaches can be set at any height the kadee or roco coupler works within the fixed rake. Easy job.

If i have Kadee on locos then they all have to be set at the correct guauge height. Then the front and end of each rake has to be set at the correct height. Then the kadee on the brake vans has to be set at the correct height.
Not so easy or fun!

Now Kadee USA have no idea what Hornbys NEM socket height is. I have chatted with their USA technical Dept (Sandy, I think, who has some Hornby models!): about a a 'step down', my term, NEM Kadee for Hornby Bachman oo, they suggested in return the possiblity of a NEM oo kadee with a longer pin.

My thinking is that we will not get either; because their is no standard Hornby Bachman NEM socket height even on new releases- I really do not Know though as I cannot check all new models. But I/we have to get on with something.

So I was thinking as above - Smiths on buffer beam of locos and vans and freight and end of coaches - pretty easy-
Hence my interest - This is blown out of the water of course if Smiths are a bugger to use.... see above.

Good discussion here

TVBG
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mdjr78,

Very, very funny. No more German. I have a hell of a time with incomplete Lenz manual coverage!

MMD,

I was hoping you would take the time to contribute to this thread. Hope things are going well in Dorset and you are not longing for the smell of Lion's piss on the back gate.

Thanks for updating me on the NEM height point. Funnily enough I had the Standard tank down as my first job!!!

I have a new box containing a Q1 and some Bachman MK 1s I shall put your thesis ('have got their act together')to this test as soon as I have finished wiring 6 or 7 more feedback decoders.
If true OK, its a go'er - if not, I will still order the Smiths.
TVBG
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