[Chinahand]

Hi Rob,

Have you had a look at Dingham couplers. I model in N Gauge so can't use them but they look pretty good. The web site is http://www.dingham.co.uk/4mm_coupler.htm

I tried the Microtrains couplers (N Gauge version of Kadee) but found that they required major surgerty to locos and rolling stock so abandoned using them.

Other couplers I am experimenting with are DG Couplers and B&B Couplers. The DGs are a little complicated to build as they requre soldering whereas the B&B are just folded and assembled without any soldering. Both look a darned sight better than Rapidos.

 

[Chinahand]

Yes that willl work in 00 but for N Gauge there just isn't any soft steel wire which is both fine enough and strong enough so you have to solder the supplied hard steel and phosphor bronze wires together.

Trust me. I've tried.

The B&B Couplings are not quite so fine but the loop and dropper are all one etched brass piece. You just have to wind some fine steel wire onto the dropper to provide the magnetic attraction.

 

[Chinahand]

QUOTE (Evacuee @ 9 Feb 2009, 02:21) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Sorry,I forgot it was for N gauge!

Hi Evacuee,

I'm not sure if we are talking 00 or N Gauge as Rob's original post doesn't specify. I was just pointing out that while the soft steel wire approach works for 00 it is not viable in N. I tried using fine spring steel but just couldn't produce a consistently uniform, one-piece loop & dropper.

Dinghams are, incidentaly, only available for 7mm and 4mm scales so it has to be either Micro-trains, DGs or B&Bs for N Gauge.

 

[Chinahand]

The theory sounds OK but, in practice, the tolerances you have to work to might be just too demanding. I'm also unsure how the autocoupling would work without there being a magnet beneath the coupling.

 

[Chinahand]

Hi Rob.

The 00 brigade seem to be ignoring you but a quick search on Google produced this. http://www.scalelink.co.uk/acatalog/Smiths..._for__OO__.html

The screw link couplers are about half way down the page but I'm not sure if these are what you want as I am into N Gauge Steam.