MK1 BUCKEYE COUPLINGS

[AshleyW]

 i have been experimenting with kadee couplers. i did want to get more kingscale - hook mounted buckeyes, so as to be like the real thing, but alas kingscale could not provide any more and also not all hooks or hook apertures in drawbar are of same dimensions or length. firstly i tried the kadee 906 with gearbox, the gearbox fouled the coach bogie, so initially i was going to use just the hook (which i believe is kadee 900r when sold alone) and fix angle to the rear of my buffer beams and then fix the eye of the coupling with a 2ba nut and bolt. meanwhile however i found the kadee 905, this has a "stumpy" gearbox with a flat rear face and a mounting panel with four bolt holes. on my alan marsden MK1'S the panel fits on the buffer beam without being deeper, i used the panel to mark my four holes in the buffer beam (after removing screw hook of course) and then assembled the coupler as per diagram (springs into pockets a bit fiddly) . i hope when other coaches are done,they will negociate trackwork. the coupler head is proud of the corridor end,so should stop any buffer locking and of course you can use a kadee magnet for auto uncoupling -still keeping screwhooks on end next to loco and end of train. the g scale kadee coupler head is almost the same size as a kingscale ,so i'm also hopeful these will be able to connect with those in the same train. hope this little piece may help any one thinking of buckeyes (which are prototypical on mk1's with buffers retracted) and may be fed up with screw couplings climbing over the head and parting. also easier for for coupling up or lifting of track quickly when the weather turns!

[AllWight]

Hi

Some years ago i was working on a 2 car DMU kit bashed out of two GRS 121 bubblecars to make a 117 two car unit. For ease of uncoupling i used a pair of buckeyes from the bachmann big haulers range and to uncouple them there is a vertical pin that you push up and it instantly releases the two coupled vehicles.

Mark