BR Mk1 coaches in Gauge 3 by Kingscale

[Peaky 556]

3) Retain buckeyes un-modified & clamp the flexible corridor connections together after buckeye coupled.
Try magnets on the corridor connections, I think the G1 guys do that.

P.S. Don't blame my track, nothing else has a problem.
There hasn't been a "Dawlish" then in your back garden?
Tim

Dave
454

[454]

Me thinks I have sussed out the problem with the coaches becoming uncoupled. My circuit is 12 feet radius, the Brit & I believe the coaches are designed to go around 12 feet radius curve. However the design of the end corridor flex connection is such that there is a lamp iron at a high level & one at a low level on the opposite side. When the coach pushes against the leading coach on a curve on a slight grade the corridor connections intertwine & the inner curve lamp iron tucks behind & internally to the rubber flex. This destabilises the train & it either uncouples or derails depending on the dynamics.

The solution is remove the end plate with the lamp irons & fit a blank end plate to corridor connection so that smooth sliding over the coach to coach mating face can occur.

So it looks like brass etch design time.

Dave
454

[454]

After a bit of midnight oil burning last night I found an alternative solution.

Unscrew the back plate off the rubber flex bellows assembly & turn it around & refit. This way around the lamp irons on connecting coaches will mate next to each other in contact exactly. A discrete wire clip can be slipped over the contacting brackets thus making the corridor connections mate together flush. The high quality of the screw hole placements are such that this can be achieved very easily, no drilling needed. The downside is the correct outer face of the plate has countersunk holes & the other face is plane. Such that the very tiny c/s screws will sit slightly proud of the surface. At the moment cannot see this being a problem.

So further running will be done to establish the effectiveness of this method in this configuration. Will report back when track testing has been completed.

The flex bellows will then be compliant through reverse curves & theoretically not snag.

So no new parts will be made in the meantime as this mod is so easy to do.

The Kingscale coach also has a very neat & useable lamp bracket on the rear body of the coach so this could render the corridor connection lamp brackets redundant. Although to some critics the corridor connection lamp brackets could be considered conspicuous by their absence if I was to remove them.

I am very reluctant to get the snips & remove the lamp brackets on the corridor connections, but if it requires this it is a simple matter alternatively of removing them & saving them for later & making a copy without the bracket incorporated.

If in a rake the end coach faces are left unmodified then the appearance will be as prototype. The intermediate connections are less visible & obvious so I cannot see that lack of corridor connection lamp brackets will matter too much.

The only further modification is an end face blanking plate to block off the bellows connection at both end of train extremities. This could be made from Plasticard & simply clipped on each end coach.

So here we are modding Kingscale coaches to make them run & appear better.

Such is life.

Dave
454

[blagdon]

Dave, modifying kits and ready-build models to suit own purposes is what being a MODELLER is all about; otherwise we just become collectors. I must admit to being one of the worst offenders at this practice.

Ian the Gauge '3' Pirate

[454]

A solution has been found to an uncoupling & derailing risk factor with Kingscale coaches.

The outer plate of the corridor connector bellows is unscrewed & turned the other way on it's face & screwed back using the 6 off tiny cross head screws.

Then the modified coach may be marshalled next to the un-modified coach & the corridor connection lamp brackets are set at same height. Then a small single chain link is looped over the lamp iron hook to rest on the horizontal bar. This done to the left & right hand side of the coach. The corridor connection bellows then are in face to face contact.

The photos show a view of the inner radius view & outer radius view taken on a 12 feet radius curve. You will note that the expansion of the corridor bellows is on the outside & corresponding compression of bellows on inner radius.

The end faces of the train remain unmodified but all other coaches need to be modified on one end & designated "mid-rake" coaches. The lamp brackets on the intermediate between coach view are inconspicuous & the outer end ones in view remain prototypical.

This is achieved easily with a jewellers crosshead screwdriver & the use of a pair of single circular chain links per coach connection.

The transformation is visually & running quality transformed when on a minimum radius 12 feet curving track.

Warning:
This has not been tested by myself on curves below 12 feet radius. So if this is the case it is a matter of just monitoring the flexing as the tighter curve is traversed so as not to over stretch the bellows & risk splitting the rubber material.

To not do this mod could mean that when the unmodified coaches are hauled or propelled in the normal way the inter-coach articulation forces on the non connected flexible bellows would allow the lamp bracket at whichever side of the connection to tuck internally into the corridor connection, when the coaches align on a straight or re-align on an opposite curve then the bellows rubber is at risk.

This mod can be reverted back to standard & consiquent risk very easily & does not involve expensive parts or drilling.

Dave
454

[454]

This is the inner radius view.
The chain link loop can just be seen.

Dave
454

[454]

After intensive testing this afternoon, the following conclusions are as follows:

1) A copper wire ring is too weak & drops off.

2) A steel wire ring works but will scratch the paint on the lamp iron.

3) A short sleeve of tubing, I used a snippet of heat shrink, but not activated the shrinkage.

The latter seems most effective & seems to hold the corridor connection together as the coaches flex throughout the curves & transitions to straight.

So I suggest purchase of a stock of black heat shrink tubing of the correct size & snip off what is needed each time coaches are connected into rake on track. Easy to fit, easier to remove after use.

Red tubing fitted for clarity on photo, black will be almost invisible when fitted as it will blend into the detail.

Photo from above will show how.

Cheers
Dave
454

[454]

It was raining badly today so thought about doing a bit of indoor activity & thought about the rake end coaches with their open corridor ends. So after a bit of searching over photos of coaches I decided to make an end blank for the end coach in my rake. The end coach is the one with the screw link rather than the buckeye so any loco can attach.
Now I have made one, it is a simple matter of making another one for the other end.

Making it a snug fit in the connection orifice, it can be easily removed. So no glue or other fixings have been employed.

So after cutting out some plastic card to shape & glueing round section beading microstrip around & glueing on mock hinges & clips & spraying the whole lot gloss black the job is done.

This now lowers the risk of little plastic people launching themselves off the end of an unsecured train. Although the coaches are still empty stock.

Photo maybe a bit distorted due to close proximity of iPhone to subject. Sorry it's sideways 

Just another day in the quest to make un-necessary improvements to something that doesn't need improving much 

Cheers
Dave
454