7mm JLTRT Buckeye Couplings.

[The Penguin Of Doom]

Hi all.

I've spent a happy few hours at our club this evening starting work on some JLTRT Buckeyes which will hopefully end up joining a rake of Mk1s.

I've got a horrible feeling that I have got something wrong though as the knuckle of the coupling does not seem to sit snugly or tightly with the adjacent coupling. In addition, it looks like when the loco hauling the stock takes up the slack, the couplings will open out leaving a larger gap between the coaches? I will hopefully attach some pictures below to illustrate what I mean and I am hoping that someone will have used these before and be able to point me in the right direction.

Whilst construction is a little fiddly (it took me two hours to complete the first one!), they are very intricate and seem to reflect the real things well.

Cheers.

Sean.

 

[The Penguin Of Doom]

Sorry, it appears my picture files are too large to upload.

Any advice still greatly received though.

Cheers.

Sean.

 

[richard carr]

Sean

These look good especially in the drop position but from a practical point of view my experience is that they don't work very well they are difficult to couple kadees work much better.

If you want to stick with them you do need to add the spring to the coupling knuckle you also need a reasonable distance between the coaches to get them round curves if the end corridors are touching the coaches will derail as there is no flexibility in the corridor.

 

[Ian G]

Looking at your pictures on FB the only difference I used on my build of these is the 2 pins holding the coupling up, I have them swapped around so the pin with the eye on a small chain, I will dig out the pics when I get home.

Ian G

 

[The Penguin Of Doom]

Sean

These look good especially in the drop position but from a practical point of view my experience is that they don't work very well they are difficult to couple kadees work much better.

If you want to stick with them you do need to add the spring to the coupling knuckle you also need a reasonable distance between the coaches to get them round curves if the end corridors are touching the coaches will derail as there is no flexibility in the corridor.

Thanks Richard.

I have added the springs (I know there's no pictures here for you to see although I managed to load them onto my facebook page). Your comments about the gangways concern me too as I'd like to close couple them - our layout has handbuilt track so the curves lend themselves to close couplings.

Out of interest, what Kadees should I look at? There seems to be a plethora of them for various stock. I will be running Mk1s and Mk2s.

Thanks again.

Sean.

 

[The Penguin Of Doom]

Looking at your pictures on FB the only difference I used on my build of these is the 2 pins holding the coupling up, I have them swapped around so the pin with the eye on a small chain, I will dig out the pics when I get home.

Ian G

Thanks Ian.

I'll try and swap the pins around and see if that helps.

Thanks.

Sean.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Hi Sean

I don't know what parts constitute a JLTRT buckeye coupler kit but it sounds like from the description it is a pseudo Kadee type which requires a knuckle spring to operate.

As Jordan suggests you could go for the Kadee 700-series (740 to 747) and use a stronger spring in the draft box to reduce the slack or more drastically lock the coupler by pinning it to eliminate the slack.

Regarding curves and the chance of the fixed gangways locking, one solution is to mount the coupling on a close coupling mechanism as used on European HO coaching stock allowing the coaches to open up on curves and close on straight track.

Jordan also alluded to Protocraft buckeyes and I'm using these for my P48 stock and as mentioned they do not have any slack. The Protocraft parts are below and when assembled they operate like the real thing with no springs involved. However, the only means of uncoupling is to use an uncoupler lift bar (seen on the hopper) to lift the locking pin (or a magnet to lift the steel piece I inserted in the top of the locking pin, but I do not have gangways to impede access) . The biggest obstacle would be making the shank wider in order to cut a slot to slip over a coupling hook.

Protocraft coupler parts




This is the coupler in the open position

 

[richard carr]

Sean

I use the 700 series Kadees, there are some with a long shaft that have worked very well on my Mk1 and MK2 stock.

I use the JLTRT ones in the drop position for the first and last coach in a train.

Richard

 

[simond]

Sean

Been there. I found that the lack of springiness in the rubber corridor bellows was an issue on my Toplights. I made cardboard concertina- style bellows and used them instead.

Porth Dinllaen in 0 - Page 12 - 7mm+ modelling

And on to post 292.

Hope this provides a possible solution, or at least food for thought.

Best
Simon

 

[Ian G]

I am using them in the dropped position for my Lima 33/1 conversion.

Ian G

 

[The Penguin Of Doom]

Hi all.

Thanks everyone for your advice. It is greatly received. I think I will give the Kadees a try and see how I get on. The Protocraft look really nice but are probably too advanced for my needs.

It is my intention to use paper bellows gangways at least on my Mk1s (and hopefully my Mk2s), in the intermediate coaches so the rubbing gangway plates should hopefully not be an issue.

I will post how I get on in due course.

Cheers.

Sean.

 

[richard carr]

Sean

Paper bellows look crap, very toy train, having a bigger gap looks miles better if you ask me .

We should probably investigate those ho close couplers

Richard

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Sean/Richard

Keen offer close coupling units in 4mm scale. Whether these can be adapted for O I haven't tried or the alternative is to develop something similar for use on your O scale stock. Their website also shows 'floating' end plates which may provide ideas for gangway connections.

Keen Systems Home

 

[Osgood]

I have some KADEE 743 destined for a rake of MTH Orient Express coaches - I wonder if they might be ok for Heljan Mk1s?

 

[JasonD]

If Kadees have too much slack, put a piece plastic rod inside the draft spring to limit play. Length to suit you, diameter that fits inside the spring (about 3/32", I'm in the kitchen as I try to remember), clean ends on the rod-piece to prevent catching. Idea submitted many years ago by Norton Jensen of this parish, on Kadees' site somewhere.

7xx Kadees are nearer to scale than, but interoperable with 8xx and come, as noted above, in long, medium, short shanks for eg: passenger cars with diaphragms, normal stuff and close clearance (coupler to trucks) bulldog-nose diesels. They also come with high, normal, or low mounted knuckles (normal is on the centre-line of shank viewed from the side) to allow for floor height, clearances, etc.

P&H, EDM over here have stocked them, P&D in the US do good UK mail order.
Jason

 

[richard carr]

Sean/Richard

Keen offer close coupling units in 4mm scale. Whether these can be adapted for O I haven't tried or the alternative is to develop something similar for use on your O scale stock. Their website also shows 'floating' end plates which may provide ideas for gangway connections.

Keen Systems Home

Thanks Dave

That all looks interesting

Richard

 

[The Penguin Of Doom]

Hi all.

Thanks for your replies and apologies in the delay - I have not been back on the site for a time. I have got a couple of Kadee units (743 if I recall), and will report on progress.

The suggestion above re the keen systems gangways is interesting as I have had some experience of their use and they are very good. I think it is worth investigating whether they could be "upsized" from the 4mm version and again, if I get round to it (paper bellows are just a lot less faff.... ☺), I will post progress.

Cheers.

Sean.

 

[The Penguin Of Doom]

Hi all.

Having purchased some Kadee buckeye couplings, I have found them to be just the job.

I'll post a few pictures on my 7mm detailing thread.

Cheers.

Sean.

 

[The Penguin Of Doom]

Hi all.

Having purchased some Kadee buckeye couplings, I have found them to be just the job.

I'll post a few pictures on my 7mm detailing thread.

Cheers.

Sean.

Hmmn.

It aplears that the files are too large to upload. I'll try again at the weekend.

Sorry about that.

Sean.