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I first started experimentally coupling N gauge rolling stock using home made hooks & fine chain to give a more prototypical look to some of my goods stock without chunky `standard' couplings filling the gaps between & below the wagons. I used 9 carat gold chain as it was the finest I could find, This cost approximately 40 pence per wagon and worked well, but I had to use 5 links instead of the prototypical 3 links to get the trains round the nasty `7 & 1/2' inch radius curves on my original Stoneybridge layout. This made the wagons sit 0.8mm further apart than they should be when being hauled but didn't look too bad. by fixing a piece of wire between the buffers (across the end of the wagon) they can also be propelled (pushed) round corners, without this modification the buffers of adjacent wagons lock behind one another and derail the train on curves.
Img 02:
Img 01: and Img 02: Peco 7 plank open and 15 ft brakevan fitted with home made hook and chain couplings during initial development stages.
Img 04:
Img 03: Two of my locos fitted with chains for vehicle testing.
Img 04: Steel mineral wagon fitted with home made coupling hook and brass buffers made from small cut down panel pins.
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Img 05: View of wagon undersides with two different styles of home made coupling hooks fitted, the S shaped one on the left is a bit bigger but ensures a firm hold onto the wagon underside, The straight type on the Right hand wagon are more compact but can be more easily broken off. The brass buffers are made from tiny brass panel pins with the points cut down to length, these are then glued onto the wagon underside fitting into filed slots in the bufferbeam.
Img 06: Two Farish locos, Two Peco line wagon kits and a Peco brake van fitted with hooks & chains. The leftmost wagon and the brake van are waiting to have the chains painted.
Some of the models shown here were later fitted with `2mm scale etched brass coupling hooks'.
Update Dec 2002:
I have built two rakes of chain coupled goods wagons, one mixed rake of opens + brake and one rake of 18 open wagons with loco and brakevan. Both these rakes of wagons have been sold after people made me offers I couldn't refuse, so I now have two locos left with hook & chain couplings and nothing to haul with them, So I'd better build some more. First I'll need a dozen wooden solebar 7 plank opens. :-)
