Merchant navy class couplings

[christopher-832225]

I'm new to this site in terms of posting a question but here goes;

I recently bought a Merchant navy class 4-6-2 United states lines loco but it has no coupling to either the front or rear. Can anyone tell me which part number I need to get hold of please?

[RDS]

Hi Christopher and welcome to the Forum

I am guessing we may need some more information from you in terms of the manufacturer of your Loco and then preferably a picture of each end of the Loco showing the underside.

Someone on here should be able to help you.

[96RAF]

There have been many MN variants so you may have to wade through the service sheets listed here

https://support.hornby.com/hc/en-gb/search?utf8=✓&query=Merchant+navy

You should then be able to determine the part numbers of the couplings required for your particular variant then look for them on the Hornby parts store or New Railway Modellers shop or Peters Spares or similar parts providers.

[Bulleidboy]

The Hornby Merchant Navy Class "United States Line" was only ever available as part of the R1038 Venice Simplon Orient Express set - available with this loco from 2004-2006.

The first picture shows the front bogie - I cannot see how a coupling would attach!

The second picture shows the rear tender coupling.

[Chrissaf]

The couplings in BB's image are Hornby R9289

[Going Spare]

If your loco is of a rebuilt Merchant Navy, it is likely to have been split from set R1038. The loco in this set is covered by Service Sheet 267C (downloadable via the Product Support section of the Support and Advice menu). This shows the coupling type to be NEM, with both the coupling head and pocket required for the front bogie and just the coupling head for the tender locating in to a socket moulded in to the chassis. Unfortunately replacement Hornby NEM couplings are very scarce but Bachmann equivalents in their pack 36-030 will fit .

[96RAF]

That illustration looks wrong GS. No way of attaching the NEM pocket.

I think it is more likely to be like the non-DCC version illustrated here with a screw attached coupling Item 10.

[Bulleidboy]

I have just looked again at the front bogie, on both US Lines (2004) and Nederland Lines (2017/18) - both are DCC Ready and the bogies are identical. When the loco is on a flat surface (track?), there is a small rectangular hole in the front of the bogie that may take a NEM coupling? The front coupling in the Nederland Lines bits and pieces bag contains a NEM coupling on which the two prongs which normally go into the pocket are very thin (top to bottom) and they may go into the hole at the front of the bogie - I have not tried this and I don't fit the front couplings to these loco's.

The instruction sheet with Nederland Line shows the front coupling being the old style one attached with a screw - there is no hole in the bogie in which to insert a screw!

[Going Spare]

BB's images were not visible at the time I posted but they and his comments tend towards a NEM coupling head being required on the bogie, but probably not the pocket, so pack R8219 will suffice. Agreed, the Service Sheet is ambiguous.

[96RAF]

Looking at the bogie in Barry’s picture it is likely the fishtail legs expand to lock into the square hole, with as G.S says the NEM pocket being redundant.

[Bulleidboy]

Hopefully to finalise this question I have taken the front bogie off of my United States Lines.

The fishtail ling on a standard NEM do go through the rectangular hole in the front edge of the bogie.

[ColinB]

On mine I have never bothered with the front coupling, the tender coupling is NEM. If it is like mine they are always falling out. The firm that makes Hunt couplings has started to sell NEM couplings, so fortunately you don't need to bother with Hornby who vary rarely seem to have them in stock.