Tender connections

[Leeberry50]

Hi,

My son has had the flying Scotsman set R1255M for a while, the tender is loose from the engine, it’s tricky to get them connected, and stay connected when on the track, for example if goes on the turntable they disconnect.

He got today for his the Mallard R3371, the tender for this is connected to the engine and is fixed with screws both ends, meaning he can put it on the track himself and it doesn’t disconnect. Is there any way that the Scotsman can be modified easily to be the same as the Mallard?

Thanks

[96RAF]

I presume you mean the old tender post and loco drawbar with springy fingers and clamp set up.

This can be semi converted to the fixed drawbar set up as seen here.

http://www.halton96th.org.uk/article7.html

[Leeberry50]

Hi,

no they don’t look like the connection in the link.

the Scotsman is on the right in this picture

[atom3624]

I'm a bit confused here.

It's a 'Railroad' quality, so no tender pickups.

Does the locomotive have a pin which inserts into the hole in the drawbar - should be easy?

If not, it should have a 'step screw' with a larger diameter 'stepped' part which is smooth at the top, matching that of the screw on the drawbar in the tender.

Perhaps Going Spare can advise how it should be set up?

Fully understand the RAF conversion to permit DCC operation, but between the 2, I much prefer the 'pin and fingers' connection - those 4-pin plugs are far too fragile when separating the 2.

Al.

[Leeberry50]

Yes there is a pin on the underside of the loco which goes through the tender, but it’s really tricky to get it in and put on the track, it also separates when going on any slight incline such as going onto turntable. So wanted to make it like the mallard (left)

[joe_holmes1]

Hi Lee

If you can, why not pop over to one of your local model railway shops and ask the staff there if they can fix it in the manner that you require.

I am sure that they would be only to willing to help-

JoeH

[Going Spare]

Offering definite advice is again severely hampered by both locos still not having Service Sheets to refer to so the question really needs a response from a forum member owning the same set version of Flying Scotsman.

A few comments may assist:

Set R1255M I think post-dates the R3371 Mallard so you might expect both the drawbar arrangements to be the screw-at-each-end type,

I am a little puzzled by the appearance of the drawbar post on Flying Scotsman as I would not have expected it to have what appears to be a slot across the end, which also looks to be quite domed, and I wonder if it is original? Is it the remains of the original screw which has been adapted to create a post or is it the reduced-length remains of the damaged original post - there is evidence of work having been done around the ponytruck wheelset retaining plate,

Can the slotted post be unscrewed? If so, perhaps a longer replacement screw could be substituted. Drawbars are often offered as replacement parts but tend to be supplied either without any screws or with just the tender screw (which may be the same as the one at the loco end). Without a Service Sheet it is impossible to know part numbers.

I would contact Hornby Customer Services for their advice as to what your Flying Scotsman should be equipped with (post or screw) and the pack contents and number for the Mallard drawbar if a conversion can be achieved.

[Leeberry50]

Joe, I would love to have a model shop locally, although would cost me a fortune with my son, but the closest is like 75miles away.

Thanks goingspare, sorry I don’t have the service sheets to hand. The set was purchased brand new and has only been used by us. I will try and unscrew the post and get in touch with customer service. I just thought it was supposed to be like that as that’s how it was new but now have the mallard it’s questionable.

Thanks All

[ColinB]

I see the issue you have, the pin is on the loco rather than the tender, if the Scotsman is the top one. This makes it a bit difficult, I have this issue with my A1 Tornedo, the only way I can think to fix it is to put a small piece of plastic tube at the bottom of the pin, once the drawbar is fitted.

[Leeberry50]

Thanks Colin yes the top is thr Scotsman, that might be a quick fix!

[atom3624]

From the original, it appears the original pin may have been plastic and has broken, to be replaced by a 'headless screw'.

As stated in one of the responses, it perhaps needs to be a little longer, or the drawbar 'adjusting slightly', or a bit of both.

Al.

[Ruffnut Thorston]

My view is that both locomotives in the photo have the same type of chassis.

The drawbars are slightly different.

I would say that another machine screw of the type securing the locomotive end on Mallard could be used, after removing the existing screw from the Scotsman locomotive end.

This would make both tenders semi permanently coupled.

[Leeberry50]

That would be ideal ruffnut as the mallard works perfectly for him. Any ideas on the screw size? Detail?

[Ruffnut Thorston]

Hi Leeberry.

If you were to carefully remove the screw from the loco end of the drawbar of the Mallard, you could check to see if it fits in place of the screw in the Scotsman.

It may be one of these.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324452329061?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338365712&toolid=20006&customid=EB9739956&