PECO Simplex Type couplings in NEM socket?

[Rana Temporia]

I wasn’t sure whether to put this in the continental of general forums but thought this would be most appropriate.

I wanted a large tank engine to go with my Playcraft/Jouef/Liliput/Hornby ACHO French stock and managed to get one of the excellent ROCO 2-8-2 tanks at a reasonable price which has options for several types of coupling but not the PECO type which I’ve standardised on for my continental HO stock. Most of the older Jouef locos are an easy swap over but this looks to be a bit more involved, I think they are NEM pockets as the couplings simply clip in place.

If it’s not an option I might try a vertical pin along the lines of what some N gauge locos use for their similar couplings,

This loco really is superb but has a very odd chassis where the driving wheels are pivoted at the front and act as a central bogie with the rear pony attached to that part of the chassis, presumably to get it round tight HO curves?

[81F]

I understand there is a practical problem in getting a PECO push-in type coupling head in that there would not be enough swing to get the coupling to move side to side. However, it may be easier to convert the Jouef vehicles to something more compatible with your loco.

Just out of interest does your ROCO Locomotives NEM pockets use a dovetail to hold them onto the loco?

[Rana Temporia]

81F, The rear coupling is a dovetail, the front coupling has a clip to hold it in the bogie and doesn’t have the loop that continental type couplings usually have. I have had a proper look at it now and I think I can drill and tap the front one to add an ex-Playcraft coupling to the top and clip it back into the bogie, that looks like it will work properly. The rear coupling is completely different and there is no-way I can get any of the PECO type couplings in, firstly they are too wide and as you say they won’t swing at all.

I have a lot of Jouef, Playcraft and Hornby Acho locos and stock and modifying them all to fit one ROCO loco would be a major and expensive task!

The loco runs superbly and looks fantastic when in motion. Also, being HO it has no problem with first radius curves. Looks like I will have to bodge something for the rear coupling. The alternative is a converter wagon with a continental type coupling at one end and a PECO type at the other!

[81F]

Hi Rana,

A converter wagon or two would probably be an easy option if you can can get hold of a continental type coupling designed to screw onto the models with PECO couplings. I did it with a rake of Jouef CIWL London Paris sleeping cars so I could pull them with a LIMA BR Class 33 (HO version).

[Rana Temporia]

81F, Jouef moved from the Lanal (Tri-ang type) coupling quite early on and all the rolling stock was fitted with a metal version of the simplex coupling. When they went over to the standard continental type theirs was designed to be screw fitted to the same chassis/bogies so is an easy fit to the rolling stock.

As regards Hornby Acho they did the same and some items have screw mounted couplings while others have them riveted on. They generally used a shorter version of the Simplex coupling than Trix and Playcraft and most of my stock has delrin versions which are fine but chunkier than the metal version.

Your Lima class 33 was available with continental and massive Tri-ang type couplings, I have converted one from continental to simplex type quite easily, although it does stick out a bit far. I also did one of the Lima 3Fs but only on the tender as it didn’t have a front coupling. I do have another 33 that was going to become a 26 but it’s way down the priority list at the moment.

I was looking at some Farish OO CIWL coaches a while ago but they were too far gone to restore having been made of cellulose acetate plastic. I know there was a kit for a OO version but I’m sure they would be popular if someone brought out a RTR version, especially for anyone who’s visited the cafe in Bassenthwaite where the ex-film set loco and coaches are.