Fitting narrow tension lock couplings to the L&M 3rd class coaches

[81F]

Firstly I would like to thank What About The Bee for posting the photo of the underside of the coach which showed me that it would be possible before I bought the coaches.

In addition to the coach you will need the following:

• Peco Parkside PA34 Mounting Blocks For NEM Couplings
• Standard NEM pockets
• Narrow tension lock couplings with cranked arms (I used some spare Bachmann ones I had in the bit box)
• A needle file
• Polystyrene cement (I use methyl ethyl keytone aka MEK)

Method:

1. File a slot in the middle of the mounting block on the top which would be closes to the floor of the wagon when glued in place. (see below) This needs to be just deep enough so that mounting block will touch the underside of the coach floor without it rocking on a longitudinal spine that runs the length of the coach:
2. Next fit the pocket and glue to the underside of the coach so that the front face of the pocket is just level or around half a millimeter back from it (see coach on the right below). Note: it took several attempts to get the pockets to stick firmly in place
3. Once the glue has set insert the couplings. Since the pockets sit tight up under the buffer beams I had to use some spare Bachmann couplings with cranked arms (see photo of finished coach below;

Once fitted these coupling tie up reasonably well with the original Triang First class coaches which I had already fitted with the narrow "screw on" tension locks which I used to replace the original wide couplings.

I hope this will be useful to someone.

Regards

Steve

[What About The Bee]

Hello 81F

You are quite welcome. It was my pleasure to post the image. No trouble at all.

Your next dilemma is seating. LMS engineers in the 1930s did not install seating in the 3rd class blue carriages.

Yet Stephenson's approved drawing of this carriage shows bench seating. One bench facing forward, the other backward. Two benches per compartment.

The Ackermann long prints show this carriage as well. Ackermann prints were contemporary to the LMR, depicting things as they were. People could directly compare the images to the objects. Those images show some of the passengers clearly seated, 3 abreast. Consistent with Stephenson.

North Star, LMR8 pulling three of these. 1st generation tender, barrel type. There were 6 carriages in this consist but the other 3 were of a different type of carriage.

This is the precise dilemma Hornby already faced. Do you match the 1930s LMS reproductions (no seating) or the contemporary 1830s images (seating)? Hornby chose to match the reproduction carriages.

Bee

[81F]

Given that the Hornby coaches do not have seating, I think it more likely that the entire train will be more like the 1930s version. Although given that the Lion I have is the 1980 version it is probably more like the train I rode on at the Didcot Railway centre, which is one of the reasons why I made the last minute decisions to by this model even though I have the Thunderbolt set on pre-order.

[What About The Bee]

Hi Steve (aka 81F)

The Titfield Thunderbolt has me tied in knots. I think the smokestack artwork quite fetching. I am sorely tempted to get the item and sell on the box and carriages, keeping the Thunderbolt for myself.

The problem? Just like Lion, that haystack copper dome over the firebox is a buzz kill for me.

I don't know how I will stop myself from purchasing once the shifters reduce the price. But if I miss out, I can console myself that Thunderbolt was just a fantasy livery.

Good job on the coupling install. Very workmanlike and tidy.

Bee