Changing Couplings

[81F]

I hope this might be a useful tip.

It was with some annoyance that I discovered that the narrow tension lock couplings fitted to the other makes Lion.

To get round this I have taken a standard NEM pocket (either Hornby or Bachmann from my spares box) and shortened pocket quite drastically at the point where the parallel sides start to taper outwards.

Next I cut the parallel shank on the coupling (Hornby Medium NEM tension lock), leaving just enough for it to locate into the remains of the socket.

I then glued thew coupling into the pocket using superglue.

I also did the same for the coach in the Rapido Titfield Thunderbolt pack.

In addition I am also using the same technique to shortening the excessively over-scale gap between Rapedo's 16XX pannier and whatever it couples up to, although these do not need shortening quite so much.

[What About The Bee]

Hello 81F

Is it true that that Rapido version of Lion, aka Titfield Thunderbolt, has the adapter to Hornby's fine scale chain coupling?

I was in your regime of coupling changes with the older Hornby Triang LMR rolling stock and with the Accurascale Chaldrons.

Bee

[81F]

Hi Bee,

According to the Rapido instruction manual for the Lions and Thunderbolt "...Also on the tender is a hook that's designed to be compatible with Liverpool and Manchester Railway Coaches produced by another manufacturer...". However to use it Rapido's tension lock needs to be removed.

This Hook looks the same as the Hooks on my Hornby L&M 3rd class coaches but there doesn't appear to be any chain.

On the front of the loco there is a fine representative of the real coupling and no NEM pocket or dovetail.

Hope this is helpful

[What About The Bee]

Thank you 81F, for the first hand confirmation. Appreciated!

Bee