Climax and Hook and Loop Couplers

[kajohnson9]

I recently have been converting all my couplers (a mixture of USA and Aristocraft) to hook and loop so I can be consistent on all my engines and rolling stock. I'm not crazy about hook and loop but I have enough to do all my stock.
But is there a particular method for putting a hook and loop on a Climax? The only way I can think of is to drill out a hook and loop to fit over the connector on the Climax after I take off it's standard coupler.

Any ideas are very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Keith Johnson

 

[Homo Habilis]

You might consider using a "transition" car instead of trying to fit a hook & loop coupler onto the Climax. Place a USA or Aristo coupler on one end for connecting to the Climax and the other end of the car has the hook & loop for connection to your converted cars. Not ideal, but relatively easy and inexpensive.

 

[dunnyrail]

I recently have been converting all my couplers (a mixture of USA and Aristocraft) to hook and loop so I can be consistent on all my engines and rolling stock. I'm not crazy about hook and loop but I have enough to do all my stock.
But is there a particular method for putting a hook and loop on a Climax? The only way I can think of is to drill out a hook and loop to fit over the connector on the Climax after I take off it's standard coupler.

Any ideas are very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Keith Johnson

Not sure about the layout of the Climax but I wonder if a set of these would help. RSA46.

Couplings & Buffers Archives - Brandbright

brandbright.co.uk

I tend to use only loops on Locomotives with all rolling stock having hooks both ends. This resolves and reverce loop issues and generally most LGB items have a double set of hooks. Taking off the hooked couplers and swopping to no hooks on locomotives can give a good jump towards double hooking rolling stock with only a few hooks, springs and spigots generally having to be purchased to complete the change. I also lower the loop by 20-30 thou, this gives less chance of uncoupling.

I know that hook and loops are not that pretty, but the reliability is pretty well hard to beat.

 

[LGeoB]

I agree with Dunnyrail. On my three Climaxes I have just the loop at both ends. Just need to drill a small hole for a self tapper to mount. Not having the hook means you can keep the rail under the coupling that the hook would otherwise snag. Note I have had no decoupling occurrences with this solution.

Geoff

 

[maxi-model]

Might I offer this as a solution. A regular hook and loop coupler, suitably modified should fit quite snugly into the coupler "pocket' provided on the Climaxes dummy multi height fitting. It's about the correct height. Max

In situ.



In profile, showing notch in dummy multi height coupler to avoid need to remove switcher step when fitting assembly.



Individual parts - note mods to std loop coupler to fit into Climax's dummy multi height coupler.



Edit- Drats ! Just realised that in my installation the coupler height would be 5 mm too high for standard hook and loop coupler uee. It would need to be in the lowest pocket position or you would need a translator wagon/car which would negate the whole point of the exercise. Then again a translator wagon might be the easiest solution - I use a modded Aristocraft 20mft gon for this purpose. One end a large offset Kadee to couple to standard Fn3 height. The other end just about anything - lower height knuckle, hook and loop and multi height link and pin. Even a dumb centre buffer to hook up to 16 mm scale stock standards.

 

[maxi-model]

Climax hook and loop, take 2 - If you still have the truck mounted coupler bars, supplied new with the later version of the Climax (do you have this or the first version) then you might consider taking off its knuckle coupler, removes with just a screw. Then mount a hook and loop, with sufficiant shank remaining, using a block sandwiched between stub of Climax's truck coupler mount and the hook and loop end to adjust the height. Use the smaller "filler" dummy multi height coupler pockets you shoul have to fill in the gap above the truck mounted coupler shank. They fit with two screws as does the full height dummy multi height pockets.



Not the full job, you will have to play around with the height and total length from truck. However, it should give you the general idea. And it has the benefit of there being no need to delete any of the other coupler options available.



Once upon a time it was a devil to get a Bachmann loco to mate with Fn3 standard coupling heights. In later products they addressed the issue from an Fn3 startpoint but forgot some of the options for the old "Big Hauler/LGB" driven standards. The alternate lower height offset options on the later Climax can only be used with the body mounted items, not the truck mount option. Max