Playmobil G-Scale Car Couplers

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sandidande

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Does any body have or know where I can get the old style Playmobil train car couplers where the tab on the spring is perpendicular to the spring itself . I'm new and can't figure out how to post a photo...HELP!
 
sandidande said:
I'm new and can't figure out how to post a photo...HELP!
Click to expand...

Press upload a file.

Then go to where ever you have your photos on your computer, select the photo, press enter..... then wait and watch the % scale go up to 100%.

If it crashes and says too big, go back to your photo, press edit, then resize (hopefully you get a box that says 100%, twice, change that to 70%, save, and send again).

Once it comes up in your reply, press show full size.
 
Curious, I've never seen a Playmobil coupler with a spring - all the examples I have (going back quite a few years) are simply counterweighted. I like the counterweight design, and I copied the idea for some small and very light HLW tippers where springs where just too strong.

When was the design changed?
 
ntpntpntp said:
Curious, I've never seen a Playmobil coupler with a spring - all the examples I have (going back quite a few years) are simply counterweighted. I like the counterweight design, and I copied the idea for some small and very light HLW tippers where springs where just too strong.

When was the design changed?
Click to expand...
I may be using the wrong terminology. I'm referring to the frail black plastic snake like flat thingy. Let me post a photo now that I know how.
 

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Gavin Sowry said:
Press upload a file.

Then go to where ever you have your photos on your computer, select the photo, press enter..... then wait and watch the % scale go up to 100%.

If it crashes and says too big, go back to your photo, press edit, then resize (hopefully you get a box that says 100%, twice, change that to 70%, save, and send again).

Once it comes up in your reply, press show full size.
Click to expand...
Thanks Gavin!


here is a photo of what I need!
 

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They are no longer available from Playmobil, but I may have some used ones somewhere that I no longer need.

How many are you wanting?

Alternatively, if you are fitting them to old Playmobil rolling stock, the current coupling hooks can easily be made to fit and are less likely to uncouple over uneven track.

They are part number 6310 and cost $3.99 a pair.

I can't seem to find a contact phone number from the UK, but try here:

http://www.playmobil.us/
 
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Very interesting, not seen ones like that before.
 
I have a few PM Vehicles in my fleet, all have the self returning weight option. Have to say they can be a bit of a pain as they are not self centering. Those oldies if indeed that is what they are would probably be self centering. Wonder why they changed them?
JonD
 
playmofire said:
They are no longer available from Playmobil, but I may have some used ones somewhere that I no longer need.

How many are you wanting?

Alternatively, if you are fitting them to old Playmobil rolling stock, the current coupling hooks can easily be made to fit and are less likely to uncouple over uneven track.

They are part number 6310 and cost $3.99 a pair.

I can't seem to find a contact phone number from the UK, but try here:

http://www.playmobil.us/
Click to expand...
Well, I need four - enough to repair two cars front and back.

But, you also have my curiosity heating up. I have a number of the newer style replacement coupler kits and I can't see any way of adapting those to the current cars. The spring tabs on the old style are attached perpendicular to the "spring" (pointing vertically when installed) and the newer couplers have that tab mounted parallel to the spring or horizontally when installed.

I'd be real interested to see how you adapt those. Can you show me? Here's a picture again of the coupler and my car undercarriage. Thanks!
 

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dunnyrail said:
I have a few PM Vehicles in my fleet, all have the self returning weight option. Have to say they can be a bit of a pain as they are not self centering. Those oldies if indeed that is what they are would probably be self centering. Wonder why they changed them?
JonD
Click to expand...

Jon,

Yes you are right - The new ones do not self centre but they are less prone to breakage. The change was probably made because the moulded on spring in the original type did tend to break very easily. Also once broken they are virtually impossible to repair.

If handled roughly, the new ones will fall off, but will nearly always do so without breaking and can then be clipped back on. If lost they can be replaced easliy too, as Gordon explained.

To accommodate the new style hooks the bogie was re-designed too, without the anchoring point for the spring. For years the new style hooks were sold with a sheet telling you how to modify the old style bogie to take the weighted hooks.

Spare old style PM hooks with springs can sometimes be found or sale on e-bay.de. Playmoking is one of my favourite supliers. Obviously they are now at a premium as I guess serious collectors want them to make early stock items complete.

James
 
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Thanks for posting that. it did come through. But rather than permanently modify my cars to take a coupler hook that will not re-center, I am going to try to locate the correct parts.
 
The original couplings had a plastic spring on them. They were replaced with the coupling with the end weighted.
You can replace the original ones with the new ones. Full details are on my web site. www.walts-playmobil-collection.me.uk
Go to the page hints and tips and scroll down to the bottom and full detail are there.
 
sandidande said:
Thanks for posting that. it did come through. But rather than permanently modify my cars to take a coupler hook that will not re-center, I am going to try to locate the correct parts.
Click to expand...

I have seen a broken Playmobil spring replaced with an LGB plastic spring. Obviously this was not a like for like replacement and it required a hole drilled on the coupling arm to take the projecting lug on the spring and a screw was used to achor the LGB spring to bogie. This was the work of a chum and allowed the coupling arm to centre.

The trouble is that the plastic spring type PM couplings have been out of production for over 20 years. They were discontinued before the switch to RC happened. Today they are in very limited supply and tend to command high prices when anyone has them for sale.

As I have restored many derelect items of PM stock I have sometimes switched over to using the weighted hooks on earlier items for this reason. PM couplers also have the rather natty push button on the top that makes them very easy to use.

I have never had an issue with the lack of centering myself, but I guess if you do a lot of shunting it would probably matter?

James
 
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