Tram couplers

[tramcar trev]

Trams that were capable of muti unit running usually had a "Tomlinson" type auto coupler

.... However bachmann trams have "toy" couplers that Mr razor saw or Phillip head removes for me... so Im looking for a simple "bar and socket" type setup.

or something simple thats not going to look tooooooo out of place on my Trams.....
Yes Ross I have googled and come up with a few of the "St Louis" type but generally hard to get hold of in Australia.... I guess as I dont need many I may have to MTMS.....
Suggestions from the floor??

 

[trammayo]

Well the bar and socket type is the easiest to replicate - it depends if you want to run car and trailer or two cars in multiple as to what might be the most authentic.

Link pin was used a lot in Britain for tram recovery. By the way Trev, just how much of the Bachmann tram do you cut away? Apart from the coupling, the front end isn't too strange to my eyes (apart from there are two fenders!).

 

[tramcar trev]

Link pin and jumper cables were used here for MU operations and it was late in the piece that trams came with recovery only type couplers. After a sleepless night I'm thinking that a reasonable replication would be a length of square brass tube (K&S) secured at the original place on the car sticking out with a hole and pin... If I ever actually wanted to couple then a short length of the size smaller sq tube that fits inside with 2 holes would look acepptable and actually just may work. Its difficult to machine something so small with a square or rectangular hole in it of that size, I don't have any drills that will drill sq holes.

I only remove the actual moulded on bumpers and replace with a more realistic one made from brass strip. I have fitted them to the toastrack and now I've aquired the closed bachmann Im going to do likewise.... Im waiting for the arrival of leds for headlights etc to reassemble the project and then will post some pics. But the pic below shows what Im trying to achieve... Oh we loved our toastrack trams.....

 

[trammayo]

The square tube idea is a good one. Spotted the desti boxes you've created - look forward to further pics - nice work!

 

[tramcar trev]

Rectangular tube seemed better, with a bit of bog on the end.... Looking good so far, pics on completion....

 

[Dtsteam]

I saw this thread, and then found these in the bits box. I made them years ago out of a coach bolt, and thought they might be of interest.

 

[tramcar trev]

Very nice!!!! you're a better machinist than I am, I never can get a decent finish on that type of steel it always seems to tear on me....

 

[tramcar trev]

Here is mine.....

 

[trammayo]

Now that super - the livery looks really good