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 Posted - November 20 2014 : 11:42:07 PM
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. . . the continued adventures of "hasn't this screwball anything else to do with his time?" . . .
I'm continuing to be seduced by the old school Mantua stuff and I've recently decided to go for the gold and return to the use of hook and loop couplers (this in part due to someone remarking - forget who - about "prototype" for early steam not including "air hoses" hanging between the cars. Well . . . what the heck . . . if all that effort of finding the right Kadee and how to mount it neatly was in poor taste on my behalf, then . . . so
Getting the cars switched back will be fine; I never changed anything from original. The tenders on the other hand are proving a bit more work. None of the tenders I have came with the original bakelite coupler pockets. The following photos are of my fourth attempt (made it pretty close this time) . . . [Those are 0-90 hex bolts; sawed off to maybe 3/32? Turn 'em easy and don't force 'em . . . I'm going to be getting a tap & die for 0-90 to clear out a hole I busted one off in by being a bit too aggressive.]
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Posted - November 21 2014 : 12:19:35 AM
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quote:this in part due to someone remarking - forget who - about "prototype" for early steam not including "air hoses" hanging between the cars. Well . . . what the heck . . . if all that effort of finding the right Kadee and how to mount it neatly was in poor taste on my behalf, then . . . so
Originally posted by Barry - November 20 2014 : 11:42:07 PM
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What is your layout period, anyhow? I had thought it was around the turn of the last century.
If that's the case, it's noteworthy that by 1905, 2,000,000 cars were outfitted with air brakes (freight and passenger alike). Knuckle couplers were pretty standard by then, too. The Safety Appliance Act of 1893 required automatic couplers by 1900 for all cars used in interstate commerce. The requirement was that it be possible to couple and uncouple with no one between the cars. The final shape of the knuckles was standardized in 1910, with some variety of proprietary shapes around before then.
I think that Kadees would be authentic for any common carrier from the turn of the last century so don't feel crowded into dropping them.
On the other hand, if the point is to take your older equipment back to its original state, this could be a cool project.
Carpe Manana!
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 Posted - November 21 2014 : 12:28:48 AM
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true Besides a Knuckle Couple does look odd on 4-4-0s 
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Posted - November 21 2014 : 9:02:08 PM
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| Thanks for that information Don. Had I known that, I might not have gotten the itch to do what I did/am planning for the rest with the conversion, but I guess I'm thinking of putting things back to "stock" and see what that does to me. Ha! Whatever the heck that means.
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Posted - November 24 2014 : 7:06:43 PM
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Oh good lord Well, if you need any additional loop couplers at any point, hit me up - I have plenty. And you're not the only one - I'm keeping two of these old Mantua cars, a pair of UTLX single-dome tankers, with the MDC automatic white-metal couplers originally installed.
--CRC
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Posted - November 24 2014 : 7:43:54 PM
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| Hey thanks Connor. I've got enough couplers. Big deal will be getting them "adjusted", Ha, ha! But I wouldn't mind coming across one of those old uncoupling ramps just to see what the heck it did.
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Posted - November 24 2014 : 10:16:00 PM
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Barry, I've been looking at the brass face of the coupler pocket that you made. The one photo shows brass, with a paper template glued to it, clamped to a wood block. I assume the wood block was a backing for drilling but I'm less clear on how you cut it. I find it hard to cut small pieces without bending or mangling them. I kind of remember you cutting the crosshead guide yoke for one of your Moguls by clamping the brass and using a jeweler's saw, but I would think that would mean putting the template on a board.
Long question short, how did you cut that delicate little thing?
Carpe Manana!
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Posted - November 25 2014 : 9:23:44 PM
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Don, it's one of those boards they sell you with the jewelers saw. It's got a notch cut out of it, like those things they keep on the floor to pull your boot off. Then there's also a round hole above the notch. So basically you can clamp both sides (the tapered notch lets you adjust how much you need "exposed".
Yeah, I was wondering whether I was going to be able to pull it off or not, but it seemed to work OK. In this case, I cut a bit outside the line and then filed the shape to finish. To do the center, I drilled a hole and then assembled the jewelers saw through the hole. You can turn a pretty tight corner with those tiny blades.
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Posted - November 26 2014 : 12:28:43 AM
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Barry, thanks for the explanation. It looks like there's a lot that could be made by a person who developed some skill with a jeweler's saw. I need to look into getting one and learning how to use it right.
Carpe Manana!
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