Bachmann 03 couplings

It's been awhile since i posted anything.

This generally means i have been busy and have had my teeth into some project or other.

Well, i have.

After a very good weekend at Brockenhurst Exhibition, there is only really one thing with the operation of Parkstone that i am not to happy about, and that is couplings. That age old problem that has plagued many an otherwise cracking layout.

The thought of changing every coupling to some other system has put me off.

What to do, what system? do i really need to to ?

YES

i do.

The plunge has been taken to change everything to "Sprat and winkles" and electromagnets 

I was trying to get away with one hook at one end of each wagon but as Parkstone is really a shunting layout this creates a problem. Most loco's on Parkstone are of the RTR type, and as we all know, fitting S&W to RTR loco's is not easy if at all possible.

Picking the Bachmann 03 out of its box, can it be done ?

As this is one of the main shunting loco's on the layout i thought it would be a good one to start with.

Extremely fiddly but it can be done. Now i know how to do this, some of the others shouldn't be to bad to do.

The peckett could be an issue, "eek"

Bachmann 03

 The Bachmann 03 with the coupling fitted. If you are going to have a go at this yourselves you need to be aware that the buffer beam is cast alloy.

Bachmann 03 Sprat & Winkle couplings

 The photo below will show how i did it, as they say a photo paints a thousand words. As a brief description, i drill Two holes up into the buffer beam for the hinge of the coupling, the balance plate was cut off as the chassis is in the way, a wire loop was soldered on BUT don't solder the hinge part. I resoldered the balance plate to the wire loop, because the plate is now shorter i had to solder a piece of brass tube filled with solder to the back end of the plate to add weight.

I will add a piece of plasticard to fill in the buffer beam. It may look better than before.   

Bachmann 03 underside

   A quick paint and job done.

Next one to see if it can be done is a Class 33! we will see.