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Connecting Wagon to Loco Without a Coupler

This question is from Dave:

“I want to put wagons in front of a Arnold br44 engine or run a second engine together. Any suggestions on how to do this without front couplers, or is there a product out there? Any help would be grateful.”

7 Responses to Connecting Wagon to Loco Without a Coupler

  • Sheldon Clark says:

    Is this N gauge? If so, Dapol make a conversion kit for fitting NEM Coupler pockets to rolling stock, to allow you to fit various kinds of coupler, including the standard Rapido.

    • Sheldon Clark says:

      It may involve a degree of surgery to your front pony truck, and you will need to use an appropriate adhesive, e.g. ABS or polystyrene solvent. I have little faith in cyanoacrylate (superglue), except for its originally designed purpose of closing wounds on the battlefield pending surgery.

  • David Stokes says:

    I am assuming this is in N Scale. Is this a double header issue – if so you will need to do same surgery on the front of your locos. I have done this using Micro couplers from KD.

  • dave mccullen says:

    Thanks for your comments and yes it is N scale I am working with . Living in the country I tend to buy on the internet
    Could you please give me a part number for the dapol please.
    What about taking the truck off a tank engine ie Br96 or something like that?
    Anyway thanks for the comments
    Dave

    • Sheldon Clark says:

      To change the pony truck for one from another loco, you would first of all need very carefully to compare the two for length & overall shape; it may prove much easier than altering the existing truck. Perhaps Arnold’s technical office can give you the necessary guidance.

  • Sheldon Clark says:

    The Dapol conversion kit is Part No, 2A-000-009 and includes a jig, a few magnetic couplings & some shims to help users adjust the height of the subject loco/wagon/coach drawbar to take the coupler boxes & coupler inserts which are also provided to take the actual coupling. The magnetic couplings come in 3 sizes:
    Short Arm 2A-000-011
    Medium Arm 2A-000-008
    Long Arm 2A-000-013
    The medium one and the short one are the ones I use most.
    These coupling boxes & coupling arms are to NEM standards; the coupling boxes are compatible with Dapol NEM-Type Rapido Couplings and Dapol non-magnetic knuckle couplings; the latter are available under part No. “NEMCOUP.”
    Bachmann/Graham Farish NEM-type Rapido Couplings are not a very good fit in these pockets.
    Dapol’s NEM coupler pockets & shims are also available (without the jig) under part No. 2A-000-014.

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