Problem with couplings on new Hornby BR(Ex LMS) Coaches

Hi all,

I just bought some of the new hornby BR(ex LMS) coaches. Like them, but two problems:-

1) I hate empty coaches, so want to put people in them. How do I get the bogies off to get to the screws underneath?

2) Is there a problem with the couplings? I noted there is about a 4mm height difference between the one on the coach and the one on my hornby

4P (last years model). Consequently, the coaches develop a tendency to get left behind (and sods law it's almost always in the tunnel). In addition, they don't like being pushed in the sidings.

anything I can do with them before I take them back and try to get a different set ?

Ian

Reply to
Ian Cornish
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They just pull off, but its easy to damage them if you just try to pull, insert a small screwdriver from the side as close to the pivot as possible and twist it, they then pop out easily. By the way, the screws under the bogies only hold the couplings. The body is a clip fit to the chassis, the ends of the clips can be seen in square holes in the chassis, three on each side, both ends and the centre, another job for the small screwdriver to lever them free.

Don't know the problem since I never tried them, had the couplings off and replaced by bodymount Kadees before mine got near the layout.

A 4mm height difference is certainly excessive, are all the coaches the same? If so does your 4P match other stock?

The Hornby Staniers did not appear to have any adjustment but once you have the bogies off you can see if the coupling carrier has been disloged, it should be tight up against the floor and retained by two screws ubder the bogie.

Keith

Reply to
Keith

It just seems to be the one end of one coach that has the problem, and a little gentle persuasion seems to have clicked it into place properly. However, there still a consistent "problem" with coupling coming undone when going around curves. I don't seem to have problems with this stock when coupled to a loco with the old style D hook, only with loco's with the newer mini-tension lock couplings. Other stock I have (mainly freight) has a mix of small and large tension locks, and I tend not to have an issue with them, though there is always one troublesome truck :-)

Perhaps an excuse to move to Kadee's, but it's an investment I've not quite understood in terms of how to do it, get the right height, and still the kind of running I do (I don't model prototypes, I model what I like)

Reply to
Ian Cornish

"Ian Cornish" wrote

I've got to admit that this is the daftest coupling arrangement I have ever seen on any piece of rolling stock. Hornby have gone to the trouble to include 'close coupling cams' on these coaches and yet it is impossible to close couple them.

Someone in the Margate design department ought to be severeley censured for the design of these coaches.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

OK, I *may* have fixed my problem... by removing the spring on the coupling that goes to the loco, the reliability has gone to 100%.

Reply to
Ian Cornish

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