New (second hand) Stock, and Peco GR-101 Couplings - December 2018

Secondhand Stock - December 2018

Three refurbished SHLR vehicles.

Whilst the track, locomotives and one or two other items are new, many elements of the Shortwaite Hill layout are second hand, old kits or odd items from the "bits box".  And, after many years of collecting 009 items, and then selling them, I have gone back to basics in many ways too, and this has been enjoyable.  

I recently bought some second hand stock from a club/society event to refurbish, but I can't find where I've put them.  I have conducted many searches of my cupboards, boxes and all around the house and sheds, but no luck.  So, I have refurbished two green second hand Dundas 4-wheeled coaches that a club member kindly sold sold me.  These were stripped using a 50/50 Dettol & water mix and it worked well, with just a few stubborn bits of paint in the corners here and there.  They were then re-wheeled and had new couplings added, with brass door handles, gas pipe, new roofs, drain strips and lamp tops, part new seats, passengers, glazed, re-painted and lettered.  They became No's 9 and 10. 

    Coach numbers 9 and 10.

I the absence of the missing S/H stock which contained a brake van of unknown origin, I searched the bits box again to see if I could build one from other parts I had.  The result is pictured below.

Another re-built item, guards/brake No.21

Despite it's unusual appearance and end doors I like it, and it has cost me nothing apart from the paint, some brass wire and the lettering.  The body is from a old Dundas DM48 Festiniog Brake Van and the chassis is from an old Egger-Bahn tender.  I have retained the original couplings.

Couplings

For me, 009 couplings have always been my nemesis.  I survived using Bemo/Egger couplings for many years.  From the outset on this project I decided that I would only use one coupling loop per vehicle except brake vans and the odd wagon for match trucks.  But, what couplings to use?  I don't get on with the Greenwich type, nor can I make them properly, I find the Bemo and the newer Peco GR-102 Couplings too large and bulky.

So I decided to go "retro" and use modified GR-101 couplings.  These have been around for donkeys years and are not very reliable in their original state using two loops per vehicle, and they require a bit of work to make them better.  And, it has to be said, more extensive testing still has to be carried out.

As purchased: the GR-101 coupling made up and in their component parts.  

(You can see how the wire loop ends do not line-up)

To use these, once the two halves have been glued together I thin the buffer head vertically and file to a curve.  With a small triangular file, I file a slight slope the back of the hook.  I then coat the buffer head with Plastic Weld or similar to smooth the surface.  I drill out the coupling loop holes with a 0.5 drill to make sure they are clear.  The bends on the wire loops are not always properly formed and it essential to get the two ends to line-up exactly, otherwise the loops will rest at strange angles instead of sitting on the coupling hook.  Once a little correction is made to these it is easy to spring them onto the coupling and then glue the complete unit on to the vehicle using Plastic Weld, super glue or two-part epoxy and a coupling height gauge.  To me they look no worse than other makes of coupling.

Couplings fitted.

As yet for this project, I have to devise a reliable uncoupling device. 

I will report back as to the reliability of the couplings as time goes on.