Sprat & Winkle couplings

 

I'm going full Old Skool on this wagon. That means Mk1 Sprat & Winkle couplings, the ones I use on all my exhibition layouts. In my mind, they combine reliable operation with discretion. OK, Alex Jackson's are a bit less visible, but they seem to need a lot of tweaking before a show opens, time better IMHO spent acquiring tea, and perusing the second-hand stall. 

Best all all, they are easy to fit, even if you haven't done it for a while. 

Step one, fit the coupling bar. 

I built a height gauge well over 30 years ago. Wheel the wagon up to it. Pop superglue on the buffers, and sit a de-headed dressmaking pin on the gauge. Yes, I know "proper" modellers would make a U-shaped bit of wire to emerge from the buffer beam. I think this restricts the swing of the hook, and anyway, my method is really easy to do, and repair if required, so it wins out for me. 

Step two. Fire up the soldering iron and fit the hook and paddle. 

The original instructions showed a weirdly bent piece of wire holding the etched hook in place. It relied on glueing wires along the floor, without sticking the paddle itself down. Que lots of bad language, and a lack of success. 

This method, which I later learned from his book that Rice used as well, involved bending up a staple, putting it through the holes in the paddle, and shoving the steel through the floor of the wagon with a soldering iron. It takes a few seconds to get moving, but once it does, the paddle is quickly fixed, and by heating the staple, you can adjust the fit. 

I've fitted EM gauge society coupling chain, which I bought in quantity decades ago (do they still sell it?) as it's perfect for the job, and easier than making my own. 

The chain is a bit further out from the bufferbeam than is ideal, but as I say, it's a while since I've done this, and it will still work. 

No surprise, I've written this up before, with different photos.