Silver Sidelines

My last Post discussed the merits of various proprietary couplings that could be used to close the gap between two B Set Brake Composites. Sometimes the solution is so obvious that it gets overlooked. Close Coupled B Sets, Airfix back, Mainline front A search of the Internet points to an old blog from TimVenton currently with a work bench thread on the Scale Four web site. The picture montage below is from Tim's old Blog and shows two types of semi permanent ‘bar’ couplings that were used on some of the prototype coaches. B Set Inner Bar Couplings, Diagram E129 left, Diagram E147, coaches No W6907W + W6908W right, courtesy of Tim Venton If a simple bar was good enough for coupling the prototype why not for the model? 29 mm x 5mm strip cut from translucent vinyl divider What to use? I settled on some thick plastic / vinyl film that I could cut with a craft knife. Coupling bar cut to shape, 1/8 inch diameter holes at 24mm centres ...

The ex GWR ‘B’ Set Airfix model coaches date from 1975. Almost forty years later and the coaches reappeared as Hornby R4293. The coaches must have proved popular and in the intervening years similar models have been available first from Mainline and later Dapol. Bachmann 9017 on Airfix ‘B’ Set passing Hornby Crimson ‘B’ Set The ‘B’ Set coaches were operated in pairs. As fitted with standard Airfix (or Hornby) couplings the gap between the coaches is hugely too large. Original Airfix/Hornby Couplings Left, Bachmann Mini Long Couplings Right One relatively easy way of closing the gap is to substitute Bachmann Mini Long Couplings (36-026), with the wings cut off. Original Airfix/Hornby Left, Bachmann Mini Long 36-026 minus wings Right The original Airfix/Hornby couplings are a simple push fit. Fitting the Bachmann couplings requires removal of the small keeper plate on the underside of the coupling pocket. I used a tiny screw driver for the purp...