Coupling Comparisons
I've tried a lot of couplings in my search for the ideal, so here is a list of them with some comments, hopefully this will help those who are considering changing their couplings. Panning over Headings with a icon will reveal an image of the coupling, and a link to the manufacturers website (If applicable).
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3 links (+ screw & instanter)
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| They look great, but require a steady hand and patience when coupling and uncoupling.
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Alex Jackson
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| These work beautifully, are practically invisible at most distances, and allow full buffer beam detail. Of course you have to make them yourself, and they can be a little fiddly to set up. Will uncouple but won't couple on tight curves.
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DG / B&B
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| Similar comments as the Spratt & Winkle, you also may need to omit some buffer beam detail in order to fit them.
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Dingham
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| These look quite good and work very well, they are a little fiddly to make. They work as well as Alex Jacksons, but are single ended so you can't turn your stock.
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Kadee / SEM mk2
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| Again these work well, and being identical at both ends of the stock, enable stock to be turned. However they don't look right on most steam era models, especially 4 wheel wagons and vans.Also as most people use these at the H0 scale height, they tend to look like an after thought, and don't fit the models, although this can be improved by fitting them at the correct 4mm scale height, but that requires a lot of modifications to the chassis, and in any case some bufferbeam details need to be omitted. They also require shuffling back and forth to get the delay action to work, and don't couple or uncouple well on tight curves.
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Lincs Auto-Couplings
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| I found these to be excellent, very easy to fit, you can have full buffer beam detail and even have scale 3/screw links fitted as they do not get in the way of the auto coupling. Only downside is they don't have a delay action. No problems coupling or uncoupling on 18" radius curves or above.
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NEM/European standard
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| These are similar to the B&B/DG couplings mentioned above, but are not magnetically operated.
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P4me Auto-Coupling
 | | An article is being prepared on how to make the P4me Auto-Coupling |
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| These are my own coupling, they are based on a combination of the Lincs and Alex Jackson couplings, combining the coupling, uncoupling, and delay action of the Alex Jackson, with the simplicity and reliability of the Lincs. They are practically invisible at most distances, are easy to make, are compatible with Alex Jackson Couplings, and allow full bufferbeam detail; including scale 3/screw/instanter links, as they don't get in the way of the auto-coupling.
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| Peco/Hornby Dublo Simplex
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| The "magni-simplex" version of these is the better of these as they couple and uncouple better than the original version. They work on tight radius curves, but like the tension locks they are difficult to uncouple without an ugly magnet or device between the rails, and are quite obtrusive as they are both highly visible and don't look like any prototype coupling.
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Spratt & Winkle
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| These work well but can be a bit difficult to uncouple at times. I found it best to have a hook at one end and loop at the other, but then you can't turn your stock. Also I find they are quite obtrusive, you can fit a smaller version (use 3mm couplings on 4mm stock) but then you may have problems on tighter radius curves.
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Tension Lock (Hornby/Bachmann type)
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| These couple well, and work on tight curves, and are double ended so you can turn your stock. However they are difficult to uncouple without an ugly ramp between the rails, and are quite obtrusive as they are both highly visible and don't look like any prototype coupling.
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