Updating old couplings (Hornby) to NEM compatibilty

I've slowly venturing back into the world of railway modelling - how its changed! DCC, NEM etc, etc.
I've acquired various coaches of the period that I want to model but have run into a little coupling issue. Most of the carriages (Hornby) do have NEM coupling pockets - generally in the form of a small tension lock. A couple of the straight sided pullmans (Silver roof Railroad series?) have large tension locks formed/rivetted into the bogie so I think a bogie update will be needed here unless someone has got a brilliant idea! The main issue lies with the two other "super detailed" pullmans - "Cygnus" and "Third Class Car No 35" Cygnus is straight sided whilst Car 35 is "matchboard sided". They look the same (diffenent buffers) and have the same chassis and bogies (numbers match on bogies) BUT one has an (Cygnus) has an NEM pocket with small tension lock whilst the other (Car 35) has a small tension lock held in place with a screw and washer. It seems like my only alternative is to (carefully) shorten the pillar on Car 35 and glue suitable pocket in place to accept an alternative coupling. Anybody any suggestions before I get the baby dremmel out? Picture attached and also a picture of my first section of layout under very early stages of constaruction.

(Click to enlarge)

Hi Ian,

Have you considered changing all the couplings to Kadee ? This isn't hard to do, as Kadee provide NEM pocket compatible couplings (either No.17, 18 or 19) and Kadees with draft boxes (to replace screwed and riveted tension lock), Nos 27, 37 (medium length shank) or No.41 (long shank). The 27, 37 & 41 could be fitted directly to the chassis of the coach with adequate packing.

Kadee ; http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/HO-Scale%20Couplers.htm

Cheers, Gary.

I did some of these coaches for a friend:

http://bmrcm.org/fitting-kadee-couplings-to-non-nem-fitted-hornby-pullmans

With T/L couplings the rake had a tendency to derail.  I suspect that T/L couplings are inherently unstable.

It is quite a lot of work and the wiring for the lights can be tricky.  In order to work on the bogies I cut the wires and re-soldered them later.

I'm no longer a member of the club, but I have heard that the rake behaves itself nowadays.

After I'd done the job, I read that Hornby can supply the parts to retrofit.

John

Great information thanks! What I very cleverly left out was that I was looking to replace the T/L couplings with something like a slip bar coupling as the other stock will readily accept these and, in theory, I won't end up butchering the whole fleet. Keep the suggestions coming please!

I think I know what you mean by "slip bar" but could you show us please?

I've been using a method I got from Tony Wright that uses 0.45mm NS wire and copperclad strip.




This is my BR parcels train with mail coach in the middle.  Kadees are only on the ends.

For the record, from left:  Mk1 GUV, Ex LMS BG, TPO, Mk1 BG and Ex LMS Brake Second.




John

Also known as Roco type? Hornby R2280 i think. Allows auto coupling and I think the coaches run a bit closer together but still needs the NEM socket to fit into.

This one has been cut (not by me) but its the only picture I could find readily!

Numeric dyslexia!! I think that should have been R8220 !

Turned out to be a very simple fix. Razor saw to gently cut off the raised quadrant on the back of the cam pillar then holding the "tails" of the close coupler very carefully drilled through with a drill bit just big enough to create slightly rounded shoulders and then the existing screw and washer were able to hold the coupler in place and its the right height to couple up with the other couplers which are located in NEM pockets.

After a little "butchering" I now have a rake of pullmans which all have a closer coupling fitted. The 2 "silvertops" have had there interiors painted (looks so much better than plain white plastic) curtain sets added, the bogies changed and fitted with metal wheels and the keen close coupling system fitted although I am using Hornbys R8220 coupler as I found the Roco was didn't allow the carriages to couple (too close!). So now they all couple to each other or to my non pullman stock. On to the next job!