Jeremy asks:
I very much enjoyed your article in the October BRM regarding the freelanced OO9 engine. I was so taken by the project when you teased it earlier in your blog that I actually ordered a chassis myself. It's currently sitting on my desk, atop a bottle cap (for novelty's sake; it is amazingly tiny) while I decide what to do with it.
While your article is up to your usual standards, I wonder if you could elaborate on the couplings? What make are they, how are they mounted, recommended height, etc. I have some frets of Greenwich couplings laying around which I'll probably utilize, but I'm curious what your approach was.
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I can't see why a swapable body should be a problem. Mines firmly gripped between bits of Plasticard, but again I'm not averse to extra tiny dots of superglue for this job as the joints can easily be broken if required.
I very much enjoyed your article in the October BRM regarding the freelanced OO9 engine. I was so taken by the project when you teased it earlier in your blog that I actually ordered a chassis myself. It's currently sitting on my desk, atop a bottle cap (for novelty's sake; it is amazingly tiny) while I decide what to do with it.
While your article is up to your usual standards, I wonder if you could elaborate on the couplings? What make are they, how are they mounted, recommended height, etc. I have some frets of Greenwich couplings laying around which I'll probably utilize, but I'm curious what your approach was.
No problem. The couplings were a bit of a bodge if I'm honest. In an ideal world, I'd have used Grenwich brass versions, but I couldn't find my fret of them. What I did lay my hands on was a set of Bemo plastic versions. A bit clunky, but better than nothing.
The coupling shanks were shortened and then poked through square holes made in the buffer beams. Height was determined by running a wagon up to the beams and marking the hole. I have node idea what the "correct" height is, but they seem to work OK.
The hole is quite tight but a dot of superglue keeps them in place.
Jeremy responds:
Thank you for your response. I think I'll have to do some experimenting with a temporary footplate. From looking at your construction photos, I thought the couplers might have been modified -- there's not much room between the chassis and the buffer beam.
If I can, I'm hoping to find someway to make the chassis swappable between whichever body is needed or fancied. I'd have to review your article again, but I believe you just boxed it in with styrene as opposed to being permanently fixed. Or if I misread that entirely, that's at least the approach I thought I'd try.
