link&pin couplers

[GRZ]

  Hi  Im looking for some link& pin couplers, who makes them or are they not made anymore?? I have four beautiful brass pass cars that ive had for years.its time to get them back on track..tks GRZ

[ACY]

Here is a link for them, is it too hard to convert the to Kadee #5 or #148 couplers?
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/ale/ale6002.htm

[richg]

Here is a link for them, is it too hard to convert the to Kadee #5 or #148 couplers?
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/ale/ale6002.htm

I have some HO stuff with those couplers. They are grossly over size for HO. Probably more for S scale. Below is a photo of the Alexander Scale link and pin. The link and pin on the front of the Camel is HO scale from PSC but I use a straight pin to hold the link. They do not make a pin. In HO, the pin is very small.



Below is a link about these couplers. You can divide the specs by 87 for the actual HO scale size for the part. Try handing a pin that small and not lose it somewhere.

http://cprr.org/Museum/Ephemera/Link-Pin_Couplers.html

Below is a comparison of three different Kadee couplers I have. The one in the center is what might be ok.
The 711 is more to scale but does not look quite prototypical to some people.




Rich

[GRZ]

 thank you ACY&RICH for your reply that is very helpfull, I see the article on LINCOLNS CAR< and remembered I had one of them,went digging in the pile,and found it and the 1860 brass Loco I used with it.and the 1860s cars.the LINCOLN car has kadees [would like it to have l&p too like the others.as soon as I figure out how to send pictures on this rig I will put them up. they are neat.thank you again GRZ boy 40 years ago when I put this stuff away we never had connections like this to help us, this is something ..thank you..G

[richg]

The Mann's Creek hopper and log cars come with link & pin couplers but are etched brass and again, they are a compromise. I have a couple of the hopper car kits.

http://www.mrrwarehouse.com/Mrr_LTD.htm

If you can keep track of the pins for the Alexander couplers, just realize the pin would maybe be almost three feet in length when converted to prototype scale. At least, this captures the flavor of the era.
Link & pin where not very big even in prototype scale. PSC use to have coupler pockets for link and pin  but I cannot find them on Walther's at present. The coupler pocket on the Camels is HO scale. The link is a small brass strip from PSC that would have been used in the loco pilot when pushing. I have some photos of locos using a solid link.  I had to use a pin vise and I think a 0.078 drill bit to make the hole in each end of the link.
I have a D&H book by Jim Shaughnessy that shows many link & pin locos and rolling stock in the 1800's. The D&H used solid wood blocks on each side of the loco pilot coupler for pushing. Some photos of link & pin rolling stock show a wood block on each side of the coupler pocket. The D&H had some pretty stiff grades at one time.

Rich

[BillD53A]

There used to be a company named 'Keyport Car and Foundry' or something like that who used to make l&p couplers.  Dont know if they are still around.  Harold Minky used to have an article on making them on his web page. 
My local logging railroad used link & pins (roosters) into the 1940s.

[mabloodhound]

  Harold Minky used to have an article on making them on his web page. 

Harold Minkwitz made his L&Ps for On30 cars, not HO.

[richg]

There used to be a company named 'Keyport Car and Foundry' or something like that who used to make l&p couplers.  Dont know if they are still around.  Harold Minky used to have an article on making them on his web page. 
My local logging railroad used link & pins (roosters) into the 1940s.

Keyport info. No idea if he is still around. No website.



Rich

[richg]

  Harold Minky used to have an article on making them on his web page. 

Harold Minkwitz made his L&Ps for On30 cars, not HO.

And as usual, Harold is gone again. He is switching over to computer generated trains. No more model trains.
I have been watching his link.  Go look.

http://www.55n3.org/

I was fortunate to save many of his pages so they open up in my PC as if they still exists.

Rich

[GRZ]

wow, like I said this here gadgit shure has a wealth of information,[or folks with the info] thank you. last nite on e bay I bid and won enough for 4 cars, just what I needed..speaking of logging rail road, im headed to lincoln N.H. this weekend to fire up the lombard at clarks.its been ten years its been setting..wow where is the time going!!this may be the last time as im well over 70 and leon&dave are not getting any younger.so there will be a bunch of us nuts there, RUSS,BEN.STEVE.BRUCE.KEN.RICHARD.and so on,its the grandest place on earth to spend time with a bunch of real folks....and hernia gauge live steam.this log hauler was saved from doom by ED CLARK and a bunch of his frends,out of the woods of maine, no easy thing to do let me tell you! if you ever get in the aera of NORTH WOODSTOCK or LINCOLN N.H. it would be the best time you could spend. . that aera was logged back in the late 1800s by HENRY, with #5 A BOLDWIN TANK ENGINE THATS AT CLARKS, A SHAY THERE TOO AND TWO OTHER LOGGING LOCO AS WELL ITS JUST A WONDERFULL FLACE TO HIDE FROM THE WORLD when you feel the need..wow rambleing on.. I have a 440 BACHMANN richmond loco,Ive had it 6 weeks . when you ease on the power it seem to growel and take a lot of power to start moveing, it runs fine. I just got another with maine central with sound, and this one takes off with a little turn of the control .and no growel at all GRZ

[GRZ]

  HI, looked at harolds new world, looks he has the same problem we do in that all the cas have the same numbers grz.