As supplied, the loco came fitted with simple couplers intended to be used with a flat steel bar secured by pins. I continued the same arrangement on the rollingstock I built, but something more prototypical would be nice.
As a trial, I bought a pair of knuckle style "auto" couplers which are available from Tom Bee in the US, via DNC System Technologies in Sydney. They are 1:8th scale and very nicely cast: lost wax castings apparently.
The couplers have plain shanks and a dimple for the suggested mounting hole location, but the details of mounting are left up to the purchaser.
The rear of the loco has the same "duckbill" coupler as other rollingstock supplied by Mini Train Systems using a 10 mm diameter pin. The front of the loco has a different coupler pocket with 3 slots at different heights, the centre one being the correct 125 mm height for 7 1/4" gauge, with a 6.35 mm (1/4") diameter pin.
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| Mini Train Systems "Duckbill" coupler. MTS photo. |
After I did a test with 3D printed couplers to verify the required dimensions, Richard Stuart offered to machine the metal couplers to fit the loco. Many thanks Richard.
Machining a coupler shank on the milling machine.
For both applications, the coupler shank had to be thinned down, shortened and drilled.
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| After machining: Front coupler on the left, rear on the right. |
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| Front coupler installed on the Maxitrak Planet 2 |
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| Coupled up to the driving wagon |
