There's something about the look of link & pin couplers that fits little trains.

I have used the knuckle couplers supplied with On30 equipment, but they just never looked right on the smaller trains.  I decided to try actually running trains using real couplings made by pins and links and drawbars.  I have been ridiculed, and no doubt caused many a modeler to shake his head in disbelief.  But this solution works for me, and has enhanced my enjoyment of the hobby.

I will say nothing negative about other modelers' choices, or that this is 'better' than using traditional couplers.  To each their own.  I make this work because I am willing to make the necessary sacrifices, and because I have a unique set of conditions that lend themselves to using link & pin couplers.

Before trying this yourself, consider:

• I tend to run trains in blocks, as my prototype did.  The ore trains stay connected and simply run back and forth between mine and smelter, reducing the need to coupler cars frequently.  Some kind of compromise here will make it easier to use link & pin yourself.

• You need to be able to reach the trains, and have good light to see with, or provide a small flashlight if operating at night.  Some layout designs are better suited for this than others.

• You need a steady hand and relatively good eyesight, or use a magnifier or optivisor.

• Even steady hands fumble, so some days are better than others!

• This works well for a small layout with small equipment run in short trains.

• Patience, and an appreciation for really 'pulling the pin' when uncoupling a car, are needed.  Again, this is not for everybody!

How I Did It

Through much trial and error, I found products that work reliably and have given me good results.  Other providers have great products as well, and there are perfectly valid reasons for choosing them.  I have tried most of them.  The following descriptions are my shameless plugs for the products I like!

Here is what started it all - the FMW-4005 link & pin drawheads from Foothill Model Works.  These are beautifully made drop-in replacements for standard knuckle couplers such as Easy-Mate and Kadee.  Also included are pins and links, but more on that later.  The drawheads make it possible to retrofit most cars very easily to link & pin.

 Next, a way to connect locomotives to the cars!  I worked in collaboration with Bill Hay of Sonora Scale Models to create these locomotive drawbars and drawheads for O scale.  In the foreground is the LP-01 drawbar set.  These drawbars can be installed in place of the standard EZ-Mate coupler in most Bachmann locomotives, but some fiddling may be required.

Towards the back of the photo is the LP-02 Link & Pin Receiver Set, which provides the parts for a pair of prototypical drawheads:

Next, the links & pins!  The Foothill Model Works plastic parts work fine for display models, but not for continued use (at least not with clumsy fingers like mine).  I found the following to work for me:

These links are from a necklace I found in the costume jewelry section of Target, Look for an Xhilaration 36" necklace, SKU 4 92150 01085 3, $14.99. It has a simulated padlock and old key on the chain. One of the three strands of chain includes short and long links, the long links are what you want:

Here is the necklace, which has been out of stock for quite a while.  However, you might be able to find a similar chain link to substitute.

Here is a comparison on the Grandt Line link (left), my metal link (center), and the Foothill Model Works link (right).  The metal links are a little longer than the FMW, but have a nice cross section and an anodized brown finish...almost perfect! These links have no joints in them to cause trouble later on, unlike links found on cheaper chains. They do require a little squeeze to narrow the link a bit, which I found easiest to do with the links still on the chain.

No doubt there is some chain source out there that is an even better match...so if you come across it, please let us know! The chain I found doesn't yield many links for the price, only about 130 per necklace.  Hopefully, a manufacturer will step up to provide scale metal links for the link & pin modeling community!

For pins, Model Shipways MS0412 brass belaying pins - used by ship modelers - work perfectly.  I blacken them and keep them in a small tin for handy access.

Small boxes in the tin keep the links and pins sorted and ready for use.  I use a pair of tweezers to insert and remove the pins, and a second pair for inserting links when necessary.

Tips for Installing Link and Pin Couplers

• For small cars, I cut the pivot off the back of the shank and mount the coupler fixed to the frame.  My small cars are low and I am not a stickler for details where they are unseen, so I just place small wood sections each side of the shank to simulate draft gear.

• For end sill mounting, cut the drawhead from the shank and cement it to a piece of styrene, with nut-bolt-washer details added.

• Because I push my short trains as much as pull them, I generally fix the couplers so they are rigid to the frame.  This makes pushing performance more reliable. If allowed to pivot, drawheads will bunch to one side or the other when in slack, which can cause derailments.

• Drawheads that can pivot do allow longer cars to be run.  Experiment with a few cars first.

• Coupler height is not as critical as with knuckle couplers, but still demands attention to keep things aligned fairly well.

• If you want to swap your link & pin couplers for knuckles again some day, it is easy to do in most cases.

For small steam locomotives, I use a drawhead on the front pilot with a simple drawbar of appropriate length, and a drawbar on the rear.  For Bachmann Porters, I use the Grandt Line rear drawbar available in their Porter detail sets.

Tips for Operating

• It is helpful to use tweezers to handle the small links and pins.

• I keep the links and pins in an old Altoids tin, in small boxes to keep them sorted.

• Spot cars for uncoupling where you can reach them.  I usually just leave the pin on the layout next to the end of the car.

• I keep a few pins and links handy at each end of my small yard, to avoid having to constantly get more during operating sessions.

• My railroad is unique as the locomotives don't turn - there are no turntables or reversing loops, so everything is always oriented in the same direction.  I use this to my advantage by storing cars upright with a link and pin in the same end of every car.  Every locomotive has links and pins or drawbars installed front and rear at all times.

• If you need to remove a car, simply pull the pins.  Keep the car upright, or the pins and links will fall to the carpet.  I discover missing links more often than any archeologist!

• For best results, figure out your best way to handle the parts without losing them or getting frustrated.  You may want to brush up on your vocabulary of expletives, you may find them handy in exploring the wonderful world of link & pin couplers!

• BE CAREFUL operating your trains!  While knuckle couplers will allow cars to disconnect in a derailment, they will most definitely stay together - possibly to a bitter end - if a train goes off the rails.

• I have only begun to learn about this fun aspect of our hobby, and welcome suggestions and advice from all who care to give it.  Let me know what you think, or what works for you!  I will be glad to respond to questions.

Operating with Link & Pin Couplers

I have been experimenting with using functional link and pin couplers to couple trains on my little copper mining railroad for several years.  This tutorial covers my rationale, lessons learned, and tips for anyone else crazy enough to try this.

This is definitely not for everybody!  But if you really, really like the look and 'feel' of link and pin, read on!

This site is under construction, so watch your step!

 Questions?  Comments?  Complaints?  Get off your donkey and e-mail me at vgniner@cox.net

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