LEGO Train Coupling Ideas - Magnet Alternatives
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- čas přidán 5. 12. 2020
- Someone asked me the other day: 'Are there any alternatives to using train magnets?'
This is my response, nine alternative solutions! Some are fun, some work well, and some are probably a bit too silly. Hope this helps out anyone who like me, are struggling to afford those older magnet pieces which continue to sore in price!
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Enjoy!
Note: These videos are intended for a general audience and are targeted towards a wide range of model enthusiasts. - Zábava
I’ve seen one technique which involves a small hook with a chain cut in half, the cut chain piece’s stud end goes behind the hook, and it’s extremely accurate to British chain links.
Sounds awesome! Thanks for sharing!
With that chain you are going to have some real world physics involved when you stop.
It might be hard to apply the dynamic breaking to a lego train as it doesn’t have breaks. Although that could prove to be an interesting project.
@@tatemantis9293 you would have to have a power car in the back in the break van to slow down before the locomotive
He’s talking about Slack Action, a phenomenon explained by hook-and-chain couplings, like in the UK. Essentially, the slack of the chains connecting cars together becomes a bit problematic when starting and stopping. The furthest car away from the engine experiences the worst, as it’s the combined slack of all the cars coming together at the end.
@@MilkDrinker218 also the end car experience's the fastest acceleration. Used to throw the guards around in the brake van
@@geoffgunn9673 I remember my physics teacher talking about how it’s the most fun sitting at the back end of a rollercoaster for a similar reason
There is a company called studly trains that make there own magnet couplers.
Awesome shout out, thanks for the tip: www.brickmania.com/studly-trains/
Thanks for telling me now I can blow up my dads credit card bills
I subbed, nice pfp
@@douglasthe103 lol
WOW, thank you so much
option 6 be like : "im moving up and down,side to side like a roller coaster!"
Lol too funny!
@@Britishbricks if you watch formula 1 you will get the reference
Danish*beep*Sabir Lando Norris is related to Chuck Norris
@@Admm744 y e s
@MrFox 6000 yesssss
2:16 Option #7 the chain link using that would bring back the good old days of steam powered trains instead of having all these newer diesel locomotives
Who is the heartless jerk who invented diesel
@@howzzat56 no hate to the man who made diesel but heres his name Rudolf Diesel
I love your engine MOCs! They are very realistic and accurate!
Thank you so much 😀
@@Britishbricks Your videos are great
The chain one is a reeally good one, it can move easily and freely in any direction it needs
The chain one could have buffers sprung from those technic 2x1 soft pieces with axel Holes in then
Now that sounds interesting!
do you have a part number or something for this? im trying to conceptualize this but i cant quite think of the piece you're talking about
@@TWRProductions4 731c06 or 731c08
I use chains for my wagons, they allow for realistic pick-up motion when starting and bump into each other when changing speed. I haven't built any coaches yet but I think I'll use technic bars because big coaches have tight couplings and hoses to prevent bumping like trucks.
Makes sense, thanks!
Ball joint is definitely my favorite.
Nice choice!
Yes. I once had thought about Ball-and socket-joint connection.
I was literally thinking about this this morning
I really want to get into Lego trains but the specific pieces Lego’s always used are so hard to find
Thanks for these ideas!
The magnets don't always hold together well anyways sometimes though these methods prevent disconnection. Great work!
turn tables is genius man i appreciate that
Glad you think so!
THANK YOU!! I think the chain link is my favourite
Me too! Although, it would work better with sprung buffers...
While these certainly work, I’m in love with the new Kadee Couplers from BMR!
I've heard there really good!
For those of us who have moved off of such a primative(joking before y'all take offense) system of links-pin & horn-hook, you can find conversions & adapters to model train couplers. Dunno how NEM Or hook-loop couplers, but Kadee is your go to. The closest size will be 1:48, or O scale.
Will have to check that out, might be worth a look! Cheers for the tip :D
Meanwhile in the US we invented coupler pockets for Kadee couplers
Brick Model Railroader has done a fantastic job with those!
A combination of hook and chain link looks good, and looks even more real. The ball joint is good as well. Wouldn't fancy the turntables though, as it looks hard to disconnect and reconnect again. But still better than the magnets, as magnets, over time, the attraction wears off.
The chain link option was definitely my favorite
Good choice!
Same here
Thanks mate, these couplings helped me out so much, looking forward to the next video.
Glad it helped!
Me to, also, have you nearly finished your A4 Pacific
The turntable one would be perfect for an coach model
It would just need some modifications
How lovely! It's very helpful!
Glad to hear!
I hope Fx Bricks bring back these 9V style magnet couplings and buffers.
I'm a returning lego lover/AFOL and this was bugging me, just the video to answer the question in my head!
I had the yellow passenger train a few years ago I found it a few days ago but the magnets were not strong enough to keep the train together so this video helped a lot
(Also I just used a 1x2 tile with the newer bogie and it works well)
When I was a lad and we had more sets of buffers than magnets, we used a Technic 1x5 rotor (p/n 2711) as a bar coupling.
A classic move!
Congrats on hitting 1200 subs you are growing very fast
Faster than I can count! Thanks for being apart of it :)
@@Britishbricks np and I love your trains they are very good
These are some very nice ideas! I might use one of these sometime!
Go for it!
i made one with hooks,
thanks for your ideas ❤❤❤❤ 0:37
I like the couplers the hidden side train has
These are nice and very creative
Thank you! 😊
Hello from Australia, thank you for sharing. I just subscribed
A fellow Aussie, cheers for subscribing!
Awesome dude really helpful
Glad to hear it!
I like how you show me the couplings are made the crowbar one was cool
Thanks Oliver!
at one point i used the harry potter 2018 hogwarts express coupling alternitive
I think the chain is the best
I think these will help when I try to do narrow Guage engines and not giving them big buffers. Probably won't be powered but not a problem the old small train wheels with one of these coupling methods will help out. The reason why the power isn't a problem is because I don't think there would be a power box small enough for narrow gauge style engines and I don't think they can power the small train wheels
Good Job never thought of some of these. If you could somehow clip a crowbar to the front buffers of a train and make it flush it would look good, and realistic.
You can! I'd mount it into a 1x5 technic plate (with the technic axle hole in the middle). Then you can add the red tiles over the top of the 1x5 plate, and have the crow bar (which comes in black) sticking out the front!
you can prevent derailing of the chain coupling by adding buffers thats how it works in real life at european railways
Very true, thanks for pointing out!
yea but in america its the same way just with big ol desiel locomotives
@@Wreckedftfoxy in america they use couplers so magnetic would be the most accurate
@@kajfix918 so it works right? now shut up
@@kajfix918 they also at one point used link and pin couplers here in the US (look up any civil war era American steam engine and they have the link and pin)
I might see about designing a janey (american knuckle) coupler in LDD
thank god your a lifesaver! I barely have any magnetic coupling
No worries mate!
Oh so kind of you thanks dude keep it up 👌👍😊😊😀😀
My pleasure, thanks!
The chain would be a good idea for a set narrow gauge set with a single buffer in the middle.
Could use the technic shock absorbers as buffers if u wanted go standard gauge
There are really great ideas here that I will try out later. Good work. 👍👏
amazing video
Thanks mate! :)
Thx for making
Any time!
nice options
I made my own coupling idea and it's really simple and can stay on
Love the video! do you have a particular alternative coupling technique that is a favourite?
I like the hook and crowbar, but it can be tricky in reverse. Thanks!
Brick Model Railroader has their own American style knuckle couplers for sale
There super nice! I will have to get some to review at some stage.
@@Britishbricks maybe you could make some US locos or box cars, idk im from britain
Chain is my favourite, more realistic
You combined my two favorite things hornby and lego
My personal favourite method is part 3170
I think the chain couplers can work if they also have a bar to stop them from bumping to each other or straining each other that can probably be passed off as a brake pipe
Sounds like a good idea!
Thanks I need this
I love these alternative coupling ideas they’re good and have nice detail. I have a question, I want to build a 8 stud wide Lego flying Scotsman moc but I’m not sure what would be the best size for the drive wheels? I’m stuck between Xl drive wheels or XXl drive wheels.
I just did an A4 with XXL and I'm pretty happy with the size of wheel (the A3's have the same wheel size as the A4's). If I were to build it I'd go S for the leading wheels, XXL for drivers, MS for the rear pony truck and M for the tender. Best of luck!
I use the 2 by 3 modified plates and the 3l Technic beams. They are common pieces and i think cheap as well.
Very cost effective method - I love it!
Cool I’m gonna try and get back into the lego train hobby and possibly get one for Christmas I’m American so I’m looking for deals in the maersk train since it’s looks like a gp38-2 but these are some pretty cool concepts for when I start building more custom stuff
Glad to hear your going back into LEGO! You can find a second hand Maersk fairly reasonable on either Ebay or Bricklink.
@@Britishbricks yep
I like it.👍
Glad you like it!
At this VERY MOMENT I’m using my own custom solution wandering about alternative ways
Sounds interesting!
Thank you.....👬 Greetings from Portugal!! I Have Subscribe 👍
Greetings from Australia! Thanks for the sub!
@@Britishbricks
Thank you.....👬 Greetings from Portugal!!
good idea for lego users
The chain has to be one of The more realistic coupling methods(for british trains anyways)
I was thinking about the chain coupling method and how to remedy the "reversing" issue. I think a possible way to fix this is to merge both the chain and magnet coupling methods together. So the trucks are coupled together by the chain, but the plate that would hold the magnet is still there and jutting out a bit. This way, when the trucks are pushed together, the rounded magnet plates touch first instead of the buffers. This would reduce the likelihood of the buffers binding and derailing. It may not work on R40 curves, but could be worth a shot.
Hmm sounds interesting, I think you should definitely give it a go!
While I don't got any coupling Ideas for you, I do have an idea for a small engine you can do. Try to make a double farley. If not could we a custom mining sort of engine
Hmm I'll think about it!
Omg you are almost at 2k subs
Almost!
Cool
Cheers!
I think the crowbar coupling makes good derails like for example a loco with rolling stock with that coupling falls off a bridge and the cars disconnect like wow imagine
Could make for a fun video!
Some interesting ideas, none with the ease of coupling/uncoupling of the normal LEGO ones though. Though for freight stuff I don't mind having buffers, so I can probably swap them for the newer ones and have enough of the old style couplers to build several more passenger trains.
Sounds like a good idea! I'd recommend using Brick Model Railroader couplers - if your looking for an easy, and realistic solution!
@@Britishbricks Not really in my budget right now I am afraid. Someday..,
Omg you have gotten like 300 subs dis week
It's going crazy!
thumps up. just for the music.
I used a rod joint for the tender coupling of the Emerald Knight, buffers don't make sense for a locomotive-tender connection.
I remember doing the same when I had the set! Good move!
Brick model railroader is working on a series of pieces that can take O-gauge dummy couplers.
I'm aware, would definitely recommend them!
*the hook!*
Number seven is really smart for trains like old western.
Agreed!
@Eskel Dominik Welian no I mean the chain
@Eskel Dominik Welian oh thank you, nice to know
What baffles me is why you don’t continue to use standard couplings, but put neodymium magnets in between each one so the connection is super strong
If you're talking about the newer style of coupling, I don't use those pieces because the magnet can't swivel. Which I prefer to use, especially if the track is raised.
I know people who use those neodymium magnets or something similar, and they seem to work really well. I could use them but don't really need to, as my trains aren't that heavy and use ball-bearing wheels.
I think the chain link is best way to couple up wagons
I'm moving up and down, side to side, like a roller coaster
Hope you didn't each much beforehand...
You can combine hook and chain
Chain link is probably the best one tbh
Seems to be!
Lego should design their own version of a knuckle coupler like all of the other pieces & have the tip of the knuckle coupler have a magnet in it so it’ll work with the old stuff.
1:05 is similar way of track master
Not sure what that is, but thanks for sharing!
I think you can make working chain link coupling with chains and pirate hook hands
i watched so many japanese train connecting videos, and i tested it with magnets but it didnt work, so maybe i should try these methods
God this is convenient. I rebuilt 7939 but the magnets but the magnets were really weak. I could accelerate the train and the magnets would separate. Thanks for this video! Also does anyone know a good program I can use or a good website to get any pieces I would like?
The chain link is best for a tender
I use a 1x1 technic with stud on top then i use a 1x6 axle hole brick and two round plates and and on technic hole part then one chain
Good idea!
I tried to post this comment during one of your british steam engine videos, but the comments were turned off. I wanted to suggest a few new engines I think you should consider challenging yourself with. First the Rocket, one of the first steam engines ever built. Second, the American steam engine the Jupiter, one of the American Standard type engines. And finally one of the two largest steam engines ever built, the United States's Union Pacific Big Boy.
Can you do pistons rods next? I'm having a hard time with building a train because of them
Sounds like a plan!
Strangely nobody has mentioned liftarms but maybe that's more obvious?
I would like to use ball joints for lego EMU trains
I used the second way
Awesome!
And here I am with my trains so custom I dont even use the right wheels and ball joints
Do you have any ideas on how to make British railway misc like signals, signalboxes, platforms, or anything else? Try making a tutorial. I wish you luck on future projects and hope to see them soon. Follow your dreams and have a good day. Cheerio
I will do a video in the future, thanks :)
Just wanna help. If you turn the wheels by 45-90 degrees on the other side of the tarin, and the put the main rod on it after, the train won't wubble that much.
This is a personal experience. The reason why I didn't cimmented in an older video is because I was worried if he ein't read my comment.
I know what your talking about, and I have done that! Thanks for the help!
look up brick model railroader, they have some realistic knuckle couplers that are compatible to Lego trains.
I've seen them, very cool product!
@@Britishbricks maybe you should show them in your next video.
i would use a combination of the chain and hook personally
A lot of people have suggested it, good luck!
any idea how to connect 2 60271 trams together?thanks