DalaGStanator's Customs, Mods and Experiments

I might be one of the only people to think there's a (ludicrously superficial) resemblance between clothespins and knuckle couplers, or a possibility they could be modified to function in a similar way. Ever since I built No. 226 (which I've taken apart in hopes of rebuilding), I've been thinking of ways to give US/Canadian designs a more appropriate system than hook and loop, magnets, snap fasteners or even ball joints (the latter being how certain Chuggington toys depict them).



As I thought, one half of each clothespin can lock into the other where the holes are, giving a similar appearance to couplers including the offset. They even take force to separate without opening both at the same time. I brought two of them indoors and conjured basic flatbeds to check their performance on track. Having the posts go through the spring holes ensured they could swivel a bit. Even so, they were still too rigid and the flatbeds inevitably derailed (though a few tries were more successful). There's also the disadvantage of having to access the handles on both to uncouple them. While I did figure out how real knuckle couplers operate, my current techniques wouldn't work for making them in small scales. That, and they'd also have to be identical and made in large quantities. Luckily, there are DIY videos showing multiple ways to make them, mainly due to India using a variant called the Centre Buffer Coupling (CBC). One version I've considered trying to adopt is this H0 scale one by Mr. Mini Gadget. It doesn't have the actual knuckle or the locking pins, so it should be a bit like a sideways version of my paper clip hooks. Also thought about making templates of the main components and printing them, arranged like the "exploded" view/s of this 3D printed design by Raby. I've seen bulk bags of miniature wooden clothespins at multiple shops, and they're even available in silver. Had this method been practical, I would've bought and/or modified them for use on rolling stock.