Close coupling (model railroad)
Model of an ABm 225 from Roco briefly coupled with another express train car model
The close coupling is a connecting element between model railway locomotives and cars. It allows driving in the straight with the smallest possible buffer distance .
In contrast to the usual bracket couplings, the close coupling must create a kink-resistant connection between the two cars. In curves, the buffer spacing is slightly increased by kinematics installed in the carriage, in order to enable problem-free driving through the curve without overbuffering . When they approach each other, the vehicles couple automatically; they can be separated by hand, remote-controlled via the uncoupling track or the uncoupling function on the locomotive.
Executions
- Special forms of claw couplings or yoke couplings with additional lateral limiting noses are used for the nominal sizes H0 and TT .
- Claw couplings are used uniformly in sizes N and Z.
- For vehicle combinations that do not have to be separated (including multiple units, block trains, etc.), rigid couplings are often used in all scales.