Need Advice: Couplers for Track Inspection Cars

[fotoflojoe]

Mount a piece of 2-3" or better scrap wire, the lighter the better, on the rolling stock of your choice using blue tack or some sticky, non-permanent glue.  Let it stick up in the air.  Any irregularities on the rolling, dipping, dropping, etc will be visibly amplified in the action at the end of that wire.  I discovered that by accident but it really works checking out track work.   Easier yet, put another wire on an adjacent car or two and as they get friendly, waving at each other, you will quickly pinpoint trouble areas.

That's a brilliant idea, and one I'll be trying out immediately!

-Joe

[SandyEggoJake]

Yes, there were quite a few.  But the link I posted wasn't the initial one I found - PRR 495601 is little more than a flat car with an outhouse in the middle, but over one of the trucks, an most impressive array of feelers.  Also the NYC had one with a pantagraph to document spots with clearance issues.  Both can be seen on p1928 of Train Shed 26.

Just a few pages before the Y4 type scale test car that I'm working on.