Tom bee coupler

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hoppercar
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Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2018 4:09 pm

Tom bee coupler

Post by hoppercar »

I have a pair of Tom bee cast iron couplers, that when I push up on the bottom brass release lever ....the knuckle opens ok, but then the brass release lever just falls right out the bottom of the coupler ?......there doesn't seem to me enough meat on the back of the knuckle, for the lever to catch on?......has anyone else had this problem ?
FLtenwheeler
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Location: Florida, on the Lake Wales Ridge

Re: Tom bee coupler

Post by FLtenwheeler »

That is a common problem with the cast iron couplers. The brass piece should have a bend in it to keep it from falling out.

Tim
He who dies with the most unfinished projects: Should of put more time into their hobby.
hoppercar
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Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2018 4:09 pm

Re: Tom bee coupler

Post by hoppercar »

Yeah, I had to severely bend and twist mine, and chamfer the edges to get it to work and not fall out
ccvstmr
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Location: New Lenox, IL

Re: Tom bee coupler

Post by ccvstmr »

Hopper car...it's not so much of a bend...as it is twist...so the lift pin can't fall out. But no so much that the lift pin won't slide up/down smoothly.

Couple years back, changed out all my brass lift pins and replaced with steel that was thick enough (slightly thicker than the brass) to fill the lift pin opening. Used that opportunity to "adjust" a few couplers where the knuckle pin hole was NOT drilled thru square. Two steps back to go one step forward. Then, got really daring...drilled/tapped a hole in the side of the knuckle for a shallow head screw (forgot the name of those) to minimize the amount of knuckle free play and therefore reduce the amount of slack action.

So with a little bit of attention, old style Tom Bee couplers can be improved. Carl B.
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rkcarguy
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Re: Tom bee coupler

Post by rkcarguy »

ccvstmr wrote: Sun Jan 01, 2023 7:10 pm Hopper car...it's not so much of a bend...as it is twist...so the lift pin can't fall out. But no so much that the lift pin won't slide up/down smoothly.

Couple years back, changed out all my brass lift pins and replaced with steel that was thick enough (slightly thicker than the brass) to fill the lift pin opening. Used that opportunity to "adjust" a few couplers where the knuckle pin hole was NOT drilled thru square. Two steps back to go one step forward. Then, got really daring...drilled/tapped a hole in the side of the knuckle for a shallow head screw (forgot the name of those) to minimize the amount of knuckle free play and therefore reduce the amount of slack action.

So with a little bit of attention, old style Tom Bee couplers can be improved. Carl B.
I am using Tom bees couplers, I needed to add an eye bolt and chain for the cut levers on my switcher build to be prototypical and connect to an eye on the pin that pulled it upward. I was able to find some #6-24 eye bolts, drilled and threaded the lift pin end/top, and then drilled an aligning clearance hole in the top of the coupler. This also keeps it from falling out, although just in playing with the 8 pieces I have in cast steel it hasn’t been a problem.
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cbrew
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Re: Tom bee coupler

Post by cbrew »

i never had and issue with the locking pin falling out of my tom bee couplers, but the last batch i had, 4 out of the 10 would not stay closed until i reworked the insides. sounds like there is a batch with bad knuckles
If it is not live steam. its not worth it.
hoppercar
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Re: Tom bee coupler

Post by hoppercar »

Yeah ,...this one...doesn't seem that the knuckle is long enough ????....I had to twist it as usual, to get it to sit in the notch in the closed position.....but I also had to bend the top of it......forward....to catch the back of the knuckle, so it wouldn't fall out in the open position........the back of the knuckle is just rounded off with a grinder.....I think the foundry, ground to much off of it?......I had to do a lot of corner rounding on the brass lever, to get it to work in there, it's looks like crap .....but it's not falling out now.....I think it will be ok,....short of getting a new new knuckle
Last edited by hoppercar on Mon Jan 02, 2023 11:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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cbrew
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Re: Tom bee coupler

Post by cbrew »

you know,,,, i had a really old stock coupler, when i took it apart, the brass locking pin has a twist,,, i thought to my self,, "man, that would have taken a heck of a shock load to do that" and never look back,,,, this makes since now
If it is not live steam. its not worth it.
jcbrock
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Location: Oregon

Re: Tom bee coupler

Post by jcbrock »

I have a newer (2018) one where the locking pin falls out on the ROW if slack runs in. I moved it to the tail of my rear riding car during the middle of the TM ops meet and then forgot about it, so there it sits in the container.
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makinsmoke
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Re: Tom bee coupler

Post by makinsmoke »

I’m guessing with a bottom cut lever installed it wouldn’t fall ALL the way out?
jcbrock
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Location: Oregon

Re: Tom bee coupler

Post by jcbrock »

Correct. I'll probably move it to a diesel riding car and pin it closed.
John Brock
ccvstmr
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Re: Tom bee coupler

Post by ccvstmr »

Tom Bee made a special fixture to machine the notch in the brass latch pin. That notch removed a lot of material from the 1/4" thick brass latch pin. Latch pins also had a slight twist so the pin would rest on the back of the knuckle to prevent the pin from falling out. It is/was possible during hard train starts to "straighten" the pin and allow the pin to fall out (with no other restraint).

When I overhauled all my Tom Bee old style couplers (some 30 pairs), made new steel pins that were about 5/16" thick...and filled the latch pin opening. In some cases, cleaned up the latch pin cavity in the mill. The idea was to minimize the available latch pin "wiggle room" within the coupler. Was one of the better retrofit programs I took on. Now, I've got a box full of old brass latch pins goof for the scrap yard. Carl B.
Life is like a sewer...what you get out of it depends on what you put into it!
I don't walk on water...I just learned where some of the stepping stones are!
I love mankind...it's some of the people I can't stand!
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