I'm acquiring some streamline diesels to make ABB, AB, and Cow-calf switcher consists I see rigid cable/hose details available, but do people also include flexible ones between units? I don't plan on splitting these up, rather using the Road locos in permanent lashups coming out of staging. Also do people add diaphrams between a's and b's?
Most people don’t just because picking up a model becomes much more inconvenient. If the cable is glued between both locomotives with no break or glad-hand between you risk breaking them when you pick up the paired units. That is why most detail parts are just static hanging representations. Some models do have flexible hoses. The Museum Quality Turbine from Scaletrains comes to mind. There are MU and electrical cables between the turbine and cab units. The modeler attaches a hollow tube to pins on the MU cable bracket. Also look at North American Railcar Corporation Magnalock hoses. They are designed to go between freight cars, but I think they make MU cables for locomotives too. A very light rubber tube would be your best bet to make your own because you don’t want it to impede the locomotive or bind on curves. Details West or Detail Associates might have a multicolored hose kit to make them. Regarding diaphragms, I think American Limited makes a retrofit kit for F units. I know they make passenger car kits. I don’t model F- or E-units, so I don’t really know what is out there.
thanks, the pins and tubes is a good idea, a thin outer tube slice as a sleeve could be the connectors
What Mr. Trainiac said, but I can confirm American Limited do make the diaphragm kits for F units. walthers did diaphragm kits many years ago, not the best in my opinion. You could get non working white metal extensions from Details West but would still need some flexible diaphragms.
