Permanent coupling with drawbars?

[Komachi]

Hey guys!

I am pondering a future project... some cars for a MOW train. I'd like to start out with some ballast cars, in particular, I plan on using Eastern Car Works 70 ton MK ballast cars and would like to perminantly couple the cars together in sets of four, using drawbars, much as the Duluth, Missabi and Iron Range (DM&IR) has with their fleet of ore cars.

I know MDC and other manufacturers make drawbars for steam locomotives, but what size would I need to correctly space (or at least simulate the spacing using Kadee couplers) my ballast "quads?" At the moment, I only have one ECW hopper kit (unbuilt), so I can't tell you the spacing measurement between two cars and since I don't roster any steam engines on my road, I don't know much about drawbar sizes. Would appreciate any info./ideas anyone has.

[pdt]

I haven't tried to duplicate DM&IR's drawbarred ore cars, but I use a similar practice on my two dozen N&W hoppers. I installed Kadee #58s on 12 of them and Walthers dummy couplers on the other 12. I operate them in cuts of four cars each with two dummy coupler cars in the middle and one with 58s on each end. The 58s and Walthers dummy couplers are practically made for one another and mate up much better than a standard #5 and dummy.

I thought about drawbars for this and other applications, but decided against them because I don't have a permanent layout for the cars to live on. I figured in would be a royal PITA to break out the screwdriver every time I wanted to run these cars, so I settled on the dummy couplers. In fact, the up-side is the dummy couplers actually look pretty realistic. Slack is virtually eliminated between matched pairs of dummy couplers and they don't turn to a kink when backing like any automatic coupler will.

So, if you don't mind the appearance of a coupler head in your connections, give the dummy couplers a whirl. If you're trying to match a specific drawbar connection, I'd try cutting brass stock to fit with holes drilled in the ends for the screw or pin in the draft gear.

[Throttle_JCKY]

I agree, on my unit coal trains I run them in 6 car sets, with dummies in between and then 58's on the end cars. I found that when I have to uncouple them I just life up, and that way I don't have to get the screwdriver out everytime like RC said.
There is little slack, and like he said, they look realistic and couple pretty well with each other and a 58 if need be.

If you aren't in the mood for that, get some styrene and cut it into strips of various sizes, then test it out. Its not going to be a universal thing, you just need to find what appeals to you. Once you have that, just use the original for a pattern and cut away.