I have brake hoses on some of my scratch built cars, plus on the AMS and the new Bachmann cars. Nice detail, but it looks funny to see those hoses not connected when running a train. So, I ordered a bunch of magnets and started experimenting with what might work. Man, there are lots of different sizes. I also got some black surgical tubing - it’s very flexible. Anyway, to make a long story short, I now have connecting brake hoses.
After the cars are coupled, you just nudge one of the hoses over and it snaps into place against the other hose. Uncoupling, you can either disconnect them with your finger or hold one car while the loco pulls the train away. I also was able to glue a magnet to one of the “high-detail” glad hands from Hartford, replaced their hose with the surgical tubing and it works the same way. It’s a pretty neat way to add some realism to operations without getting in the way. Should I do working brakes next?
Looking good Bruce. I suppose now you’ll have to do a brake test after every pick-up or set-out. Don’t forget to request 3-step protection before going between the cars.