Large Scale Central

"New" Loop & Hook, Care and Preservation Society

General Discussion
#1

Here we go lads…a new group for an old well liked coupler…

Sign up now…

Join the “Society for the Care and Preservation, of Loop & Hook Couplers, on Large scale Railroad Equipment” (SCPLHCLSRE))

No membership charges…no formal constitution…everyone who is an owner of at least one Loop & Hook Coupler, is automatically a full and honorable member.

Members can start posting here, telling of their fun, using L&H couplers…who owns the most ?

Who has the rarest examples ?

Are you one of the few with the rare cast metal type ?

Who has done the largest conversion to L&H, from other types of couplers ?

Suggestions on choices of Honorable Chairmen are welcome…all suggestions should be made with much respect for the persons named, and their work towards this L&H Coupler Society.

At all meetings, please respect the following suggestions;

Smile

Leave your boots at the door

No smoking, unless all widows are open, and ass trays are provided

Descreat farting is allowed

No swearing, unless you are in so deep that it’s up to your nose

No fighting over a member’s choice of bheer

Bring your own bheer, and an extra bottle or two for the person sitting or standing next to you

A pot of baked beans would be appreciated

Last one to leave, locks the door, and leaves the key under the mat

As an option; Soft Drinks can be substituted for bheer…but in moderation, please.

NO SMOKING IN THE OUT HOUSE

#2

No stogies?
Sheeeeee-it, Ferd.
I’ve got hook and loops of brass…date back a long way before elgeebee made them ever so popular.
(http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff514/3shaygetz/IMG_5303-950.jpg)

My Half Zero stuff gets them, because…A) they’re historic, and B) they drive the nmra nuts.
I am particularly fond of B).

#3

More like the old Tyco Couplers in HO…

#4

…Hey, Dave…you can modify the rules to suit the occasion…A good Stogie fits in very well…!!

The posted rules, are only suggestions…heck add any that appeal, or take any away, if they offend…but be nice…please.

#5

Can I bring Rooster with me?

#6

Hello Fred,

now this new society you have set up leaves me with a small dilemma. I may have told or you may have read here somewhere, that I intend getting rid, one way or another, of all my H+L couplers at a Show this weekend.

Do I undo the package and just keep one pair of these couplers in order to qualify for membership? or do I just set up a counter society for former H+L owners?

For friendships sake I guess I should just keep the one pair and join you, after all the springs may come in useful one day. Incidentally I have seen it mentioned by Stateside modelers on more than one occasion, that the springs are good for truck replacements. I have to say that over the years I have had two kinds of spring with these couplers: some as described, suitable as replacements for trucks. others with a flat spring reminiscent of a miniature fireside chair spring.

#7

Alan;

Just combine the “Those that used to use 'em”, with “Those that use 'em”, “Those that intend to use 'em”, “Those that are converting back to 'em”, “Those that wish they had kept at least one pair of 'em”, and the famous, never to be left out gang, that “Never wants to see them again”… (If anyone needs one pair, just for the continuous fun of having them (The plastic variety, sealed in a little plastic pouch)…let me know…I’ll mail them out for the price of the Pony Express delivery…complete with some sign of horse droppings, for added authenticity, and collector value.

Everyone qualifies, as long as they practice “Moderation” in one form or another, and keep some sort of a smile or grin on their face, while exploring life, such as it is, for them…

The only real question that needs to be asked on a continuous basis, is…

…“ARE WE HAVING FUN…YET…?”

#8

Shawn; David Russell is welcome, but can he “Play in the realm of moderation”…??..!!..without involving a whole life story of life on a poultry ranch, ruled by a “Preacher Woman”…

…that is a question that may have found an answer, somewhere; but is it the correct one…can there ever be a correct one ?

It is gratifying to learn that at least one friend is willing to sponsor him…I would have, but you spoke up first…, so you can throw the first egg…!!!

#9

I stand with hand to heart and pledge my ever dieing love for the humble Hook and Loop coupler.
Often despised, detested and neglected the sad little coupler that could is the success story of the underdog.
I use them on everything I own. They are cheap, and sometimes can be had for FREE. They are interchangeable from HLW, USAT, Bachmann, Aristo, and LGB . Try doing that with those fancy couplers.
They are reliable and never let go unless a spring breaks but seldom does that happen on both sides at the same time. Yes they do look a bit odd up close but who can tell from 5- 10 feet away?

Hook and Loops I think you are terrific.

I’m having FUN. Happy RRing
I forgot to add that I use a high tech means of uncoupling the H+K’s… a popsicle stick!

#10

All Kaydee here but I still have a pair in a sealed bag just to remind me how precious they are. That qualify?

#11

Fred Mills said:

…

The only real question that needs to be asked on a continuous basis, is…

…“ARE WE HAVING FUN…YET…?”

Sure am and getting work done on the layout in the garden. The wall will be a-rising today!

Other than that, the “proper” name for those items is “bottle openers” (that should/could be appreciated by everyone) and the “famous” LGB (or similar wheels) are referred to as “Pizza Cutters”.

Long live Kadee #1 couplers (even on Eurocrap) and Sierra Valley wheels rolling on Code215 Llagas profiles in the garden!

PS anyone looking for H&Ls, let me know! They’re yours as long as you pay the postage.

#12

Off line, it has been suggested that an International Museum, be sponsored, dedicated to the preservation of all forms of Loop & Hook Couplers…

a second note suggests that a letter is in the hands of a Pony Express rider, at this moment, with a US One Dollar note enclosed, towards the funding of such a museum…

Egads…what have we started…this may be getting out of hand…and I was completely sober when I started this thread…I was expecting that question would be asked…

…would be nice if the museum was placed in Bermuda…!!

…

#13

Dave, those are oooooolllld.

My H&L are used exclusively on the Christmas train, they never fail. They also never fail to unhook when I want or need them too.

Outside I don’t use them because the never fail to look out of place :slight_smile:

My friend uses them for ops on a very large layout. He devised a ‘credit card on a stick’ that works very well to unhook them. The cards have no more credit, I checked :frowning:

Coffee is done, I’m out!

Terry

#14

I will keep Rooster in line. I feel no child, adult, and Roosters should be left behind.

A museum is a good idea. I can open up my shelter and display them on the wall. Of course its a short walk to it, has no heat and is open up front. What do you think? Its free.

#15

Since every society needs a pin/button for its members — I have one from the Cloud Appreciation Society — any surplus H&L could be sent to the Padre, who then fashions the pins while doing whatever and distributes them with a membership certificate.

OOOOPS! I forgot to mention, recounting one’s most scary, most pleasant, most exciting, most unexpected and most mundane encounter with H&Ls should be good for extra brownie points. The brownie points will be fashioned from one of the Padre’s surplus habits using a ticket punch.

#16

I will bow my head for a minute of silence dedicated to my departed H&L’s.
Given away or tossed. But due to guilt, I will donate to your museum in their memory.

#17

Todd,

I need a pic of a popsicle stick. It sounds to me rather like something a frivolous young lady might wield but I can guarantee that my good wife but not welcome that sort of thing in our back yard even if it was to further the “interests of the hobby”.

#18

I probably shouldnt mention I’m about to cut off some very old hooks of some very old LGB cane car so I can replace them with link/pin couplers…

(http://www.marriageindebt.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Bear-Noooo.jpg)

#19

Maybe those of you who attend the “drag and brag” at York can formally dedicate the groups beginning by sacrificing a H&L (or two or three) to appease the Kadee gods. Melting a H&L is just returning it to it’s original useful form, liquid plastic. Only then will the Koupler :stuck_out_tongue: be released from the bondage of it’s unkindly demise of being body mounted to a Accucraft brass model. :wink:

#20

I found an invaluable use for H&L when I bought my first loco (USA GP9) and 4 foot circle of track. Putting H&L on the back of the loco and on the front of the first car allowed my Geep to operate in these less than ideal conditions. People were so distracted by how weird it looked on that 4 foot circle that they never noticed the H&L !

I’m thinking I need to paint a coupe of sets gold, mount them in an appropriate shadow box and ship them up North for internment in the museum.

EDIT for photo

(http://photo.cvsry.com/Xmas_Layout_00_2.jpg)