BR195 trailer

During the ‘50s and ‘60s the Deutsches Reichsbahn (DR) were finding the task of providing a service rather difficult as the Soviet controlled regime did not encourage replacement but rather make n’mend of old stock.

Not to be defeated by these problems, the DR removed the worn out motors and repurposed the railcars as driving trailers replete with controls hauled by lightweight industrial shunters being made in the old O&K plants in Babelsberg which were renamed the LOWA Lokomotiv Plant Karl Marx (LKM).

In the same manner, I found a Piko BR195 trailer car which will be hauled by the V15 (LKM) made by Brawa, the trailer simply needs a new close coupling system. 

The Roco close coupling mechanism from below. The front cross member on the bogie had to be removed. Since the wheel sets are mounted directly in the bogie panels, I had to make do with a cross-laying wire until I found another solution. Without this wire, the tip bearings pushed the bogie panels apart.

The Ratio NEM block, is just 10mm x 8mm will accept the NEM 362 swallow tail coupling socket. The Kadee NEM 362 couplings allow for limited lateral movement, not a problem on Grafenwalde