Non-standard coupler replacement

[scott]

(I'm putting this in OT because it's not a Japanese model--if I should post things like this elsewhere, just let me know...)

 

A while back, I found this on eBay:

 

 

It's a Hobbytrain DB ET30 (or Class 430) EMU, and it's in very good shape--except for the couplers, one of which is broken, and one of which is missing entirely. So I need to make new ones.

 

Here's what they look like:

 

(broken end to the left)

 

and where they go:

 

(the hole at the left end of the truck is what the coupler end snaps into)

 

I was thinking of just cutting and bending some lengths cut from large paper clips, with 90-degrees corners bent into the ends. That might work, if the corners are very sharply bent. There's not a lot of space above the truck and below the car body, so the wire couldn't stick up above the hole very much at all.

 

If anybody has any ideas that might work, I'd appreciate hearing them.

[Martijn Meerts]

I believe those (or at least 2-car versions of them) are still being produced, so it might be possible to find spare parts.

[scott]

Thanks, Martijn--any idea where? The box looked pretty old and worn, so I figured that this was a long-obsolete model.

[Martijn Meerts]

Not sure where really.

 

The thing with this model is that there are quite a few different versions. 2 car and 3 car set ups and in various colour schemes. I have no idea if they use the same coupler rod on all those though, but I do know that Kato actually makes most of the Hobbytrain stuff these days. Any store that has European prototype Kato models might be able to help.

[scott]

OK; I'll see what I can turn up. Thanks!

[disturbman]

I moved this one here, I think it's a better suited place to it. :)

[scott]

I moved this one here, I think it's a better suited place to it. :)

 

I'm fine either way--originally, I was just trying to avoid cluttering up the Japanese-modeling section with a question about a European model.