Not a direct solution, but suggestion to put short straight in between S connection, briefly straightening the train set and giving more pleasant drive aesthetic for larger units.

I did make this rod. It's a first version.

It’s made of steel staples that I saved from a large box that came with a chair. I made eyes in each end that attach to the hook in the wagon and the long nosed 55681.

I filed it somewhat so that it sits firmly in the hooks. Almost as firmly that it’s difficult to get them in place. This is needed so that it’s possible to push the wagon through the switch. If not, the bar would be pressed up and out of the hooks.

The photo shows a pulling situation. A pushing situation is somewhat tighter.

Q1. Does anybody know a manufacturer who would make a "prototypical" version like this? One with a screw that could be adjusted. I guess that in the 1/1 world one wouldn't dream up such a thing. But in the 1/32 world I would be surprised if I were the first to have this need?

Very interesting! The reference you mention is 56101 Retrofit Set of Reproduction Prototype Couplers.

The 55681 is about 108 mm (*32 = 3.45 m) from the first driving axle to the end of the buffers, linking over a first leading wheel. Comparing with an SBB Ae 3/6 II there would be two leading axles between the buffers and the first driving would be about 5.7 m from my books. So it would be worse than the protruding nose of crocodile. But then, when scaling down it depends on the design perhaps. I don't know about gauge 1, which looks rather prototypical to me, at least on the outside, but for H0 this may be very differently done. I have an example in a blog note SBB Ae 3/6 II differences. The Roco 68402 and the Märklin 37512 are very differently built. The Roco runs above the curves while the Märklin's front is well outside the rail.

As you mention, it certainly depends on the model. By the way, the E71 is about 51 mm * 32 = 1.63 m for the same measure, making it ideal for my short wye switch with wagon.

Edit: I see that the opening of the hook will hold any circular object that fits in the larger part, and that the hook's top part is more narrow. This is probably some NEM standard? Therefore sliding something round 100% fill in from the side and then lock it would probably be a better way to hold any non-flexible through-the-hooks bar.

Edit 2: It seems like a wire of diameter 1.7 mm fits well inside all the 3 different hooks I have (two locos and one wagon), and that this diameter cannot be pushed up and out of the hook. I thought this was a 2.5 mm2 solid copper, but PI*R*R is 2.27 mm2, so it might not be.

Edited by user 04 May 2023 18:18:01(UTC)  | Reason: Edit 2