Conventional modification to allow uncoupling anywhere on track

[dsmith]

 I have been reading about how to modify an early postwar Lionel diesel that has coil couplers to allow uncoupling anywhere on the track by using a whistle relay to activate the coil coupler.  

 

I came up with the idea of modifying a steam tender to allow the same kind of control with a small steam switcher.  The steam switcher I chose is a Lionel 2034 with small slopeback tender.  I found an old junked prewar flatcar that has coil couplers.  I removed one of the coil trucks and added it to the rear of the slopeback tender.  Then I found an old junked lighted caboose with center rail power pickup truck and mounted it on the front of the tender. 

Next I mounted a whistle/horn relay in the center of the tender frame.  Since there was not enough room to mount the relay upright, I mounted it laying on its side and used a small magnet to retract the relay switch plate.Since there is now power in the tender I also added a rear backup light.  I used the lamp and socket from a broken Life Like street light. 

 

The whole thing works flawlessly.  The coil coupler is great and as long as it is clean and well lubricated it uncouples at a very low voltage and couple with only a very gentle bump (compared to magnetic coupler that sometimes require a hard slam into the freight cars in order to couple.  Here is a video showing uncoupling and coupling, so see it for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw-UTfEMvHk

 

[dmestan]

Great stuff as usual David.

don

[servoguy]

 Dave,

This is why you should always look in the junk boxes at a swap meet.  Good work.

BTW, I really enjoyed your video of your Marx train under the Christmas tree.  The train looks to be in really good condition.  Now if you could just figure out how to uncouple those Marx couplers with a whistle relay....

Bruce Baker

[Civil War]

 

That is real slick. What do you do if you want the horn to sound? Is there a way to be able to do both?

 Thanks.

[alank]

If you had a whstle or horn, and wanted to make them work in conjunction with using the uncoupler, just stick a switch into the frame of the tendor or diesel, and select what you want to use.  Additionally using the whistle relay to sequence the e-unit can allow you to run more than one conventional engine on the same loop of track.   Use the horn button to control one e-unit, and the direction switch to control the other.   This isn't new, as I read of this scheme in some 1950 magazine.

[ADCX Rob]

alank

... Additionally using the whistle relay to sequence the e-unit can allow you to run more than one conventional engine on the same loop of track.   Use the horn button to control one e-unit, and the direction switch to control the other.   This isn't new, as I read of this scheme in some 1950 magazine.

 

This is called "Magic Electrol" by Lionel:

Rob

[wiz1500]

Nice stuff.....

[stuartmit]

The whistle relay control of the e unit works well, and also eliminates the buzzing of the e unit, becuase most of the time, it is not energized. This might also contibute to  e unit coil life as well. I had a 2379 rigged that way for a number of years and it was very good.

However, for independent reversing of various locos, I prefer to put a normally closed push button from Radio shack in series with my block control toggle in any bloces in and aorund my switching areas; push it, open the circuit, and the loco stops, but only that block is effected so a train elsewhere on the layout, not in that block, runs uninterupted.

But the whistle relay uncoupling scheme is really great for switching as the video shows, and would allow very precise spotting of cars at lineside industries. By the way; it might not be protypical, but if you left the relay hooked up to a whistle in the tender in  paralleled with the uncoupling function, it would blow the whistle simultaneously with uncoupling the car; this might not be completely inappropriate.

[alank]

I should have looked a little closer at the schematic when I mentioned using the whistle relay to sequence an E-Unit.   Mr. Smith I like your video of the uncoupling using the relay, also I like your other video of using a can motor to change the 1022 manual into an electrical controlled switch.   It is the little things like that, that I like about the hobby.   Your layout I also like.   While right now I am without a layout, hopefully this summer I will get going on something.   I am also going to have to try Bob Nelson's capacitive discharge scheme for my O027 switches.    Even though I  have both O and O-27 track, when it comes to building a layout I am partial to using the O-27.  I only use 1122 and 1022 switches, although I think also about using Lionel's O-42s....I just don't like that big switch indicator, preferring the lanterns instead.   Thanks for your sharing with us.