Magnetic Uncouplers

[Anonymous]

Hello Everyone,

I have a question in regards to magnetic uncouplers. I'm using Peco Code 80 flex track. I am looking for someway to uncouple my cars without doing it manually. In other words I have a rather large freight yard and would like to uncouple my cars from the loco without doing it manually. Is this possable?If so where would I get it from. Does Peco have such an item?
Also, would I need to change the couplers on my cars as well as my Locos in order to do this? Where in the freight yard should these be placed or is this up to me?
Thank you all in advance for your time with this. I know this may seem like a simple question to most of you but it has me stumped.


Louie

[dano99a]

Assuming you have Kadee's or some equal on all your locos and rolling stock, you can get the magnets that lay between the rails OR for more money and time use the electromanetic (under the table) version that you activate.

As for where to put them, If you have a what I call a typical yard (openings on both ends) I'd put magnet uncouplers just inside the switches (turnouts) on both ends of each yard track. Now if you have spur tracks for a yard instead of the above I'd just put one magnet just past the switch (turnout) at the beginning of each spur.

The reason for this is you can uncouple over the magnets then pu***hem back with the thumb part of the couplers.

If this does not make sense there was a good article in MR late last year about uncoupling with magnets, really useful to read. It gave me a better understanding of how to uncouple rolling stock without touching anything (hand of god routine) as well as where to place my magnets. I'll try to find the article and post again when I have found what issue it was in. Unless someone here remembers which one it was in...

[Anonymous]

The usual advice is to fit permanent magnets at the start of spurs (sidings), and either electro-magnets or hinged permanant magnets on main lines - the hinged magnets normally hang down underneath, but are pulled into the operating position with a cord.

I'd suggest using under-track mounting magnets - I used the Kadee between the rails type and while they work well and were easy to install they have two problems - appearence (doesn't bother me that much, they're fairly unobtrusive) and clearance - I have a Bachmann Dash 8 that "runs aground" on some magnets!

[bsteel4065]

Hi
Go to www.kadee.com and go into the 'How Kadee couplers work' section. I seem to remember there's a diagram there about where magnets need to be placed in a marshalling yard. By the way, Kadee are worth every penny, accept no substitute.
And they work very well with the magnets set beneath Peco track. Hope this helps.

[bsteel4065]

Hi again...
As a railroading brit ... you can get Kadee from Walthers via their website or from MG Sharp in Sheffield. Also, try www.macsmodels.co.uk
OK?

[cwclark]

I use permanent mchenry magnetic uncouplers that mount under the rail...kadee #5 couplers, and i put them at the start of the siding track with just enough space so that when i uncouple the rolling stock it's not so close to the turnout that a train can sideswipe them as it passes the siding....also it's good to put them on a straight part of the track because it's almost impossible to couple cars in a curve....

[Anonymous]

Peco code 80 makes me think that you are in N-scale. I use underground permanent magnets by Micro-Trains (ex-Kadee), and in my experience, Micro-Trains couplers are the ONLY ones that work with the magnets. The MT clones like the kind that Atlas includes with their latest locomotives couple fine with MTs, but they do not uncouple with magnets.

So, if you are in N-scale, you will have to swap out all of your non-MicroTrains couplers (or, just the ones you want to uncouple with the magnets).

---jps

[dknelson]

The thing about a yard is that you tend to uncouple at roughly the same places repeatedly -- which lends itself to magnet placement. But to learn where those places are, you need to actually work the yard -- meaning it is not easy to know before hand where this place is. Perhaps very temporary track in the yard, followed by marking the spot where you tend to uncouple manually so that the magnet can be placed there and the track made more permanent, is the answer. Bits of toothpick could mark the spot.

Kadee makes an under the ties magment -- very powerful -- but another idea is a magnet powered by push button to avoid accidental uncouplings which is a risk in yards with a fixed magnet.
Needless to say if you intend to rely on magnets exclusively your couplers have to be lubricated and in perfect adjustment.
Dave Nelson