I´d like to put the de-coupling magnets underneath the track - is it ok to put ballast over them and will they then still work?
Sorry for that dumb question, but I have been into European model railroading so far and have no experience with Kadee and the like couplers - so please bear with me...
Hi Ulrich
What little experimenting I've done suggest that they'll work ok at tie height, but maybe not lower. If I recall, magnetic force falls off with the square of the distance. If you're looking to avoid the "magnet in the track" look, I've read of people using some of the new high strength button magnets buried in the track right at tie level. If you painted them the color of your ballast they'd be nearly invisible. I'm sure on of our mates will chime in with the exact month and year of MR.
Lou
Sir MadogI´d like to put the de-coupling magnets underneath the track - is it ok to put ballast over them and will they then still work?
Sure use the Kadee #308 or Bachmann magnets and it will work fine, just position them so they are aginst the bottom of the ties.
I have cut them and the steel plate under them in half to make them shorter (4 ties long vs. 8 ties long).and they still work.
On my web site (davehusman.tripod.com) in the modeling tips and techniques section it desctibes how to make a moveable magnet that can be buried under the tracks that can be "turned off'" to reduce unwanted uncouplings. It works but they do take a bit of adjustment.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
I use button magnets under the track. They have a diameter of about 1cm and height of about 5mm. I put a pair of them next to each other, one under each rail and touching in the middle with their poles aligned. I use a drill bit to make a figure 8 in the roadbed and press the magnets in. I use cork roadbed and a drill bit that's just slightly smaller than the magnets so the don't move.
The button magnets don't give as big of an area to uncouple as longer rectangular magnets. That's less chance of an unwanted uncoupling, but also can be a bit harder to get the cars to uncouple when you want.