Thinking about under-track or under-table type uncouplers?.....lots of preplanning....lots of fiddling, hinges, wires, plates, magnets, alignment issues..... maybe digging out ballasted sections of laid track. Don't bother.
Thanks to forum member larak and others [post http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/97090.aspx ] I learned that the little barrel 1/8" x 3/8" rare earth neodymium magnets are far easier to install, less expensive, and very functional than systems considered in layout construction........ and compared to other retrofit systems with plate magnets or plates to insert under roadbed a few neodymium magnets are superior and simpler. So I certainly can't take credit for the idea, but I give it my vote.
I guess that makes me a bit of an opinionated little so-and-so.
Well, that may be. But here is another bit of video from my layout showing the uncoupler sections in action. No editing of the train actions was done. The slight back and forth movement typical of the magnetic uncoupling is evident but also imperceptible in some scenes. The loco lights show it though.
In all I placed 224 magnets on the layout in 28 uncoupling spots. They were so easy to create that I placed them just about anywhere desired (though not on mainlines). That kind of freedom of installation would just not be possible with any other system. And I have not been disappointed in the remote switching / spotting actions now.....especially with using the JMRI Ops mode to run trains with schedules to yards and spurs in all corners of the layout.
The video shows a bit more of my completed townsite too. [But the quality is a bit rough....some sound clipping and zoom lagging. My conversion software is to blame.] Loco sounds are from my mu'd sound system described in video elsewhere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf5RiX4SNS0&feature=youtu.be
thanks for the video. i have been using those exact same magnets for some time now. so far i have only used a single pair at each location so spotting the cars for uncoupling has to be spot on for it to work well. having a very smooth and slow running locomotive helps tremendously.
my scenery and ballasting is far behind yours so for now i just paint the ends of the ties yellow to mark the exact magnet locations.
i left mine stick up a bit more than you did. just far enough below rail height to clear the wheel flanges. i like to drill the hole all the way through so i can push the magnet back up from the bottom if necessary. a little dab of mooglue (the yellow stuff) seems to work well for holding them in place.
i still use the KaDee bar magnets between the rails for my classification yard tracks so the slack action range has a bit of leeway. i have not tried using several magnets in a row like you have but i am going to give it a shot.
so far there have been no problems with accidental uncouplings using the single pairs but i guess that will be more of an issue if i put several of them in line to get a broader range.
i bought mine from k & j magnetics. i think they cost about 42 cents each.
charlie
I have been using the magnets out of our used Sonicare toothbrush heads. They are very strong and so far work great.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Really interesting; thanks for posting!
Sure wish they had a true "under the layout" magnet that can be mounted below the plywood!
John
Brass Hat, Gulf and Pacific Railroad HO/HOn3 (Modelled to represent mid 1960's) Big Bear Lake, CA. For pictures and videos of the layout please see below:
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/jostaiii?feature=mhee
Photobucket: http://s584.photobucket.com/albums/ss287/josta1954/
charlie9 so far there have been no problems with accidental uncouplings using the single pairs but i guess that will be more of an issue if i put several of them in line to get a broader range. i bought mine from k & j magnetics. i think they cost about 42 cents each. charlie
Thanks.
Yes, at first a bought a larger sample of all kinds of magnets from K&J....bars of several lengths too. But nothing worked as well as these 1/8 by 3/8. I followed forum member nittanylion's idea of pushing them down to tie-top height and I like it. NIce that a 1/8" drill is all that is needed. Twice only, pushed a magnet down too far during installation. Just popped another on top and there is no problem. I used 8 magnets in an array to give a large uncoupling zone. Nittanylion's used 6 I think.
As shown in the last section of my video, I do not have accidental uncouplings unless the slack is not drawn in the train......so, any moving train does not uncouple. Just kind of have to watch the "parking" at times so my marker bushes are in in the middle of a car.
If you're a little sloppy with the drill bit, you can make your hole just big enough to seat and hold the magnet well enough to not move, but also use another magnet or a piece of metal to adjust the height.