Kadee Decoupling

[BNSF4ever]

My layout is in my garage and it's slightly at an incline. I've noticed a problem where my rolling stock, mostly in Bachmann EZ mate couplers, were decoupling in transit. I spent a lot of money on Kadees and while some of my rolling stock now stays together, some still break off. I have a coupler gauge. I was told that Kadees should solve the problem. Did I install them wrong? Is there some other trick I can use to keep my 7 car trains from becoming two 3 or 4 car trains?

[Anonymous]

Most of my problems have been with McHenry or other plastic couplers. The inside of the knuckles on these couplers seem to be slightly convex, and when pulling a long train the couplers seem to have a bit of up and down motion, and they slip apart. Kadee's have seemed to solve the problem for me. You may find out where on your layout this is occuring. If it is only in one spot, check the flatness of the track on the top of the rails with a straight edge. If the uncoupling is happening where an uncoupler is, try increasing the speed of the train. Best of luck.

[dehusman]

Bu the way its "uncoupling" when you separate two cars, as in : "I uncoupled the cars on the magnetic ramp."

Your problem is that the your couplers are not all the same height. Kadee sells a height gauge that will help you standardize the coupler heights. After that the problem could be in your track if there are really sharp vertical curves or rough spots in the track.

Did you say some of your Kadee couplers "break off"? If you are in HO and the shanks of the couplers are actually breaking off you are handling your cars waaaaaaayyyyyyyy too roughly. The only time I have ever seen that happen is when a car has been dropped on the floor. I have never in 30 years of using HO Kadees seen one fail in normal layout usage.

Dave H.

[ragnar]

I'm wondering if by breaking off he means those metal clips on some Athearn cars were coming loose and falling off causing the coupler to hit the ground! Assuming of course he's using that style of car./coupler pocket quote]Originally posted by dehusman

Bu the way its "uncoupling" when you separate two cars, as in : "I uncoupled the cars on the magnetic ramp."

Your problem is that the your couplers are not all the same height. Kadee sells a height gauge that will help you standardize the coupler heights. After that the problem could be in your track if there are really sharp vertical curves or rough spots in the track.

Did you say some of your Kadee couplers "break off"? If you are in HO and the shanks of the couplers are actually breaking off you are handling your cars waaaaaaayyyyyyyy too roughly. The only time I have ever seen that happen is when a car has been dropped on the floor. I have never in 30 years of using HO Kadees seen one fail in normal layout usage.

Dave H.

[dwRavenstar]

Check the couplers for height, the track for proper alignment, the cars for proper weight and refit with Kadee's at every opportunity.

It's a learning process and it sounds like you're well on the way. Frustration will cloud your thinking so rather than looking at the problem you might want to see the number of cars that are operating correctly and the amount of track travelled without problems. Compare the "problem" cars and spots with the other and see what steps are required to bring everything up to the same standard.

Keep a record when the problem occurrs, where it happens and which cars were together at the time. Maybe a simple switching of the consist will place cars together that will work together and provide acceptable operation in the interum period till you can standardize your collection with like couplers and work the bugs out of your track.

You can bet the prototype railroads have track areas that require special attention and couplers that are "not quite ready" for swapping out. In effect, your layout may well be more prototypical than you had imagined. [8D]

Dave (dwRavenstar)

[Anonymous]

First of all, I would have to say from bitter experience that while I welcome the competition, there is nothing that truly matches the actual Kadee brand for reliable operation. But secondly, no matter what the brand, your coupler heights must be accurate and consistent to quite close tolerances. Thirdly, you may have a "vertical curve" that with long cars can result in uncoupling. Fourthly, if you are using the under-track uncoupling magnets on your main line these can result in inadvertent uncouplings if the train is not moving smoothly (can happen with the above-track ones too but in my experience much less likely).

[jwar]

Your incline should not be a problem if as the above post state, there are no changes or abrubt changes in elevation. if so keep them very gradual over three cars or more. If cars uncouple in the same area, run the train slowley through it and watch the couplers.

Sounds to me the couplers of various makes are the malfunction, my guess anyways.

Being you like to build things and are creative ( thats why were here huh...) Perhaps building a mini bookcase about two feet long and 4 to 6 inches wide, the top of which would be your eye level ( easy and quick to check coupler height ) on your work bench, could solve a mulitude of problems.

I had the same problems as you and what works fantistic for me is a test track at eye level, when sitting at my workbench, shelves with plastic pill bottles for parts, Kaddee shims, couplers, spring pick and tools that are handy. It was easy and quick to get the coupler heights at the exact level, without using a mirror. I think that bending one's neck down or looking down at an angle is where some think the coupler is ok. When in fact the coupler could be slightley higher or lower then the gauge. It does not in some instances take much to be probmatic. Also the coupler shank has to be horz to the track, if not it will rise up when being pulled. Also rolling the car slowley over the delayed uncoupler makes it easy to see if it freeley swings and works properly.

Whats convienent to me is, its portable, today I will head out to the patio with a cup of coffee and repair a few cars, is a nice spring day here. Of course for me taking it to the kitchen table is taboo!!!

I also use stickey notes and place them on the malfunctiong cars as I remove them at that time for repair.Then when I get around to ( or want too ) repairing it easy to remember which end, if couplers or trucks, by the color of the stickey.

As the above guys stated, Kadees are the way to go. I have thirty year old Kadees and they are the same as todays, fantastic. The others are Wanta-Bees and problems. I may get flamed for this butI have yet to see a thread of anyone changing from Kadees to another brand.

My other suggestion(if you want to change to Kadees) inspect your cars and make a list of whats needed, shims, spring pick, multipurpose height gauge (that sets on the track) and if under, over or straight shank kadees are in order. When you rework your cars, take your time and be precise, it pays big dividens, been where your at, Malfunctin junction, Take care and good luck...John

[howmus]

BNSF4ever, I would bet your problem is either (or both) of two things. Either you have a spot in the track where the track dips so that the couplers break loose at that point, or if you have permanent magnet uncouplers installed on the layout, they uncouple all by themselves...... Look for steel wheel axles on your rolling stock. I had a bobber caboose that would always uncouple by itself every time it went over an under the track permanent magnet. The steel in the axles pulled the caboose forward at the same time the couplers were over the magnet. Took a while to figure that one out......... A small dip in the trackwork near the magnet will also cause uncoupling to occur. Solution was to get rid of all my permanent magnet uncouplers and use the Rix handheld magnetic uncoupler. Works much better and can be used anywhere on the track.

[rrinker]

Unless you have a lot of hoppers! Then the car end gets stuck to the Rix tool.
I'm workign on a re-engineered version with smaller magnets. In the mean time, bamboo skewers work well too.
And right on about kadee - EVERY time I have a problem with couplers not opening easily with a tool or over track magents, assumign they are adjusted to proper height, it's ALWAYS some other brand. The Kadees just WORK. I have vonverted nearly everything I have over to Kadees, even if it came with knuckle couplers - Accumates are some of the WORST. The P2k ones aren't much better.

--Randy

[Anonymous]

BNSF4ever...

Kadees usually come undone for 2 reasons -

1) Too much vertical difference between cars. One coupler actually slips out of the top or bottom of the other. This is why people are telling you to check for dips or bumps in the track that could lift a car high enough relative to its neighbour to allow the couplers to part.

2) Slack - if the cars are banging around a bit and have some slack, they may come undone. In fact Kadees are designed to open (with assistance of a magnet, bamboo skewer, or other tool) under slack only. When installed properly, they simply do not open under tension. You may want to check that they are all operating properly (parts move smoothly, coupler returns to centre from either side).

Hope that helps. Let us know how it turns out...

Andrew

[Medina1128]

If you are using the EZMate couplers the problem may not be a difference in coupler height or uneven track. found that these couplers use a small piece of plastic instead of a metal spring like the Kadees. I had that problem and it drove me nuts until I looked closely at the couplers. The small piece of plastic that keeps the knuckle closed was not making good contact (loss of tension) witht the knuckle, allowing it to uncouple.