Hi all!
I am using Kadee magnetic uncouplers at different locations on my layout, these are the ones that go underneath the track. They work great with one exception, albiet a biggie. When my train goes over these uncouplers, and i dont mean at a creeping speed, some cars want to come uncoupled. Seems that the reason is that as the train goes along at times there is a little slack that quickly occassionaly occurs as the engine pulls the cars, and if this happens as couplers cross over these uncouplers, the cars seperate. Is there a way to rectify this? Obviously I want to use the uncouplers and they work well when Im dropping cars off at a siding, but I dont want them doing this with a train at speed per say, lol. Will this possibly go away once I ballast?
Del
Any slack over a magnet, and you will uncouple.
.
I piut drag on my cabooses by using Kadee caboose trucks with the electrical pickup. These seem to add just enough drag to stop most unwanted uncouplings.
I would love to hear a better solution if anyone knows of one.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I have issues with strong magnets actually causing slack, although usually when just spotting a car or two on a siding. This became a problem when I upgraded to metal wheels and metal axles. The magnets pull the uncoupled cars back to the magnet because those nice, smooth, low-friction wheelsets offer little resistance.
I planted a couple of tufts of field grass between the ties on the siding, which stopped the frre-rolling cars and restored smooth uncoupling.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
controllable uncoupler such as RailCrew are more appropriate on mainline tracks
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
SeeYou190I would love to hear a better solution if anyone knows of one.
A: Kadee electromagnet uncoupler.
https://www.kadee.com/ho-scale-uncouplers-c-274_280_300/309-ho-scale-undertheties-delayedaction-electric-uncoupler-kit-p-340.htm
(Kadee upgraded their website
B: I recall an article where the permanent magnet uncoupler was mounted on a hinged block under the roadbed. When you wanted to have the uncoupler for use you would pull a string or wire and the hinge would allow the magnet to lift to the proper under-track position for use.
Normally the uncoupler would swing free and not be in proximity of the track roadbed.
I suppose you could use the motion of a Tortoise to raise or lower the magnet as well.
Good Luck, Ed
Camarokid65Kevin, how does this work at creating drag with the Kadee trucks?
The Kadee caboose trucks with electrical pick up are not as free rolling as the normal kadee trucks.
I have struggled with my cabooses for years. All my cabooses in the Fleet of Nonsense are brass. Kadee trucks could make them short out on curves if the journal boxes contacted the steps.
I tried using Tichy plastic caboose trucks with Intermountain steel wheels, but these rolled so freely, that accidental uncouplings of the caboose were common.
I switched these to the plastic Tichy wheels, but still had some issues.
I tried to make axle brakes out of phosphor bronze stirps, but could not get the adjustment to where I was happy.
When I was in N scale, kadee made springs to restain the caboose truck axles, but there is not a similar product in their HO scale line.
gmpullmanKadee electromagnet uncoupler.
I plan to use these on mainline trackage and in a couple of strategic areas. I would love to activate them with a momentary push button and have them set on a 20 second timer.
gmpullmanI recall an article where the permanent magnet uncoupler was mounted on a hinged block under the roadbed. When you wanted to have the uncoupler for use you would pull a string or wire and the hinge would allow the magnet to lift to the proper under-track position for use.
I have experimented with an idea a user posted on the forums for turning the Kadee 308 uncoupler 90 degrees when not wanted. It seems to work well, but the whole thing with be under the ballast when the layout is complete and non-servicable.
I would love Kadee, Circuitron, or Rix to make a kit to do this.
gmpullmanA: Kadee electromagnet uncoupler. https://www.kadee.com/ho-scale-uncouplers-c-274_280_300/309-ho-scale-undertheties-delayedaction-electric-uncoupler-kit-p-340.htm
I'll second Ed's suggestion on the electromagnetic Kadee's. I had the same issue, routine mainline uncoupling. I had installed 3-pair vertical cylinder magnets, but the same issue. I decided to try the electro's and am glad I did. It is a bit of a project, but a satisfying one.
Uncouplers4 (2) by Paul Ahrens, on Flickr
Uncouplers3 (2) by Paul Ahrens, on Flickr
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
it looks like a controllable uncoupler can be made if two magnets are mounted on a plate directly under the track that can be manually rotated with a push rod.
I fought this problem from the start and finally gave up and removed the uncouplers from the mainline and only use them on sidings, spurs, and yards. To uncouple on the main, I use bamboo skewers which are cheap. I quickly got the hang of uncoupling manually with the skewers. Kadee makes a tool for doing this and in a pinch you can use a small flathead screwdriver.
Kadee does make electro-magnetic uncouplers that only uncouple when they are turned on. That's fairly expensive and they are quite bulking. In my case, it was not practical to put one at all the places I would need one for both trailing and facing point spurs.
I insert one of the Kadee knuckle springs in the axle pocket in a truck of my cabooses (cabeese). This creates enough drag to keep the cars from going slack.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
I twice posted a way to make and install permanent magnet uncouplers in a layout below the track that can be left in a lower position, raised when you want them. They work extremely well, never an unwanted uncoupling. Invisible on the layout.
I got only one comment, saying something like they look cheap. (unlike bamboo skewers?) Dan
Great discussion topic. Is there a difference between using electromagnetic coupling devices on the mainline than yard/sidings?
I'm planning on putting some in the throat of a yard. On the 1st layout, I used a metal sheet with small cylinder-shaped magnets. Think that the OP could use them on the mainline? I forgot who made them. Kaddee?
gregc gmpullman I recall an article where the permanent magnet uncoupler was mounted on a hinged block under the roadbed. When you wanted to have the uncoupler for use you would pull a string or wire and the hinge would allow the magnet to lift to the proper under-track position for use. it looks like a controllable uncoupler can be made if two magnets are mounted on a plate directly under the track that can be manually rotated with a push rod.
gmpullman I recall an article where the permanent magnet uncoupler was mounted on a hinged block under the roadbed. When you wanted to have the uncoupler for use you would pull a string or wire and the hinge would allow the magnet to lift to the proper under-track position for use.
Simon
This is a design of using Kadee permanent magnet a friend of mine designed some times ago
It's cost nearly nothing, works great and undesired uncoupling over them are gone for ever
In fact Rapido use a similar way except they concealed two magnet in a box.
Our design is manualy operated, but could be easily powered with a servo or an Hankscraft display motor.
Then years ago, a good friend of me, was in the way to install permanent Kadee Magnet uncoupler on his layout.
He made a mistake when putting one in place, but this mistake was in fact like an "EUREKA".
The magnet does'nt work, and after a few observation, the conclusion was so idiot, just before us !
You can imagine how it's simple, and after this mistake we have speak a lot about this so idiot way to use magnet, we never understand who it's possible such so simply trick was never used or proposed for a permanent uncoupler for Kadee couplers or clones.
When you put a Kadee magnet in the normal position under the track, the couplers which comes over the magnet uncouple, we all know it, the only trouble about permanent magnet is when a train is passing over the magnet, sometimes a car uncouple even if you are not asking to uncouple.
And........
If you just turn under the track the magnet 90°, no more uncoupling, because, the magnet field of the magnet need to be aligned between the two rails of the track to uncouple , if you move this field 90°, the field has no more effect on the couplers when he is perpendicular to the track.
No need of a system which need to activate the lowering of the magnet, or with a hinge and all the quiet clever mecanism which were proposed over the years since Kadee couplers exist.
Before you take a look of the pictures, if you have the Tools, install the device take no more time as a conventional installation,it's may be quicker; building the little device which hold the magnet no more than 20mns, but you have a permanent uncoupler for few bucks which uncouple when you are asking for. Adjustement are minimalist.
Drill a hole with a circular saw in the axe of the middle of the track.
The round countours of the magnet are done whith a sand belt when the magnet is glued on the metalic plate.
the device itself is just a magnet glued on his metallic plate, rounded as mentionned, a small hole in the center of the metallic plate, a brass rod with a few nuts and washers to adjust the height, a small piece of plywood as an under the roadbed support, a few hole and the device is ready to go under the track.
If you are asking to ballast the hole area, a piece of extremely fine "mika" is put Under the track to close the hole; I use plastic from translucide folder used to put "tax papers and invoice " as a plug for the hole, thickness is under 0,01 mm and don't affect the magnet field.
There are two way to move the magnet, a arm, fixed of the outside of the magnet with a simple lock system, like figured on Jacques pictures, or directly on the center shaft, with a arm which give the move ( the way I do).
Since the rounded magnet is the same diameter as the drilled hole, nearly no adjustment.
There is no alteration of the "magnetic" qualities of the magnet doing this way.
The system is ok for all scales; you can substitue Kadee magnet with your own as I do, see pictures.
The rotary movement is done with a small arm attached to the shaft or on the magnet, a cable or any design of push rod will work, you say easy ?
And if your magnet is really far from the edge of the layout, you can easily consider the use of a servo or an Hankscraft display motor to turn the magnet only 90°; a Tam valley servo turnout control can do the trick; this way a DCC working one is also possible.
Enjoy....., and a big thank you to my friend Jacques Leplat; hope he make such other "EUREKA" mistake in the future !!!
This is a magnet which is placed in the conventionnal way Under the track ( Nscale), coupler is open over the magnet
Second picture, the magnet is turn 90°, no more uncoupling because the magnet field is not in the good way
A device which use a HO Kadee permanent magnet, ( J. Leplat pictures)
First drill a hole Under the track with a disk saw (J. Leplat pictures)
Put the magnet glued on the metalic plate in the hole ( J. Leplat pictures)
This is a view of the device Under the roadbed ( J. Leplat pictures), any device, from a push rod to a servo can push the small brass rod to turn only 90° the magnet
Following a sketch of the system and how it works,
For those who use the Kadee electromagnet, they sell a power supply that will handle the hefty power demand of these magnets.
Kadee doesn't make these supplies. If you look online, you can get exactly the same supply for a much lower price.
Get yourself two 1/8 diameter cylinder neodymium magnets. Drill two holes side by side just inside the rails. Jam one magnet with the north pole up in one hole and the south pole up in the other.
The field is strong enough to uncouple precisely spotted cars, but small enough that your moving train will be in and out of the field before the couplers can disengage from the slack.
MisterBeasleya power supply that will handle the hefty power demand of these magnets.
I power mine with a huge transformer out of an old UBS.
What I really need is a timer that can be activated with a SPST momentary puch button and keep the magnet energized for twenty seconds.