Trip pins

[abbieleibowitz]

Hi, 

I have no intention of using magnetic uncoupling on my HO railroad. Do you remove or cut off your trip pins? 

[gmpullman]

All of mine are cut off (HO Kadee) I don't miss them.

Good Luck, Ed

[richhotrain]

When I first got into HO scale back in 2004, I left the trip pins intact. But, that quickly led to adjacent trip pins get tangled with each other. And, the trip pins snagged on grade crossings.

These issues led to derailments. So, I bought a pair of trip pin pliers that bend and curve the trip pins upward. This solved the problem of trip pins snagging on grade crossings, but the problem with adjacent trip pins persisted.

So, what I do now is to clip the trip pins shorter. That has solved all of my snagging issues.

Rich

[mbinsewi]

I do exactly what Rich does.  Works fine.

Whats left of the pins still gives the illusion of the air hose.

Mike.

[richhotrain]

mbinsewi

I do exactly what Rich does.  Works fine.

Whats left of the pins still gives the illusion of the air hose.

Mike. 

[7j43k]

I can't ever recall having a trip pin in a Kadee coupler being installed incorrectly at the factory.  So if you're snagging things with your trip pins, either you've got "stuff" sticking above the railtop more than 1/32", or your couplers are too low.

I haven't actually used magnetic uncoupling for my Kadees in a VERY long time.  So I started cutting the trip pins off, just below the couplers.  I was prompted to do so when I wanted to couple a car to a snow plow equipped diesel.  I've only done it a few times so far, as it's plain that you can't glue them back on, if you change your mind.  I use some pretty fierce flush cutting nippers.  Just once, the remaining pin shot out of the coupler.  Time for a new one.

I DO still use magnetic uncoupling, however, for my Sergent couplers, and see no reason to change.

 

Ed

[richhotrain]

7j43k

I can't ever recall having a trip pin in a Kadee coupler being installed incorrectly at the factory.  So if you're snagging things with your trip pins, either you've got "stuff" sticking above the railtop more than 1/32", or your couplers are too low.

In my case, "stuff" was sticking up from grade crossings. On my old layout, I probably set the piece between the rails too high. On my new layout, I used thinner styrene sheet for my grade crossings, so I doubt that it would happen now. But, old habits are hard to break, and I still clip the trip pins on new locos and rolling stock.

Rich

[Graham Line]

We leave them on the car as they come from the factory, with small adjustments to height tested with a coupler gauge.

The combination of the trip pin and a between-the-rails magnet gives you a consistent test for coupler swing, which can be very important.

[doctorwayne]

abbieleibowitz

Hi, 

I have no intention of using magnetic uncoupling on my HO railroad. Do you remove or cut off your trip pins? 

Back in the mid-'50s, when I first got HO trains, all of the locos and cars had the original K-type Kadee couplers, which use straight wire pins in the couplers' knuckles to allow remote manual uncoupling, using an in-track elongated diamond-shaped uncoupling device.
Here's an example...

Later, Kadee introduced the magnematic couplers and ceased production of the K-type.  That left me no option but to clip-off the curved trip pins, which looked ugly and didn't uncouple with the older mechanical uncoupler.

Once I came to grips with the fact that magnetic uncoupling was the way it was going to be, I did eventually change out all of the clipped-off ones, and am fairly well-satisfied with their performance.  However, I still don't think that those magnetic trip pins look like air hoses, but they do work well for uncoupling and delayed uncoupling, too.

I've recently installed some rare earth magnets as uncoupling devices, and they're easy to hide under the tracks, work well, and are considerably less expensive than the Kadee ones.

Wayne

[wjstix]

I started using Kadees in the middle 1980's. I've experimented a time or two with magnetic uncoupling, but never found it worked for me - spotting the cars exactly over the magnets was a hassle, even if the uncoupling did work (which it usually did). Finally, after about 40 years of manual uncoupling, I decided the only thing the trip pins did was occassionally snag the track at a turnout, so I nipped them off at the bottom of the coupler on all my equipment. BTW you can still use the 'delayed uncoupling' without the magnets or trip pins.

[wrench567]

  I leave mine on especially the hoppers. I installed under rail super magnets at each end of the scale track and under the scale track to keep the cars from rolling. I also have them under the center of the track at each end of the dead end sidings. All these are on portable modules that used to go to train shows. Works great when people would bump the modular layout or when the floor is not very stiff. Now they are incorporated into the home layout they still work good.

     Pete

[mvlandsw]

I like to use the trip pins for manual uncoupling. I use a common sharpened lead pencil between the pins from the side to open both knuckles at once.

I find this easier than getting a wand between the knuckles from above.

This also works from further away where you may not be able to reach above the couplers.

[abbieleibowitz]

The next question is, what do you use to cut them off? They are really hard metal.

[doctorwayne]

abbieleibowitz

The next question is, what do you use to cut them off? They are really hard metal.

Back in the days when I was cutting them off, the cutter on an ordinary pair of pliers took care of it easily, and I was just a scrawny kid at that time.

As for trip pins catching on turnouts or road crossings, I always check the coupler height on a Kadee jig, which also has a shelf for checking trip pin height.  I find that most cars have couplers at exactly the right height, but many have trip pins that do catch on in-track obstacles.

For those, I use a full-size pair of pliers to adjust the trip pin:  one jaw atop the head of the coupler, the other under the tip of the trip pin - a gentle squeeze usually puts it at just the right height.

 If your squeeze is a little too enthusiastic, re-locate the jaws of the pliers so that one is behind the arc of the trip pin, and the other with its tip touching the top of the trip pin and the rest of the jaw on the tip of the trip pin...a light squeeze, and it should be corrected.  

Wayne

[John-NYBW]

I do both manual uncoupling using a bamboo skewer and hands free magentic uncoupling on spurs and in my main yard so I keep the pins on. It is imperative to have the couplers at the correct height so I have the KD coupler gauge. A few years ago I discovered they made a plastic one that won't create a short if on a powered track so I put that on my programming track for convenience. Nothing goes on the layout without the coupler being checked for height. I've found that on rare occasions the coupler will be at the correct height but the trip pin will be just a little low. In that circumstance, I will bend the pin up slightly with a small needle nose pliers. If your couplers are at the correct height, they won't snag on things like turnouts and grade crossings. 

[richhotrain]

abbieleibowitz

The next question is, what do you use to cut them off? They are really hard metal. 

Diagonal cutting pliers.

Rich

[John-NYBW]

mvlandsw

I like to use the trip pins for manual uncoupling. I use a common sharpened lead pencil between the pins from the side to open both knuckles at once.

I find this easier than getting a wand between the knuckles from above.

This also works from further away where you may not be able to reach above the couplers.

 

I've tried to do that when switching my passenger cars with diaphragms but never could get the hand of it. I've tried several different tools but can't get the cars to uncouple. I keep working at separating the pins and then suddenly they come apart and I don't know why. Is there a trick to it?

[jjdamnit]

Hello All,

I keep the Kadee® trip pins in place.

However, if there are problems I do have a trip pin tool and a Kadee coupler height gauge (#206).

If the coupler(s) in question are problematic, and within specs, then I will modify the trip pin as necessary.

For uncoupling, I use both between the rail magnets and picks.

I recently purchased the Micro-Mark UncoupleLITE tool. This is now my go to uncoupling/inspection tool. 

Hope this helps.

[mvlandsw]

John-NYBW

 

mvlandsw

I like to use the trip pins for manual uncoupling. I use a common sharpened lead pencil between the pins from the side to open both knuckles at once.

I find this easier than getting a wand between the knuckles from above.

This also works from further away where you may not be able to reach above the couplers.

 

 

 

 

I've tried to do that when switching my passenger cars with diaphragms but never could get the hand of it. I've tried several different tools but can't get the cars to uncouple. I keep working at separating the pins and then suddenly they come apart and I don't know why. Is there a trick to it?

 

Diaphragms can make it difficult to get slack in the couplers. You may need to use a finger behind the last car. Using the pencil at about a 35 to 45 degree angle to the ground works for me. It has to go between the pins in a way that moves both knuckles to the open position. If you pull the near pin toward you they won't come apart.

 

[mobilman44]

I always kept them attached, but not to facilitate "magnetic uncoupling".  I kept them as they represented the prototypes air hoses - to some degree.

However, using the Kadee coupler pliers, I curved the hoses upward - resulting in a kind of "U" shape - so they would be unable to catch on a turnout or any track obstuction. 

As a result, to the best of my recall, I never had to cut off any of the "hoses".

Oh, while the Kadee coupler pliers are not cheap, they do a nice job!