Ron, I posted a how to thread under the "Layouts and layout building" forum. Dan
I installed the Kadee under-track electromagnetic uncouplers in two spots on the newer part of my layout. They do work, even with delayed uncoupling, but they are tricky because the magnets will also attract metal wheelsets and will shift the position of single cars.
They also require a very hefty power supply. I had to buy a special supply just for these uncouplers.
I built my layout with the intent of being able to use either permanent or electromagnet uncouplers for all my uncoupling, but over the last few years I've decided there's nothing wrong with bamboo skewers, and I use them almost exclusively now.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Ron: It will have to wait a spell. All my how-to photos got lost when Photobucket dumped. And I have a bunch of automotive work to do here of late. But I'll post as soon as I can get to it. Dan
I wuld be interested in how you built your mechanically operated ramps.
Ron High
I devised a mechanically operated permanent magnet uncoupler. The magnet drops away when not in use; no unscheduled uncouplings. When you want to uncouple, you use a lever on the control board to lift the magnet in it's slot. In can be invisible since it's all consealed under the ties. It works great for delayed uncoupling.
I have 16 on my layout. I do all uncoupling with these, extremely reliable. I can fill you in on the details if you like. It's inexpensive too. Dan
Edited in: I just realized this is a 12 year old thread. Still, if anyone's interested...
Yeah, it's so easy to reach some of those spots on the layout and try to keep from knocking into some detail you've worked on for hours AND THEN, put you full-sized hand into a scale scene and tell me how much you have sacrificed to make it "proto type".
joe323 Am I wrong I thought prototype railroads uncouple manually meaning someone gets out and pushes an uncoupling lever. Thus using a bamboo skewer or such is as close as we get to the real thing.
Am I wrong I thought prototype railroads uncouple manually meaning someone gets out and pushes an uncoupling lever. Thus using a bamboo skewer or such is as close as we get to the real thing.
http://rapidotrains.com/on-off-remote-coupler/
I saw this at the last NMRA convention train show and it worked very well. It can be installed after the track is in and only needs low power to turn the disc with the magnets. I think it would be easy to build one and maybe just turn it manually. With all the "super magnets" available now it seems to me that you could use more powerful magnets and mount it a little farther below the track (here I go again souping up an existing uncoupler). Then instead of a hole saw, a Forstner bit could be used from below, stopping the cut about 1/8 to 5/16 inch below the ties. Using the hole saw as shown in the video under existing ties scares me.
Hi Dave:
That's the article I was referring to. Thanks for finding it. I'll edit my post again.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
At least one "beefed up" under the track electromagnet article is in the April 2002 issue of MR: "Add muscle to Kadee's electromagnet," by Robin Parsons Ertl. I think there have been others, but perhaps as part of other articles or columns such as Clinic or Workshop.
I for one do not mind seeing old posts revived if it makes the thread a more complete discussion of a single topic.
Dave Nelson
toothpicks or a permanent magnet I prefer the later
Bamboo sticks is close but,Wouldn't want to risk using them with todays finely detail cars especially at $30-50.00 a pop and that's one reason I still use in between the rail magnets-zero risk of accidental damage.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
jharrison,
I think the less than enthusiastic response is due to a ten year old thread resurection. When I see a response to a long dead thread, I usually don't bother to read it. Your ideas may see more interest if you start a new thread and post some pictures.
Joe Staten Island West
IRONROOSTER ndbprr Why is this needed? One of the few things we do that replicates the prototype is Hand coupling and uncoupling. I can see it now. A train stops and a brakeman calls the cab and say's ," set the box for car #346845. Uncouple" then the huge solenoid on the end of the car goes THUNK. Don, t see that happening soon Already available. I have it on my 3-rail switcher. Just a matter of time before the smaller scales have it. Paul Paul
ndbprr Why is this needed? One of the few things we do that replicates the prototype is Hand coupling and uncoupling. I can see it now. A train stops and a brakeman calls the cab and say's ," set the box for car #346845. Uncouple" then the huge solenoid on the end of the car goes THUNK. Don, t see that happening soon
Already available. I have it on my 3-rail switcher. Just a matter of time before the smaller scales have it.
Paul
Paul,MTH already has in HO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOU1hwM0bTo
ndbprrWhy is this needed? One of the few things we do that replicates the prototype is Hand coupling and uncoupling. I can see it now. A train stops and a brakeman calls the cab and say's ," set the box for car #346845. Uncouple" then the huge solenoid on the end of the car goes THUNK. Don, t see that happening soon
jharrison Deep sigh.Never mind. I'm sorry I bored you but I was just trying to respond to the original question. My layout was on tour at the last NMRA national convention and the uncouplers were a big hit. People said I should write an article about them but based on this response I don't think I'll waste my time.
Deep sigh.Never mind.
Not bored. I just broke one of my rules by not checking the date or at least I should have caught "Anonymous" in the moniker place before I made a reply to Sam of KD on how much I like the 148s and 118s and how I still use the between the rail magnets since they been serving me well since the mid 60s-that's been around 50 years ago.
If you or anybody comes up with a better and simpler way to uncouple cars (besides with those round bamboo sticks) then by all means share the idea. I only use those magnets for hands free uncoupling.
jharrison:
Please don't let a couple of somewhat negative responses put you off. Your idea has merit although personally I would integrate some sort of overload protection or automatic timer to minimize the risk of over heating. I know you have an 'on' indicator already wired in but that requires someone to pay attention - I'd be the one who wasn't
I do recall an article in MR (April 2002 - thanks to Dave Nelson for finding it) that showed how to beef up the Kadee electromagnetic uncouplers.
One suggestion I would make is to start a new thread on your uncoupler magnets. I think that when some people see an old thread being revived they tend to skip over it. I know I'm guilty of that sometimes.
Regards
This probably isnt what your looking for but it is a working magnetic operated uncoupler. I posted a thread concerning this in another forum. In that post are links to videos showing the working couplers. Because of Youtubes inherent bad programming and unreliability I have moved the videos to my own site.
Its easier to email the link to the new site than edit all the links I posted in the aforementioned thread, then go find that thread. I cannot post my website link here as that is not allowed in the MR Forum Rules. If your interested, my email is in my profile.
PM Railfan
I realize that this is an old post, but since no one seems to have an answer I will respond. I made what is basically a "souped up" version of the Kadee electromagnet. I used thicker steel for the side plates, a 1/2" dia. spacer and bolt to hold them together, and wound my own coil using heavier magnet wire. I mount them (three have been in use for several years) after the track has been laid, completely hidden under the roadbed. I bore up through the sub roadbed and roadbed (Homasote) to within 5/16" of the top surface with a Forstner bit using a spacer block on the shank so I don't go to far. I power the magnet with a hefty power supply supplying about eight amps at twenty seven volts. I realize that this is a lot of power and can do damage if applied too long so I have an indicating light that shows when the power is on (to guard against a stuck switch) and try to limit the on time to about five seconds. It works like a charm. It's easy to wind the coil: make a "cable reel" from some Formica (free HD samples) discs held together by a bolt and spacer, chuck it up in a drill motor and wind it with the wire supply reel on an axle. The trick is to come up with the size of the wire and coil that fits roughly between the rails and doesn't overload the power supply. You also have to find a pretty hefty transformer and convert AC to DC.
QUOTE: Originally posted by SROC99 Hello everyone, Kadee is presently working on a modified #307 electo-magnetic uncoupler that will be completely hidden under the ties. It will be product #309 and it will use many of the same components of our current #307 and will still need to be recessed under the trackage. The only thing that will show is a couple of small screw heads on the ties. We showed a sample of it at the Cincinnati NMRA National last July. It should be on the market in a month or so depending on how soon we can get the packaging and instructions finished and still keep up with all our other projects. Yes, modern technology should be able to provide another system of uncoupling, perhaps completely remote for every coupler, however, modern costs are very high and how much would the average modeler be willing to pay. We have thousands of "modern ideas" we'd love to produce but the design, development time, and costs are outrageous. Of course, these costs would have to be recovered through sales and the product would be far too expensive for any modeler. Sam Clarke Kadee Quality Products