Up the Line - 1918

I'm not convinced about a rotating magnet - as I'm not sure it would be needed.

 

My suspicion is that the couplings probably contain a bar magnet - but it's probably mounted sideways, the same way round on every coupling.

 

I don't know which way round the magnet is (though it would probably be possible to check, using a magnetic compass).

 

 

However, just to illustrate what I mean, let's say each coupling has its magnet's North pole on the left - and South on the right, as you look at the end (like in your photo of a loco) - something like this:

 

 

 

          ********************************                 ********************************                  **********************************

    N    *                                      *   S    N    *                                       *    S    N    *                                         *    S

      ****            LOCO                ****        ****             WAGON              ****        ****              WAGON               ****

    S    *                                      *   N    S    *                                       *    N    S    *                                         *    N

          ********************************                *********************************                 ***********************************

 

 

 

The first wagon you pick up has its couplers with their magnets arranged the same way round - so, when you couple the loco and wagon together, a North on the loco faces a South on the wagon - and a South on the loco faces a North on the wagon.

 

The couplings at the other ends of the loco - and the wagon (and any other wagons in the set, for that matter) are all the same - and they all work together in the same way.

 

 

Obviously, the poles on the coupling magnets might be the other way round - as long as they're all the same as each other, it doesn't matter.

 

As for the rattling noise, it could just be that the magnets are slightly smaller than the space they fit into - so they rattle about slightly.

 

 

Whatever's going on inside - and whatever's fitted inside them - you can be certain that there's nothing complicated. Let's face it - they're toys - they need to be cheap to make - and they need to be robust. The most effective way of achieving this is to keep everything as simple as possible.

 

 

Huw.

To check Huw's theory, just hold one item (wagon?) in hand and approach with another wagon upside-down. If Huw is correct there should be repulsion / rejection instead of attraction.

Never thought about this when the grand-chidren had (seemingly) miles of Brio!

Thank you, two very sensible answers - still waiting for 'if the engines can talk then why can't they have magnets that defy the laws of physics. it does make sense but unfortunately can't test theory as toys have returned home along with owner! I have a horrible feeling that I did try them upside down though in an attempt to do anything to get them to repel and it didn't. Also, despite having loads of button magnets here I don't have any bar magnets at the moment so can't start any experiments into practical uses next.

 

Just to find a silver lining on another very annoying fact of life i.e. the postman arriving with a parcel (full off tufnol offcuts I hope, for some other experiments!), when I had popped out to get milk - I now have to go to the sorting office tomorrow. Said sorting office is right next to mega toy store so may find myself returning with a sacrificial wagon. Oh, and in the hope that writing it down will help me to remember, a new can of grey primer from Halfords!