long island jack Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 I've got a bit of a dilemma as how to uncouple my freight cars on my new layout,have installed some non-delay magnets at the industries for spotting cars,these work ok. as for the rest of the track i'm thinking of using the kadee uncoupling tool or something similar, it gives you more flexabilty so as you can leave cars anywhere,but the only downside is, you have to reach in to the layout to un-couple,which at a exhibition you will be blocking the veiw to the public,last thing they want to see is the back of me!!!. Question is,what does everyone else use? Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodshaw Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 I have the same problem, or at least I would have if I ever got to exhibit my layout. I have two delayed uncoupling magnets, which work well enough with some couplers but not all (I'm thinking of standardising on Kadee 148s where possible to improve this), in other places I use the Kadee uncoupling tool as you do. But as well as the fact that you have to lean over the layout, I find even with this that you don't always get a clean uncouple, with some couplers I have to fiddle around because they just won't come apart, and when they do the stock moves, which would be really off-putting at an exhibition. In short, my answer is ho help at all but at least you know I'm in the same boat! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_long Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Sorry Ray I use sergent couplers and lean in to my layouts. However they are much easier to uncouple and faster than kadees from above. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted July 5, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 5, 2012 Ray On both Round house and Fort Myers, I have positioned the magents after quite some htough so that I dont need one on every siding otherwise you end up with cars uncoupling when you dont want them to. It does maen uncoupling the car then pushing it some way to the siding required. Roundhouse uses the in track magnets covered with very fine ballast to hide them or if in concrete then painted to match. Fort Myers had the holes cut in the boards before laying the track to use the under track magnets. The operatoes side of the rials are painted yellow or white so they cna see where to uncouple - not so easy if you operate form the viewing side.Virtually all couplings are kadee number 5's. Some of the smaller, to scale ones but I find that they dont work as well as the standard size ones, even where they have been factory fitted to some cars. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reitbok Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Rather than the Kadee tool, I use a bamboo skewer. At 9 inches long it's easier to fit in between cars and it's cheap too; a pack of 50 cost me £1. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davknigh Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 If you use a tool you have to reach in, if you use a permanent magnet you get unwanted uncoupling, if you use an electromagnet you may need an extra hand depending on your skill level and your controller. All magnets require the "Kadee shuffle". Personally I like the skewer option . Cheers, David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjgardiner Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 I have never had any luck with delayed uncouplers, but thats probably because my stock has a mix of Kadee, Athearn (McHenry) and other similar knockoff Kadee's depending on who manufactured the equipment originally. I find the Kadee plastic skewr tool doesn't work all that well at reliable uncoupling, never tried a longer bamboo skewr as i've never been anywhere other than my home. My preferd product is the Rix Products magnetic uncoupler, i find it much more reliable at dealing with different brands of couplers and their foibles, but its hoplessly short handle and somewhat awkward meants of inserting it between cars makes it useless for exhibitions and can endanger end detail on cars. Rix uncoupling tool - http://rixproducts.com/6280014.htm -Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Bamboo skewer, smooth the pointed end with sandpaper, and dunk it in CA to give it "tooth" - mine have a short length of K&S brass or copper tube fitted on the other end (slip neatly over the "nubs" on PECO points to throw them) and the main part of the centre popped into heat-shrink tubing(Maplins) - two or three "Layers", to make twiddling it between the fingers easier - another method which achieves the same is winding some self-amalgamting electrical tape around the middle. The ideal "switchers poles" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodshaw Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 I just happened to find a packet of small bamboo skewers in a kitchen drawer, unopened, been there for years. They are a couple of mm wide, 150mm long and pointed at one end, so I tried one. And without any modification at all, they work really well, better than the Kadee tool. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
torikoos Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 I agree, the bamboo skewers work well. To give them a bit more flesh, you could get a cheap pen (Bic or similar) remove the 'pen bit' and glue in the skewer, hey presto, a custom made uncoupler that won't snap easily. Brian who posted below me first came up with that idea, I just couldn't think how he called them again. :-) Thanks for reminding me :-) Alternatively, you could go and equip your stock with Sergent couplers. They look very realistic, but you'll need their magnetic uncoupling wand. No Kadee shuffle though. :-) Koos Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bxmoore Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 It depends how realistic your operations are. Magnets of both sorts still require you to stop over them, and usually perform moves that would not happen in real life - no worries for some, but a problem for others. The delayed-action Kadee can help, but it's still limited by what I said previously. We've found that on the club layouts and at home, we rarely if ever use magnets, even although we installed some electromagnets at the club years ago. I took the bamboo skewer idea further, and cut them down to about 8 inches. I then glue them into an empty BiC biro pen. Works a treat, and even better if you cut a small notch into the tip so that it catches on the coupling. We call them "twiddle sticks", and I've made loads of them. Everyone uses them when dropping off cars, and the cars get placed accurately every time. We've found that, once you decide to uncouple manually, it becomes second nature. They can easily fit into your pocket, and are more controllable than just using a too-long skewer. Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brossard Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Aha! I've been advocating the bamboo skewer thing for ages. I'm so committed that I've been cutting the dangly thing off my wagons - they look ridiculous on unfitted stock anyway. One problem I've noticed, to echo Dave above, is that some wagons will uncouple spontaneously over permanent magnets - very frustrating! Another issue with magnets is the little dance that wagons fitted with steel axles do when over them. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
long island jack Posted July 5, 2012 Author Share Posted July 5, 2012 Been playing with some of those small magnets,forget the name of them now,did a short video, the front track has a non-delay magnet buried in the cobbled area,the next track over has the 2 magnets (see white dot) uncoupling.WMV doesn't that bell get on your nerves Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
long island jack Posted July 5, 2012 Author Share Posted July 5, 2012 thanks for all the replys guys I know what you mean about un-wanted uncoupling,most of my wheel set are non magnetic,also i weight my cars 1oz more than they recommend,then i glue a small piece of sponge to one of the trucks,this stops them rolling away when switching,still got lots to do as and when,it doesn't put that much drag on the train,my max train length is five 50ft boxcars. will try a skewer,but really want to try and keep out of the way of veiwing public at exhibitions (thats if it gets any invites) Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bxmoore Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Ray, we'll be doing a lot of switching with waybills on the Anson Yard layout at the Plymouth show in a few weeks, hopefully in front of an interested public. All of it will be undertaken with the aforemetioned Twiddle Stick (TM pending), and using it does not "get in the way" of anything - it's a quick insertion into the couplings with an "extended pen" (your hand is therefore nearly a foot above the action), one twist, and you're out again. If you think about the prototype, they don't uncouple without human interference either. Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 thanks for all the replys guys I know what you mean about un-wanted uncoupling,most of my wheel set are non magnetic,also i weight my cars 1oz more than they recommend,then i glue a small piece of sponge to one of the trucks,this stops them rolling away when switching,still got lots to do as and when,it doesn't put that much drag on the train,my max train length is five 50ft boxcars. will try a skewer,but really want to try and keep out of the way of veiwing public at exhibitions (thats if it gets any invites) Ray I wouldn't be overly bothered about this, my Traction layout requires alot of attention at the front when changing poles, and the public appreciate and respect this (apart from a few comments such as "why don't you use pantographs" or "why don't you stick to RTR, I don't pay to go to a show to see something I have no chance of building at home..."). You may find your trackplan has quite a few moves that can be done by propelling cars into position with the couplers in the delayed position, so the amount of "Gerfingerpoken" that goes on is less than you imagine. For the record, I standardised on Kadee #5's with the trip pins intact for use with permanent magnets, then when I was building the new layout I couldn't decide where to put them, and also considering the fact my new Intermountain 57' Reefers came with scale #58's, out came the side cutters and bamboo skewers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Gwinnett Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Cut down skewer for me too, with a handle made by wrapping gaffer tape round it. I do use a kadee pick, but only occasionally, although it is useful for shelf couplers provided you leave the dangly bit on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prof Klyzlr Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Dear RMwebbers, Personally use bamboo skewers, and use it as an "in" to get the crowd into the "running the trains" game. However, that said, "Brooklyn : 3AM" uses undertrack magnets, and has _never_ had a "spontaneous" uncoupling. How? By not exceeding the proto "10mph" street switching speed limit, and simply adding a _strategic_ ammount of drag, such that each car "keeps slack" when being pulled. This is exactly the advice on the instructions shipped with every N-scale MicroTrains coupler pack, and they even provide small springs to fit over the end of one-axle-per-car to achieve said behaviour ;-) It helps that I generally don't mix-n-match coupler types (all regularly-operated equipment has Kadees, although I recently picked up a bulk pack of Sergeants for experimentation on "the next micro". Just gotta get a round-tuit and bulk-assemble them all...)... With a smooth-running loco and a decent (in my case, usually analog) throttle, the "give slack to release the knuckles over a magnet" move looks for my mind like the brakeman radio'd up to the cab "gimme some slack so I can pull the pin"... Happy Modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 I'm a bit disappointed by all this talk of skewers etc. one of the things that attracted me to NA stuff was remote auto couplers that looked realistic (I can ignore the trip pin) I've previously operated a layout with Alex Jacksons and it was great to have no hand of god and I was looking forward to the same without having to bend lots of piano wire Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodshaw Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 I'm a bit disappointed by all this talk of skewers etc. one of the things that attracted me to NA stuff was remote auto couplers that looked realistic (I can ignore the trip pin) I've previously operated a layout with Alex Jacksons and it was great to have no hand of god and I was looking forward to the same without having to bend lots of piano wire I must say I was hoping for better auto-uncoupling too when I moved to American HO. I don't really understand why some cars and locos should be better than others, it almost amounts to them not being fit for purpose. With some, the coupler actually moves the wrong way when over the magnet. My best uncoupler is an Athearn SW1500 which I fitted with Kadee #38s. Some of the Bachmann factory fitted ones are hopeless. I like to think that with the right couplers (Kadee no. 5s and/or 148 whisker couplers?) on all stock and magnets in the right place, on nice straight track, reliable uncoupling would be achievable, but I'm not sure I could be bothered finding out. The skewers are handy, especially as for most of the time I'm only playing trains on my own. If I get the layout to an exhibition, I'll probably just grin and bear it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Never could get the "bent piano wire" to work - the point on the end of the skewer slips between the coup;ers from above and a "twirl" between thumb and fore-finger seperates them - the various clones are a waste of money - stick with the original and best - Kadees Rule! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bxmoore Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Tim, it may be disappointing to you, but the thread indicates that there are many of us who are just as happy using skewers! If you don't like it, then you don't have to go there. You are saying that you are seeking "realism", but you choose to "ignore" a great curved bit of metal dangling from every coupler ("It's an... ahem... air hose... albeit ten times thicker than the prototype and dangling in an unrealistic, non-gravitational banana shape... honest..."). To my mind, that's one of the most glaringly unrealistic aspects of Kadee couplings. All you are doing is turning your own "blind eye" to a different compromise. I'm slowly cutting all the trip pins off of my Kadee #58's and #5's, because I find them disappointingly (to use a word) non-real, and I don't use magnets anyway. Rod - if you are seeking a smoother passage of cars over magnets, install electromagnets, that are only active when a button is pressed. All I'm trying to say is - don't think that what you both want is what others should do too. We ALL compromise in different ways in the attempt to achieve what we want on our own layouts. Choice is what makes this hobby so interesting. Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 I'm a bit disappointed by all this talk of skewers etc. one of the things that attracted me to NA stuff was remote auto couplers that looked realistic (I can ignore the trip pin) I've previously operated a layout with Alex Jacksons and it was great to have no hand of god and I was looking forward to the same without having to bend lots of piano wire You can usually get them working pretty well, but there are downsides to consider - i'm personally happy using either method.... Downsides: You can only uncouple where you've put a magnet Anything above a simple drop you will have to do unprototypical moves They can give unwanted uncouplings if you have trains passing over and slack runs in (although there are ways round that, like electromagnets, flip-up ones etc) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodshaw Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Rod - if you are seeking a smoother passage of cars over magnets, install electromagnets, that are only active when a button is pressed. Brian I'm not, I'm trying to get them to uncouple. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
long island jack Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 Tried the skewer last night worked ok only problem i found was couldn't see to uncouple the cars in the siding,if there were cars in front of the one i was trying to uncouple,with magnets i have a marker on the building or beside the track,also because i have restricted access at the front (15'' height) i had to put my head in to see what i was doing. the hands free uncoupling is what got me in to the dark side,and if everything is setup well,it works a treat,you have to play about a bit with some of the stock,a file here and a bend there but on the whole never had many problems with the #5 coupler,other than being over scale (to much stock to change to scale head #58) Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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