MattWallace Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 Hi all, Just wondering if there is a "homebrew" way of creating an electo-magnetic delayed uncoupler for the Kadee couplings? I far prefer them to the tension lock but I want to know if I need to splash out for the auto-uncouplers before I glue down my track... Thanks in advance, Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oggy1953 Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 If you are going to use the 'undertrack' magnets then yes you will have to fit them first. I believe they do one that fits on the track between the rails, but they look a bit obvious. If your baseboard is thin then you may get away with the magnets fitted to the underside of the board, best try it out first. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazz Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 The between the rails magnet is unsightly. I recently changed all mine to under track variety. (Not the electro as they are more costly) I had to lift a couple of inches of track and make a recess into the 3/4" baseboards to accomodate the magnets and steel plate. Installing them before track laying is much easier. The only downside to permanent magnets, you can get the ocasional unintended uncoupling. Oh, and you MUST lay the track exactly over the centre line of the magnets, so installing them in exactly the right place is a must so careful track planning and marking out is essential. The end result is completely undetectable uncouplers. To spot the wagons over the magnets, I use well placed passengers on the platforms and various other railway type markers around the rest of the layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted October 16, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 16, 2012 Consider the option of hingeing your undertrack magnets and using a ring on a thread to pull them into place. Permamanent undertrack magnets are bad for UK stock due to unwelcome effect on the steel axles on our stock. US stock is mainly non-magnetic. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tender Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Permamanent undertrack magnets are bad for UK stock due to unwelcome effect on the steel axles on our stock. US stock is mainly non-magnetic. Chris I've not had this problem with carriage stock but can be with wagons. Two solutions I've tried successfully . 1. Brake the wagon with a bit of foam wedged between the axle and nem housing. 2. Weight the wagon. 1. is ok for short trains (6 or 7 wagons) but the drag can get a bit much for long trains. If you keep some wagons in sets (with 3 link coupling or whatever) with kadee's just on the end wagons then you only need to brake the ends. 2. works well ( there's a formula on here somewhere as to how much) but you need correctly adjusted pin point bearings in brass cups to keep the rolling resistance down. Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Hi all, Just wondering if there is a "homebrew" way of creating an electo-magnetic delayed uncoupler for the Kadee couplings? I far prefer them to the tension lock but I want to know if I need to splash out for the auto-uncouplers before I glue down my track... Thanks in advance, Matt Co-incidentally, I'd been looking at this page just today. Is that what you're after, Matt? Regards Scott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 Co-incidentally, I'd been looking at this page just today. Is that what you're after, Matt? Regards Scott That is exactly what I am after. Thank you! Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Solly Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 I use 3mm cubed rare earth magnets once painted & ballasted, very hard to see so the yellow sleeper end indicates the middle set Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted January 1, 2013 Author Share Posted January 1, 2013 Hi Ron, I've started doing exactly that. At the moment I'm only doing one "row" of magnets, however having seen your comment above I think I'll give it a go with three rows - one row doesn't seem to be working quite so well at the moment... Thanks and Happy New Year! Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted January 1, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2013 Hi all, Just wondering if there is a "homebrew" way of creating an electo-magnetic delayed uncoupler for the Kadee couplings? I far prefer them to the tension lock but I want to know if I need to splash out for the auto-uncouplers before I glue down my track... Thanks in advance, Matt As a long-time Kadee user, I once saw some home-made electric uncouplers, made up (I think) using a nail driven through the baseboard under each rail and the coils from solenoid point motors. A fair bit of trial-and-error would have been involved. They seemed to work OK but would it be worth the effort if you had to buy the point motors? (The guy who did them had been given a box of clapped out solenoid motors). He wanted a less obtrusive alternative to the old Kadee #307 which had to be installed through the track but the current Kadee #309 works from underneath the sleepers. This makes them invisible and they are much easier to install than the old type. A piece of thin card under the track will stop ballast falling down the hole. Permanent magnets should be confined to sidings to avoid unwanted uncoupling on running lines. The #308 under-track magnets are best for areas in 'public view' with the non-delayed between-the-rails type (#312) in fiddle yards. The delayed-action between-the-rails types (#321 and #322) are essential for those odd places where you realise you need another magnet after the track is all laid and ballasted! They can be disguised as a board crossing or similar, but don't overdo it! Hope this helps. JS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted January 1, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2013 I use 3mm cubed rare earth magnets once painted & ballasted, very hard to see so the yellow sleeper end indicates the middle set Very neat, Ron. Do they give the delayed action? JS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Solly Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 JS, some experimentation was undertaken by not only myself but in the main by a modeller in the UK on another forum & we found that while two rows would do, if one could stop the loco exactly where you wanted it, with so many variances in the mechanics of locos, it was found that 3 rows is better & yes, they are powerful & give delayed action. Light weight rolling stock with steel rims & axles will get dragged in so some replacements maybe called for. Unfortunately, I do not know of a UK outline wheel set that is non-magnetic like such wheel sets here in Aust or in the USA. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm81 Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Co-incidentally, I'd been looking at this page just today. Is that what you're after, Matt? Regards Scott I'm still planning on having a go at making a couple of these, unless anyone thinks the kadee #309 would be much easier. I'll be wanting the delayed action, not fitted my stock yet but as I plan to in the future I need the uncouplers down before I lay the track. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted January 1, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 1, 2013 I use 3mm cubed rare earth magnets once painted & ballasted, very hard to see so the yellow sleeper end indicates the middle set The photos suggest that the track is on a very slight curve. Is it an illusion or if it is curved, what effect does it have on the operation? I find that the amount of offset tolerance is virtually zero. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted January 1, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 1, 2013 Co-incidentally, I'd been looking at this page just today. Is that what you're after, Matt? Regards Scott The offset version makes sense, because the steel arms are sort of diagonal, if you understand what I mean! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 The original Bachmann UK metal wheels with the metal wheels push fitte onto a plastic axle are not attracted to undertrack magnets. Often turn in bulk on ebay from people who have replaced them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Going to give the rare earth(neodymium) type a go. Bought some from http://www.guysmagnets.com. The 3mm cube ones cost between 5 and 9 pence, dependent on qty. I bought 320 @0.06p. I will try 4 rows and these will give me 20 positions at a somewhat cheaper price than Kadee's own uncouplers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted January 1, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2013 If you are exhibiting a layout and operating the other side to the viewers then you can paint the operator side of the rails. That way the viewers cant see these markings. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Solly Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Kevin, a very slight curve but it has not affected operation. One other localmodeller here uses round button earth magnets under each rail - each slightly off set & they too, work well. Jules, it was found that three rows replacing the existing sleepers, are more than adequate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium cnw6847 Posted January 1, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 1, 2013 The original Bachmann UK metal wheels with the metal wheels push fitte onto a plastic axle are not attracted to undertrack magnets. Often turn in bulk on ebay from people who have replaced them. exactly what I did, got some bulk boxes of them. sometimes another problem with the large under the track magnets is the steel weights in rolling stock can be attracted by the magnet. I usually remove them and replace with lead. Could do with someone manufacturing some nice non magnetic wheels. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm81 Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Co-incidentally, I'd been looking at this page just today. Is that what you're after, Matt? Regards Scott I don't suppose anyone saved the details that were on that link? Just the website is now down. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 Sliding the magnet slightly to one side prevents uncoupling. This was done on 'Menasha', the magnets were fitted into shallow 'pits' in the baseboard surface sliding on short lengths of brass angle with a thin piece of card (old photos) over for ballasting. They are moved with a bit of 'L' shaped rod fitted into a small hole drilled centrally in the magnet and running to the side of the baseboard with a knob on the end. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Just remembered I took some photos when we fitted them. The amount of sideways movement only needs to be small. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoovernut Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 I was wondering when you place the magnets in between the track do you have to put some one way(North) and some the other(south). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted February 7, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 7, 2015 I was wondering when you place the magnets in between the track do you have to put some one way(North) and some the other(south). Makes no difference. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.