I have an HO NW2 switcher engine that I am trying to upgrade. Aside of adding lighting, a decoder, tuning the motor/gears and painting, I want to add remote un-coupling using a function on the hand held, I think I have read an article in one of the MR magazines a while back on how it was done, but I can’t remember what issue it was in (if it even exists) if anyone recognizes the idea, please speak up.
Either way, I was thinking of using a double coil solenoid from an atlas switch to do the mechanical movement, does this sound feasible to anyone. Another idea is to make an electromagnet that sits with the poles pointing out like an uncoupling ramp behind the coupler but I am not sure how strong it would have to be to work or if the magnetic flux could flow past the metal of the shell. Has any one done this kind of thing before?
If you have any ideas, please post up.
There was an article in MR and there have been several threads here recently. Personally I think your idea about a coil solenoid has promise even if only at one end of the switcher. This till leaves the problem of uncoupling part of a string of cars. I still believe in the BBQ skewer method which is what I use at home.
I did an article search but did not find it, could you give me a time frame to look through (2004? 2002?)
I am all for a skewer when necessary, but our club’s layout is not up to speed to be really running trains prototypically, right now we only run whole trains and the engine would only need to move these strings of cars, not spot the individual cars. Some day we will have an entirely electrified layout (electro magnets, remote switches, lights, and everything else) and when we do, I could uncouple consists at a magnet and spot the cars with the switcher. With the DCC uncoupling I wouldn’t have to play games with the magnet ramps.
Here is the progress I made today. I drilled a hole in the front of the frame to clear a brass wire; then I bent the end of the wire in a loop and soldered it shut. Next I bent the coupler wire to the side and slid it in the loop. Finally I filed off the ridge on the inside of the coupler so it will release easier. Testing with another locomotive by pulling the wire back was successful, now I have to get it wired up and test it on the track.
Pictures:
A side view:
The front while at rest:
The front while open:
I also started making a solenoid, after pulling apart an atlas switch machine and finding it way too big, I decided a custom job would be better. I am making it a single pole spring return solenoid, and I am planning on using it to operate both couplers at the same time (yah it limits the usability of the switcher [no consisting] but it simplifies the
What’s wrong with the standard magnet uncoupler? Won’t it work with DCC?
I’ve thought about this as well. Seems that at some point with DCC, we may be able to load our consist in the computer and when we want to set out a particular car, we type in the appropriate address (based on roadname and car number) and it uncouples. Of course we would have to put decoders in each car and some sort of uncoupling device. Well, its a thought…
Z50R
Have you thought about a product called memory wire (IIRC), its been in a few other threads (should be serchable). The wire expands/shrinks as current is run through it. You should be able to use it on each end to activate your couplers. Good luck
Rick
Did you check with Train America Studios, tastudios.com? I know they have electro decouplers, but I don’t know if they fit HO.
Here is the muscle wire idea again:
http://www.rr-cirkits.com/uncoupler.html
Seth Gartner
Charlotte, NC
I want to be able to operate using MS Train Simulator software.
Kadee should already have this figured out.
[:D]
Now this is a great idea . One would have fun placing cars.
Keep them on the rails MRR people!!![^]
The article should be in late 2003. Walter I think he wants to be able to uncouple from his switcher at any point he chooses instead of a fixed point using the under track magnet system.
Bob, I didn’t think about that as my layout has the magnets near the front of a siding and I can use the delayed action feature. I also use the McDonald’s coffee stir sticks (with the paddle end cut to a sharp point). If you angle it right, it is the best (freebe) uncoupler you can get. Besides, the coffee isn’t bad either.
There is one large problem with all of the schemes above that rely on opening one coupler: if you are using Kadee couplers, this method will not work reliably. The Kadee coupler is very cleverly designed such that if only one knuckle is open, there is still an interference fit between the open and closed knuckle. This is to prevent unexpected car drops. A mechanical engineer friend and I worked on this problem for months. No matter how you open a single coupler, the Kadees will not part smoothly. They are designed to have both couplers open to separate cars. For prototypical operation, you want to “open” the engine coupler and be able to drop any car (i.e. the car has no DCC coupler system). When we realized this fact, we took a different design approach: we designed the engine coupler to drop down. While this is not quite prototypical (although we have a note from a retired engineer that said he had uncoupled trains several times by dropping the engine coupler) it does result in a very convincing car drop at local industries. The engine and car pull up, the engine reverses, and the car is left in position. We designed the unit for this operational aspect. If you restore the coupler to its normal position quickly, you really can’t see the non-protypical aspect of the operation. At the Springfield train show several years ago, we had a demonstration unit operating. Most people had to look closely several times before they figured out how it was done. This unit is sold for us by Tony’s Train Exchange, as mentioned in one of the earlier posts.
I don’t have my camera with me, but I finished the solenoid, It looks smooth but I am uncertain how well it will work. modlerbob, thanks for the time frame, I will search the club’s library to see how MR did it. I am not opposed to the whole coupler dropping operation but I will continue along my path for a while longer. It seems that I have gotten the coupler to work using the same steps referenced in the article presented by docgartner. After filing down the lip on the inside of the kadee coupler they readily uncouple but they need a stiffer spring or another way to hold them closed.
Thanks for the Ideas and insight
I think that if Kadee was to get something to market, it would probably follow there patent on uncoupling.
Hopefully they are working on something that can be affordable. Would anyone else be willing to pay for a $35 -$60 system using Kadee’s couplers and DCC controlling?
I might ,but it would have to be relieable and easy to install? Or perhoas installed on a car or locomotive…
I think cost is a big issue for anyone designing and making something that would work?
BTY, Happy Easter to Everyone…
I thought that an electromagnet needed to be powered by AC, not DC current. Which is why the accessories termials on powerpacks are AC.
If my premise is true, running a solenoid via DCC may not work.
It seems like way back in elementary school we did a science project where we wrapped a bunch of wire around a 10 penny nail and hooked it up to a lantern battery and proceeded to pick up a bunch of paper clips. So an electromagnet should be possible with DC current.
Yes, now that I have thought some more, it is a transformer that only works with AC.
So, will the track voltage of DCC have enough or too much “oomph” to pull a KD pin to one side?
The magnetic field strength of a solenoid depends on the number of turns of wire and the current flowing through the wire. For a given size wire, adding more turns requires increasing voltage to get the same current (assumes wire resistance is controlling the current). Solenoids are far more efficient on DC than AC, because AC requires magnetic field reversals in both the coil and the slug at 60Hz (or whatever frequency is being used). The resistance to magnetic field reversal adds to impedance of the coil.
The solenoid will need to be isolated from being “seen” by the DCC command station by passing the power through the decoder, just like motors are. Otherwise, solenoids (more likely if there is more than one) could mangle the DCC packet waveform sufficiently to prevent proper control.
yours in fields
Fred W
