I use bamboo skewers for uncoupling. After about three years with no magnetic uncouplers installed I decided the trip pins had to go. Each railroad is different and the decision to cut off the trip pins should not be taken lightly. After they are cut off they are mighty hard to put back on. What are your thoughts?
I had problems with the trip pins snagging on the plows of locomotives and no, I will not extend the coupler past the plow. Just something I will not do. So, yes I do cut them off. Whether or not some one else does, it’s just a matter of taste in how you plan operations. Large layouts with limited access could benefit from them. I have a pick to decouple when and where I want so they pretty much just get in the way.
I use link and pins, so I haven’t that worry.
Well espee I also use the Bamboo skewers for uncoupling. I do not cut my trip pins off but I do cut them lower for other reasons. I cut mine down because sometimes they are too low and hit rail at the switches. So to just avoid it I shorten them. I do not use magnetic uncouplers either and have no plans to install them so I will stick to my skewers
I haven’t cut all of mine of yet, I only cut them off the engines and I adjust them not to hang up, meaning; I bend them up and cut them short so they don’t get caught in the switches. I have been reluctant to cut them off… They might be useful some day, I just don’t know
I cut them off my passenger cars so they don’t interfere with the air and steam lines. Another consideration is that I don’t do any switching with any passenger trains so there is no use for them there. They also look awful. I know of at least one club that will not allow you to operate your equipment on their precious layout unless you have trip pins on everything.
I trim mine by about 2 mm if they snag even once. I have no interest in magnetic uncoupling, so I use the skewer.
I leave the trip pins on for now. However, on some equipment, the pins interfere with the installation of couplers. For example, I had to snip the pins when I installed Kadees on the nose of my Model Power Baldwin RF16s. Even with the longest shank available, the pin still wouldn’t clear the pilot!
I leave them on. When one hangs too low and starts snagging ties and switch points, I either change out the coupler or trim it.
Wow guys, that seems like a rather drastic measure. I haven’t been in HO in years, but when I was, I liked the magnets and the delayed action. Properly heighted they were no trouble at all. I didn’t mind the look either, I pretended they were brake hoses.
Technically if you are going to use skewers for uncoupling, horn hooks would be equally functional.
Food for thought.
I’ve had the cutters in my hand about 5 times now swearing to cut those frakking things off but I haven’t yet.(doesn’t mean I won’t some day)
The N scale Accumate couplers that come on Atlas engines lose their trip pins too easily. They are pretty hard to get back in. Therefore, when an engine or car equipped with Accumate couplers loses its trip pin, I just let it stay off. In my opinion, Microtrains couplers have it all over the Accumates.
Yes, I cut them off. I am not a rivit counter, but I do know that the brake line does not attach to the bottom of the coupler on the prototype. I am working on a way to make brake lines that actually attach.
I find the trip pins to be mighty ugly. That is one reason that I bit the bullet and decided to convert to Sergent couplers.
I cut all mine off. I found out that they interfered with freight cars coupling to my diesels that had snow plows. It was either the plows or the coupler pins. The pins lost! Since I don’t use magnetic uncoupling, I didn’t need them anyway. I use tiny screwdrivers for uncoupling tools.
Indeed, the MTL couplers are a vast improvement over Accumates. Body-mounted MTLs are better yet.
I’ve tried magnetic uncoupling in both scales I’ve done, HO and N, and it just doesn’t work for me. Someone on the forum here once said that using magnetic uncoupling is more art than science, and I believe it. So, bye bye trip pins.
Ray
my opinion is that it was a big mistake when i did it years ago…there was a time i didn’t use magnetic uncouplers and cut all the pins from my couplers…My new layout has magnetic uncouplers installed and i had to go and replace every coupler on my fleet of locomotives and rolling stock …my advice is to purchase a pair of kadee coupler pliers and bend them out of the way…that way if you do decide to use magnetic uncouplers again the trip pins are still there…chuck
Hmmm…
When I was younger, I used to cut the horns and trip pins off of them, too (horn hooks).Besides, without the trip pins, #58’s look outstanding on a model locomotive!
I use bamboo skewers and cut the trip pins short. They are too horribly oversized to represent an air hose, anyway.
I keep them - rather need to to be able to use magnets to uncouple and I can’t say the appearance bothers me - compared to the monsterous “tension lock” couplers we’ve put up with over here until fairly recently Kadees are much less obtrusive, even with the trip pin underneath!