I am using the 308 “Under the Track Uncoupler” with Kadee 40’ boxcars. When I stop over the 308 the couplers disengage as they should. However, the couplers swing so far to the sides that when I attempt to make use of the delayed position the couplers don’t contact each other because the magnetic field has pulled them so far to the sides.
Is the uncoupler in the middle of a stretch of straight track at least 2 car-lengths long? If not, your problem may be that the cars themselves are at an angle to each other, so they won’t re-couple properly, either in the normal or the “delayed” position.
Does this happen to all your cars, or just a few? If it’s only one or two, you might be able to fix the problem by bending up the trip pin (that loop that hangs below the coupler) just a bit so the magnetic field won’t affect it as strongly.
Unfortunately, the most likely answer is that you need to lower the magnet a bit. Tough thing to do when you’ve got your track glued down on top of it, huh?
Yes, uncoupler is in the middle of a two car length stretch of track. I only have a couple of cars and it does happen on all of them including the two Kadee cars I own.
Never though about bending the trip pin up, that might work. You’re right, all the track is glued down, making that an ugly fix if I was sure it would work.
Got a response from Kadee saying that they’ve noticed this problem also, possibly caused by a too wide coupler box designed for tight curves.
Thanks,
jack
The #308 is listed as an ‘O’ gauge uncoupller. - Whatever.
It appears to be ‘too strong’ for your use. A thickness, of paper, cardboard, or trimming the width of steel platemight reduce it’s strength somewhat, but it’s trial and error, and how much is too much?.
What # Kadee’s are you using?
Try this. Put a big steel nail, like a 2-incher, on the roadbed adjacent to the track, lying parallel to the track on each side where the uncoupler magnet is. What I’m trying to do is “steal” some of magnetic field and let it close through the nail instead of getting up to the couplers. This might just make it work, or it might make it worse, I dunno. It’s cheap, though, and easier than ripping up the magnet. Another option is to put a single nail right in the center between the rails. I’d expect that to have the opposite effect of the nails outside the rails.
Let us know what happens. This is just crazy enough to work.