Like a magic trick. Invisible hands pop open the knuckles and hold them open while you push the car into the siding and leave it there. We put one in a location where manual uncoupling is not possible.
One of our old SW9 just hangs up on the magnet occasionally, the tolerances are very close. I used the jig but possibly just a tiny bit too much adhesive. I’ll be a bit more exact next time.
Kadee couplers work best…big surprise.
I’ve replaced all my rolling stock wheels with metal Intermountain wheelsets. They work very well, and greatly reduce rolling resistance over the old plastic wheels an axles.
But, that leads to a problem with strong electromagnets. As I push an uncoupled car away from the magnet, it gets drawn right back because the magnet pulls the metal wheelsets right back.
My solution is to use tall field grass to weather the siding. The axles are held in place by the grass and prevented from rolling back.
Welcome to model railroading. So happy for you, think of what you have been missing. I discovered that in 1968…
Sheldon
I gave up on Kadee magnetic uncouplers long ago. Yep, the electromagnets are too strong. I would be running a string of freight cars at low speeds through the yard, and the cars would uncouple going over the magnets. I called it unintended uncouplings.
Rich
Hello All,
Been using them since I got back in the hobby in 2014.
I had a similar problem with a depressed center flatcar on the mainline.
When the steel weight, in the middle of the car, passed over the magnet the car would stutter from the magnetic field.
The gap between the weight in the car and the uncoupling magnet was 3/64-inch, well within the specifications for the magnet to act on the uncoupling levers.
The solution was twofold:
If I do need to uncouple on the mainline I use an uncoupling tool.
The delayed action is another great feature of Kadee couplers for spotting cars.
Hope this helps.
I’m using the ordinary magnet version not an electromagnet.
Just out of curiosity when did Kadee release their ordinary magnet uncoupler with “Delayed action uncoupling”?
The idea with an electromagnet uncoupler is you switch it off in order to avoid unintended uncouplings.
I’m using the permanent magnet version but installed in the siding itself so unintended uncouplings won’t be an issue.
The uncoupling effect allows the engineer to push and roll the uncoupled car quite realistically. Now if the brakeman would be more alert all would be perfect…
1956
Delayed uncoupling works even better with 148 whisker couplers than #5s
I devised a simple system of mechanically lifting a permanent magnet up under the ties, invisible under ballast. Works great, no unintentional uncoupling or other I’ll effects. Posted it, twice, it went pretty much ignored. Dan
Any chance that old SW9 could have the bottom of the gear covers shaved off a little?
Any of you guys remember when that hole in the rear of the Kadee Coupler Height Gauge after being screwed down to the rails, was used for a drill bit to drill a centered hole between the rails for a centered between the rails uncoupling ramp and the ‘‘contact button’’ that could be used manually or remote controlled by the use of a solenoid lift?
This Coupler Height Gauge with the drill bit hole could be the “First Generation B-5” metal gauge. (first in pictures)
The “Second Generation #205” metal gauge has a metal “plug” that lets you know that the Magnetic (between the rails) uncoupler is at the right height with the rails and trip pin. (standard coupler with a cover plate included) (second down in pictures)
The ''Third Generation" same as the above “Second Generation” but with a redesigned coupler mounting area (no cover plate, just a screw) and a #5 standard or #58 scale coupler. (Third down in pictures)
The “Fourth Generation” plastic gauge with a plastic ‘‘plug’’ works in the same manner as the ‘‘Second and Third Generation’’ gauge except it will not short out your system if left straddling the rails when your system is powered up. Includes a standard and scale wisker coupler with a plastic cover plate. (fourth down in pictures)
‘‘First Generation’’ #B-5 coupler gauge packaging.
The wording I used, ‘‘Generation’’ is the best way I could think of at this time.
Actually, I used the standard magnetic couplers - - 12 of them, 6 at each end of the yard. Specifically, they were the #308 Under-the-Track Hidden Delayed-Action Magnetic Uncoupler.
I was simply agreeing with Mister Beaseley that the magnets are too strong.
The Kadee magnetic couplers suck. Unintended uncouplings were a big issue.
Rich
This post deserves to be made into, or added to, a sticky of some kind to make it visible as a reference. Perhaps with some additional things like different instruction sheets for the versions. This fills in the information that Sam gives us about the gauges.
Re-describe it, ideally with pictures, every time you bring it up. People don’t always search back through threads, and sometimes it takes multiple mentions for an idea to be recognized.
Its a lifelike Proto 2000, the gear covers are flat. The gears immediately above the cover are plastic. We have two others supposedly identical but with much less mileage on them which traverse the magnet easily. The one that stops and spins its wheels seems to get lifted a tiny bit reducing wheel grip.
I ran out of time to investigate. I got distracted by correcting an obvious polarity reversal situation elsewhere (literally right under my nose)…
And still for sale presumably profitably. Amazing for a product so unsatisfactory to so many modellers.
I began railroad “modelling” only in about 1960. I got distracted by the realities of a professional career in about 1974 returning to the hobby only in 2019.
I do recall vividly the owner of my LHS scoffing at my inquiry about fitting Kadee couplers to Triang cars in about 1970. For some reason he failed to keep my business. The alternative LHS back then started up probably for that reason. Don’s Hobby Store is now the go to place for Halloween costumes, while the real trainstore run by a real Don who knows a thing or two about customer service is the only thriving train store remaining.
This hobby does attract some…er…interesting characters.
I read “electromagnet” in your post.
I refer to the Kadee between the rails permanent magnet version for Code 83, specifically product #322.
Mine when installed using the handy Kadee jig works as claimed by Kadee.
When was #322 first released?
I remember back in the 1960’s my Dad and a Lionel “O” gauge 4’ x 8’ layout in the basememt / cellar. It had a magnetic uncoupler track. If I can remember it had a red round piece of metal (size of a quarter) in the middle of the track with a round metal center piece (about 1/4" dia.) in the red piece. It was wired through a button switch to the transformer. I worked great. I don’t ever remember it missing a coupler or how it worked.
True, but I didn’t say that I owned any. Here is a photo of the magnetic couplers that I sold on Bay. I originally had 12, and I sold two sets of six.
You should give the 322 a try for Code 83.
A Code 100 version is also made.