Has anyone had any experience with the Kadee magnetic uncouplers? Im trying to decide what works best the Delayed or the Non-Delayed Uncouplers?
I really like the delayed-action ones. I’ve got mostly the permanent magnet, between-the-rails kind, but I also recently installed an electromagnet on the main line. That’s to prevent accidental uncoupling when a train happens to stop over the uncoupler. The rest of them are on sidings or yard throats. With the delayed action, I can have one uncoupler in front of a 3-way switch that feeds three different sidings, and I can spot the cars anywhere.
With some experimentation, I’ve decided that the best way to mount these is flat even with the rail heads, not slightly above as the Kadee instructions indicate. Some engines (particularly the popular P2K S1 switcher) will hang up and “run aground” if the uncouplers are placed per the Kadee template. The magnets are strong enough that lowering them a little bit like this has no effect on uncoupling.
The other thing that is needed is careful placement with straight track on each side at least as long as the longest car or engine you will be uncoupling. If you’re using Talgo truck-mounted couplers on long cars, you can cheat a bit on this.
Of course, it’s more important than ever to get the Kadee coupler height gauge, and use it for all your cars and engines to get both the coupler height and the trip-pin height correct.
I’m using mostly Code 100 flex track, and I find that I have to grind down the ties a bit to get the uncouplers mounted the way I want them. This is much easier to do on the bench than on the layout, so it’s a good idea to figure out where you want your uncouplers before you glue the track down. I glue the uncouplers down with rubber cement, by the way, which does give me the option of easily removing them if necessary. I’ve had them on this way for about a year without any coming loose.
A number of people are going with stronger, smaller, and cheaper permanent magnets - or even building their own electromagnets, again for the increased power and cost reduction - do a forum search and check out all the alternatives.
Under the thread in this forum on the question of the use of Acme Model Engineering electrical panels, there is a post with a source for rare earth magnets that the poster uses as uncoupling magnets.
Bob