was wondering if any of you guys have tried prototypical switching methods on your layouts. even with a slight downgrade on my lead and in my classification tracks (1/2 to 3/4 percent) i still have to shove cars all the way in to clear when switching.
now comes the P2K stuff that will roll 15 feet if you sneeze on it. just curious if a bunch of those cars could be flat switched by kicking them into their respective tracks. of course you would need an uncoupling magnet on the lead and only the real free rolling cars would work for this purpose.
up to now, the physics just haven’t been there for this to work very well.
i don’t care about hump yard operations with the gadgetry of air streams, vibrating rails and all that clap-trap. just plain old fashioned give them a boot at see them roll.
A fixed, permanent magnet would actually probably not be ideal for the yard.
1- when you kick a car or cut of cars, if the rest of your cut stops with another coupler over the magnet, you’ll get extra annoying uncouplings
2- after attempting to fix the unwanted uncouplings, you always have to pull all the way back to the uncoupler to make your next uncoupling and then start the push
3- you can actually do the delayed uncoupling with knuckle couplers manually. Uncouple with your uncoupling pick/tool and pull the one knuckle to the side then push onto the car(s) with the train like you’d do using the delayed uncoupling feature of the magnet.
Manual uncoupling in the yard is far more flexible.
Chris made a few key points about fixed magnets. Another is that if the car contains ferrous metal (Athearn BB car weights, or, in my case, the entire galvanized steel car!) the fixed magnet will act as a retarder whether you want it to or not.
One way around is a retractible or electromagnetic ramp just short of each set of points. Only the one you’re using will influence the car(s) being dropped - the others being effectively dead.
For less cooperative cars, or really flat yards, you might try air retarders in reverse. Have the air jets point toward the yard body tracks (on both the lead and a carlength or two into the body track.) Supply air with something VERY controllable. I have a little foot pump, meant for inflating air mattresses, that I intend to try. That way, the loco can kick the car at prototype walking speed and it will go far enough to clear switches and/or couple to other cars on the track.
Historical note. John Armstrong built one car that was eminently kickable - a hi-cube boxcar. All it took to convince it to roll the length of Cattaraugus Yard was a couple of flywneels the size of roller skate wheels, geared up from the axles. The downside was that it made train handling an absolute bear…
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - as prototypically as practicable)