LOOP & HOOK UN-COUPLER TOOL

Garden Railroading
1

I use the Loop & Hook couples on my garden railway. After a continously having to bend over to couple and uncouple cards, I figured there had to be a better way. I built a tool, out of standard 1/2 inch PVC that is inserted between the cars and as the engine pulls away, the cars are uncoupled.

Well it works surprising well. I’ve built two, each with a different length, which enable me to uncouple cards from 2 -4 feet in away. Goto the following URL and several pictures are in my tools section.

http://community.webshots.com/user/MVgilger

Regards,
Mark[:D]

2

Take a knife, or a flat slender bar, slip it straight down on edge between the hoops, pressing down all the hooks, pull the engine slightly away, hooks come out from under the loops and catch on the blade, pull the blade out.
Small pocket screwdriver or popsicle stick works too.
TOC

3

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All those work, but you have to bend over. That’s the reason for my PVC tool, you don’t have to bend over anymore.

Thanks for the reply.

Mark

4

Listen you blokes we have been all over this before and the most effective uncoupler is a paddlepop stick. They are cheap and you can get them in different colours as well so that no one cann pinch your very own personal uncoupler.

Rgds ian

5

If you look, I think that’s what I said.

Anyway, who bends over?
You mean you are still running trains on the ground?
http://www.urbaneagle.com/dg/dgpics.html

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6

Ian,
What is a paddlepop stick. Can you take a picture?
Mark

7

i have a stack of preapproved credit cards that are no good accept for uncoupling hook and loop couplers. if i need a longer one i staple to a wood yardstick.

8

Markmate you have me i thought every one knew what a paddlepop was; i think you lot might like to call them popsicles or similatr; an iceblockon a stick.

We buy them in fairly big quantities for our concrete moulding activities and you can get them in different colours which can save a few hard wrguments later down the track when someone accuses you of pinching their stick!

Rgds ian

9

Thanks for the info Ian. Never heard popcycle sticks called that before.
Mark