N-Scale Atlas Uncoupling Problem

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I just recently bought an N-Scale Atlas GP-9 and Kato Unitrack. The coupler on my Atlas engine looks like the old Kadee knuckle couplers except it is made in two halves with a split down the middle. Whenever I pull a car across the Kato Unitrack with the uncoupling magnet, the engine uncouples from the car, even though I never reversed direction over the magnet. The inadvertant uncoupling occurs everytime the engine goes accross the magnet. I finally had to remove the magnetic uncoupler section to operate the train.

I have two questions:

  1. What is the purpose of the split down the center of the coupler?

  2. How can I get the engine to go across the uncoupler section without the engine uncoupling?

Thank You…
Earl Staley

2

The split is so the coupler can open to couple with another coupler.

3

Any slack in the train will cause this, remember N-scale is very light. I cut my magnets in half . It helps a bit but it is more difficult to spot the uncoupling location.

The split is so the coupler will open, the spring is inside the coupler box instead of on the side like the HO coupler.

4

The original Kadee couplers had no split and they worked fine. I did not have the inadvertent un-coupling problem with the older couplers.

Earl