I fully agree with you on the Rix Tool.[xx(]
IMHO the BEST coupler made for ease of operation is the Sargent Coupler.I have used these several times on a friend’s layout.
I use a small modeler’s flat tip screw driver with excellent results.
At less then $1 each, I’m happy what we do have works and looks as good as it does. Someone asked what the preferred uncoupling method was here a while back and something like 80% said the 0-5-0 method.
(remember the old Marx couplers?[xx(])
All my rolling stock has really delicate brake wheels–or I should say had brake wheels.
Hence my philosophy of having two fleets. I have an operations fleet of rugged Athearn type cars that can get banged around a bit by clumsy people in operating sessions, and a photo fleet with all the details that comes out when the camera does or trains are being run for show. I say that with a bit of jest, because one doesn’t have to be clumsy to destroy the details on a nice car during an operating session. As a previous poster pointed out, until we have automatic scale size brakemen with scale size strength this will be an issue.
If this is really that big of an issue and one doesn’t like the Sargents, there are always the old hoop and hook couplers (Like Baker in HO scale, the current LGB stock couplers, and American Flyer hooks of the 50s.). They are super reliable operation and easy manual decoupling. One would have to replace all those magnets (if they are still using them) with a “push-up” ramp. The push-up could be spring loaded (automatic decoupling), electromagnetic, hydraulic, or whatever. There is no “delayed-action” but that isn’t prototypical anyway.
TZ,
Right now my choice of rolling stock is MDC or MDC.
When people learn the simple secret of using picks there is no reason to go back to other means such as the 0-5-0. bunch the slack with the power on 1st notch, insert pick in the opening, use the reverse switch to move the loco or cars as you go down lightly with the pick. YES!, It’s that easy! The key is getting the slack at the mating faces! jc5729 John Colley, Port Townsend, WA