I am in the process of laying track on my new HO layout, but I am not quit sure where to place the magnetic uncouplers. Does anybody have some helpful hints/ links? Illustrations would be awesome!! lol( I’m a visual kinda guy!) Thanks folks.
There are a lot of ways to skin a cat.
One way is to put a magnet prior to the points of the first switch of several facing point switches. Then you uncouple on the magnet, set the delayed feature and shove the car to a spot.
Another way is to put the magnet at the clearance point of the track. You shove into the track and then uncouple at the clearance point.
I prefer the under the track magnet. They can be invisible (mark the ties over them with a small do of paint) and work just as well.
Dave H.
I have three under-track uncoupler magnets, ones made by Kadee and the other two are from Bachmann. Two are on spurs and the other is on a siding that connects the two sides of the layout as well as connecting the inner and outer loops. The location of two are marked by grade crossings and the third is marked by a trackside structure. To anyone that doesn’t know they’re there, they’re totally invisible.
Before I did anything permanent with my uncoupler magnets, I did a bit of testing to see how they worked, and what limitations they had. I’m using the between-the-rails Kadee magnets.
First, I tried mounting them as instructed, and found that I had a clearance issue with one of my engines. I’ve got a P2K S1 which “runs aground” on the magnet if it’s mounted at the recommended height. Instead of that, I shaved down the ties a bit and mounted the magnet even with the tops of the rails. This allowed the S1 to clear, and still gives the same level of uncoupling performance.
Uncoupling on these magnets requires both couplers to be “relaxed.” They need to be centered in their pockets, so the springs don’t have sideways tension either way. More simply put, the cars need to be aligned straight, so the magnet needs to be in the middle of a straight section of track at least twice as long as the longest car or locomotive you plan to uncouple there. (If you’ve got long passenger cars, for example, that have truck-mounted couplers, then this requirement can be relaxed a bit for them.)
This leads to some issues with putting couplers right before the first turnout of a yard throat. If you’re using a tight turnout like an Atlas snap-switch, you really need a bit of a straight section between the turnout and the uncoupler magnet, or longer cars will not be aligned with each other if you’re sending them down the curved path.
Get the Kadee coupler gauge and trip pin pliers if you don’t have them already. Most of the time, if you’re having trouble uncoupling, your couplers aren’t set up correctly. It’s really worthwhile to be a fanatical fussbudget about coupler alignment.
If you’re just laying track, then you don’t have to think about the scenic element yet, but you should consider how you will mark the position of your track magnets. When there’s a boxcar an
Great info guys… But I’ve got a question regarding this subject. What if I don’t know exactly where I’m gonna need to uncouple. I have a general idea of where the work is gonna be done, but not the exact place. Do these magnets sit under the track and ties, or does it sit on the top of the ties? Cuz if its under, then how do you lay track not knowing exactly where the magnets will be? I know of uncoupling magnets, but am not familiar with the different kinds.
Mike
I would avoid placing magnets at the main line. And I’ve made a few magnets movable.
Wolfgang
You do your homework. You plan the track out to the last detail including the distances to turnouts and the ends of storage tracks and/or spurs.
so then the magnets go under the track and ties?
Yes, under the ties. Like in this pic:
Wolfgang