Hi all,
Just wondering, do you trim the uncoupling pins on your rolling stock? Why/why not?
Cheers,
tbdanny
I don’t because I still use remote uncoupling.
Trim - Because I don’t use magnetic uncouplers. I use the manual method (a BBQ Skewer) for operational reasons. I also thinks this looks better.
ratled
I either bend and adjust trip pin height that way if a car hangs up on the frog or its guards, or I remove the pin entirely if it is a pain. I leave most of mine on, and most can be left alone when new. However, I do remove the pins on all my engine front couplers. It just doesn’t look right to have them there and the added detail hoses.
-Crandell
My Kadee (and clone) magnetics retain their, ‘hoses,’ although I sometimes reverse them to get them out of sight and keep them from tangling on one another.
For places where I know I will never, ever have to uncouple over a magnet, there are several options:
- Some passenger cars and DMU have, ‘interlocking drawbars.’ They provide positive locking, but are a royal PITA to uncouple.
- Never-to-be-uncoupled freight cars are fitted with Kadee K couplers, without pins. I scored a lifetime supply when Malcolm Vordenbaum switched to Kadee MK couplers close to half a century ago. For those not in the know, Kadee Ks were the non-magnetic design that had a vertical pin at the angle of the (hookless) knuckle, intended to uncouple over a diamond ramp.
By far and away, the majority of my uncoupling is done over magnets - fixed on spurs, swing-down on through tracks. I prefer to keep the (rather clumsy) Giant Hand of God out of the 1:80 scale world.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I like remote uncoupling, so I keep all of my couplers properly adjusted and in good working order.
I also like remotely-operated turnouts. I guess I’m just not a Big Hand from the Sky guy.
I use skewers, I have no magnets anywhere. But I just can’t bring myself to get out the heavy duty cutters and clip off the pins. I do adjust them so they definitely clear the Kadee gauge - not just by a little bit. One of these days I’ll probbaly just cut them off, but for now they stay.
–Randy
I tried using magnet uncouplers on my layout, they worked OK but I found it kinda limiting to only have certain places to uncouple…plus since I like momentum it sometimes could be a chore to get stopped right over the uncoupling magnet.
[:$]
Still, even though I don’t use the magnets for now I’m leaving the hoses on. I just make sure they’re high enough to be out of trouble going thru turnouts and such. I figure I’d hate to remove them all because then I would decide to put in uncoupling magnets again and have to replace them all.
p.s. If I were starting over in HO I’d take a hard look at using Sergeant couplers…
I don’t cut mine off either. I think they actually look better with them on, it gives the illusion of hoses dangling.
Ditto for me, but I use the Rix uncoupling tool for my N scale stuff. This works the same way as the skewers but it is a bit smaller.
I leave them on, simply because I use magnets on some industrial sidings that would not be able to exist if I had to use a skewer. Too far away for arm length. So I have the best of both worlds.
Bob
Since I pretty much sell most of the weathered cars I show… I trim some and leave some. I mainly trim the ones that have cut-levers, and air hoses. Seems like the trip pin is in the way (look wise). If I don’t add the extra detail work, they stay on.
As far as my layout…They are all removed. Just looks better.
Hi … I’m in the process of cutting all the trip pins off - they interfere with Pilots on locomotives and some freight cars and they are more of a headache than an asset to my operations. The other benefit is the coupler looks better without it in place.
Since I do not incorporate any automatic uncoupling on my operations, I simply use the ‘wand’ method.
However, there are many modelers who prefer the trip pin for automated operation - its simple and works reasonably well in most circumstances.
It’s really going to come down to what you like or prefer and why.
Good luck with your decision either way and have fun modeling!
HeritageFleet1
I’ve had my hands on the snips many times but could never bring myself to it.
On, for now, but once I get the track/buildings mostly in place, I will see if I need to do any magnetic uncoupling. It’s going to be a city scene, so I don’t know if there will be difficult to reach areas or not. Probably not, and then they will most likely go.
OFF WITH IT’S HEAD!!
Okay, so not really. Truth be told, I’m somewhat lazy, and only nip them when they cause me trouble. Do so, and one can bet that a Kadee will be going stubby. Personally, I hate the magnets with a livid passion, because trains going across them tend to uncouple. Even after said train is attempting to pickup cars. Maybe it was just the first of several bad experiences, but I don’t see the real treat to them. If you cannot reach to uncouple, you have a problem, and Great Hand of God-ing it does not bother me. If I’m taking pictures or video, I just have to be sure I can edit out my arm.
One perk to not cutting the Kadees, is that if you change to something else, (who knows what the future holds) or a better Kadee, the trip pin couplers are a tad more likely to resell than the trimmed ones, because they can still play ball with the magnets. Realistically, you won’t cover your losses by selling them unless you sell them by the metric gigaton, but a local club will take them off your hands.
How are these different from regular run-of-the-mill drawbars? I presume from the description that they are not permanently coupled?
John
At my Westport Terminal RR I use magnets and skewers. So I need the uncoupling pins still.
But with my narrow gauge modules I use only skewers, I could trim the pins. I have still to do it.
Wolfgang
I bend up the coupler trip pins on my HO scale cars.
My N scale Micro-Trains cars stay as is, but some of my Atlas cars lost their trip pins. The trip pins on Atlas couplers are not mounted securely, and I’m going to have to convert all my Atlas N scale rolling stock over to Micro Trains couplers one of these days.