Since layout design is always a matter of compromise, I’m considering having part of a good sized passenger station on a 36in’ radius curve. I hope to include switching of head-end equipment and pullman cars (full length) in my operating scheme. Is this a recipe for trouble? Can reliable coupling and uncoupling of passenger cars take place on a curve?
Thanks.
David
No, I think you will run into problems trying to couple cars on a curve, especially passenger cars. With my experience with my passenger cars (Athearn Bombardier GO cars, Rapidio ONR cars and Walthers VIA cars) none of them will couple on my 40 inch curves. I’ve never tried it but I bet with a Kadee magnetic uncoupler or similar product you could get them to uncouple.
Basically no. While it can be done, the rolling stock will have to be the same length and configuration. Because any misalignment will make coupling on a curve imposable. While uncoupling would be a breeze.
Magnetic uncoupling on a curve is unreliable. My rule of thumb is that the straight track needs to extend at least as far from the uncoupler magnet as the longest car you plan to uncouple there. If you have truck-mounted couplers, you can get away with a shorter straight. I’m not sure about swing-mounted couplers, but I’d suspect problems with those.
While uncoupling on a curve (where you want it to happen) is a problem, coupling is even worse. That doesn’t even work well for short freight cars, in my experience.
If you are uncoupling on a curve unintentionally, then you need to take a look at your trackwork and couplers. It shouldn’t happen.
Thanks for the quick responses! I guess it’s back to the drawing board!
Cheers,
David
IF you can increase the radius to 5 times the length of the cars, and IF the cars are the same length, and if the couplers will center automatically you can couple reliably on a curve. If you do your uncoupling with a skewer, or if you can offset your under-tie magnet so the coupled couplers are centered on it (from side to side) you can uncouple on the same size or larger curve. If ANY of the above comes up a joker, replace the curve with at least two car lengths of tangent track and move the curvature out into the specialwork - where you won’t be uncoupling anyway.
That part of the platform track where you’ll never uncouple anything can be curved, but start the curve at least one carlength beyond the uncoupling point.
The same rules apply to both passenger and freight cars. They also apply to coupling cars to locomotives. (In my case, passenger cars are a uniform length - but they are pulled by locomotives with short three-axle tenders! At my engine change station, the platform tracks are straight.)
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I have read this thread with a growing sense of disappointment and despair! Is magnetic uncoupling/coupling on curves really that difficult/unreliable/impossible?
I, in common with many UK modellers, am not lucky enough to have much space for my layout, but I had decided to go North American for my next attempt, basing my decision on: (1) my admiration for US steam; (2) the fact that your products are generally better value for money than ours; and (3) because your magnetic couplers are so much more realistic and function - or so I thought - so much better than most of the several coupling variants we have over here.
I had planned out my track with nice smooth curves, with a minimum radius in the visible areas of 42" (30" on hidden tracks). From what I now read it looks as if I am wasting my time, and that while the couplings will look better, and will work better on the straights, I shall not be able to magnetically uncouple/couple cars on any of my curves. Every extra straight stretch means a sharper and less realistic curve somewhere else, so it looks as if I may be onto a loser here. (Also, arguably, short straight stretches followed by sharp curves are far less aesthetically pleasing and less realistic and prototypical than a broader, smoother single curve.)
HELP. Any reassurance out there, or is it really that bad? (I am only concerned with freight cars)
Perhaps I should give up on the N&W and return to my first love, the English GWR.
Peter (currently very depressed!)
I guess you’d need to experiment with some Kato or Bachmann snap-together track to see what works with our equipment. It could be cars with truck mounted couplers (like Athearn or Rivarossi) might have an easier time than ones with body mounted couplers??
My freight yard is on a curve and I have little problems coupling and un coupling. The key is to make the radius large enough. Get some flex track and test out different radii with different rolling stock. This way you know what you are getting into.
The problems associated with coupling and uncoupling on tight curves is probably why Kadee invented the delayed uncoupler.
Planning for coupling and uncoupling is probably best undertaken before track laying begins.
On sharp curves, yes. One of the prices we pay for having sharper than prototype curves. If we had prototype curves, we’d have less problems than the prototype. But read further on.
Peter
There are 2 types of knuckle couplers now available in HO.
Fred and others who have contributed,
Thank you very much for the time and trouble you have taken to try to allay my depression! I have been away for a few days (hence my delay in posting) and visited a model rail show where I was able to pick the brains of the owner of an HO US layout.
From what he said, and from what you have said, it looks as if it is worth a try. He said that the worst problems come if you are trying to uncouple/couple when one car is on the straight and the other on a curve. If they are both on a curve the offset is similar for the two couplers and the problem is less - as long as the curves are not too sharp. He also said that the No5 couplers prove a little more forgiving than the newer, more prototypically sized, is it No58? Any views on that?
Thank you so much for your help: it looks as if all is not lost, and I can go ahead (with some careful experimentation first!).
Peter
I have few problems with uncoupling and coupling my 40’-60’ freight cars on curves. I’ve never tried it with passenger cars.
although not mentioned in your post it is obvious that you are talking about magnetic coupling and uncoupling.
as already stated by others it can be anything from difficult to impossible for it to work satisfactorily
this is one of the reasons that I use the skewer method on my layout. sometimes I use the skewer to move the couplers to one side to help them line up. I know that most modellers will disagree with this method but I am quite comfortable with it.
this probably doesn`t help you at all but I wanted show that their are other methods apart from magnetic to use.
trevor
One thing not mentioned is if you dont have that many cars you could use the seagent engineering couplers. They dont center but stay the same angle when uncoupled. Plus they look so real. If I didnt need 460 couplers I would switch to them. Why didnt they come out 20 years ago.
Pete