Uncoupling

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I’m starting a new layout and am still puzzled on how you uncouple the cars during an operating session. Do you still use a pick, magnets on the track, electromagnets or something else? Some sidings are going to be pretty hard to uncouple with a pick. I have Tony’s yard switcher with DCC Couplers & that’s great if you only want to uncouple the car next to the engine. Some suggestions please. Thanks Bill

2

You’ll have to settle for ‘fixed’ (magnet) locations, or ‘delayed’ uncoupling (Kadee exclusive) backing cars into spurs & sidings; or using your DCC switching engine one car at a time or shoving a string - like a REAL railroad.

3

I have a psgr depot w/ 8 platform tracks and 1 under-track KD magnet on the coach yard lead is adequate for spotting trains into all 8 tracks. Let’s hear 3 cheers for delay!

4

hi bswing

Just wondering … how well does that switcher from Tony’s with the DCC Coupling work? Any problems with it? Any little bugs?

I think its a cool little setup.

5

You asked.

  1. We use the McHenery from Micro Mark that sticks to the bottom of the track, Easy to install and works fine.

  2. All our Kadee have to be machined down since I am using code 83 instead of code 100.

  3. The stick idea is what one of the operators wants to use. I then told him to uncouple a car at an industry 6 feet away from the aisle, he now likes the magnets.

Drawback, you can have an unwanted uncouple so chose your locations with some care.

Never (yet) had an unwanted uncouple with real Kadee couplers, McHenery is another story.

6

Thanks George. I would be pleased to show you around the Sun City Hilton Head Model RR Club if you are in the area… We’ll be up in Aiken 9/29 for the New Bridge Polo matches. Regards, Bill

7

Hi Yardgoat, the switcher works great. It is a proto 2000. Bill

8

Bill we will be running (testing that weekend if you want to drop by. just email me.

9

There is nothing wrong with any of the manual uncoupling methods. After all the real thing has to do that.

10

Uncoupling…Lots of things come into play. To match the prototype a Brakeman would have to walk to the car and uncouple it. So…the pick would represent the prototype the best. Kadees are hard to uncouple with a pick type tool. The Accurrail coupler works the best with a pick (theirs). The McHenry and the other plastic coupler clones don’t work as well as the Kadees. The Accurrail coupler looks bad, the Kato coupler looks bad, trip pins on any coupler look bad. Now, Seargent sells a scale coupler that couples and uncouples just like the prototype. I am doing tryouts with these right now. The idea of updating all my cars is not a favorable one. Another thing about the Seargent couplers is that they don’t center them selves, I’m not sure this is an issue yet, just a comment. But they couple and uncouple great and they look great. Still I don’t know if it is worth all the trouble or just stick with the Kadees.

Don Carman,

Modeling Conrail 1991, Digtrax & CMRI

11

You can greatly improve the ability to use a uncoupling pick on Kadees if you file the small hook on the coupler jaw down about half way (just a few passes will do it).

You don’t want to totally remove the hook because it keeps cars from false uncoupling if the train gets slack in it.

Using a coupler pick to uncouple is certainly the way to go if you want to operate like the prototype. If you have a walkaround layout design, then using a manual pick isn’t a problem, and the rare times you do need to uncouple and the location you need to reach is awkward, you can manually set the coupler to delayed and push the car into place, then pull away.

12

Has anyone used the Rix Sticker (Magnetic Uncoupling Tool) with much success? I had planned to use the Kadee under-track magnetic uncouplers exclusively, but after installing 2 of them, I have had mixed results.

13

I used the RIX magnetic uncoupler for a couple weeks.

The problem I encountered was having the RIX stick to the metals wheels on a lot of my rolling stock.

As I would lower the RIX down over the couplers the magnet would be attracted to the metals wheels. This caused some derailments while trying to uncouple.

I went back to the skewer. I then saw an article in one of the magazine on mounting a short piece of skewer on the end of a small key-chain type flash light.

This has worked better than anything else I have previously tried. Having the couplers much more visible by the light has made it so much easier to get the pick into the right spot on the couplers.

14

if you have trouble reaching some spots on the layout, uncouple the car where you can reach it, then offset the couplers so its impossible for them to re-engage(use a wooden skewer or jewlers screwdriver) so you can use the locomotive to push it to where it needs to go. once the car is pushed into the right spot, “uncoupling” is as easy as just driving away.
GEARHEAD426

15

My rule of thumb is to use a manual uncoupling tool for all mainline uncoupling and below track magnetic uncouplers in yards and industrial spurs. That way I never have unwanted uncoupling under a moving train. All my mainline track is easily reachable so access is never an issue.

16

When I was in HO scale I used a RIX handheld product that had opposing magnets. It worked great for me, and was easy to use. I’m in N scale now and I use little swords that I think are designed for some sort of alcoholic drink.