G'day, I'm just laying the track of this project now, I believe I have to put in"uncouplers"? to disengage the rolling stock. In the yard I have made, where do the uncouplers go? and how do the carriages reconnect? As you can see, the progress I am maiking is quite slow, but you guys are helping me with project of mine. I have read in the Aussie magazine about metal magnetic kaydee couplers, should I be using these? sorry for these dumb questions. regards, Passy:tb-confused:
You don't need magnetic uncouplers, you can use a wooden BBQ skewer or a Rix plastic uncoupling tool or you can pick the end of the car up (5 finger uncoupler) it's a matter of personal preference.
I Use a Pick I use a Rix pick or barbie skewer so I can uncouple anywhere. If I change my mind, I don't have to relocate magnetic uncouplers. This requires that all (and I do mean all) trackwork be within arms reach. My two cents on that. The SAMRA club layout in San Antonio disregards that advice completely thus illustrating a wide difference of opinion on this subject. If you wish to use magnetic uncouplers, I am unable to offer advice as to their location. Perhaps you could create a module with these devices and get some experience. You could practice both ways and see which one you prefer. There are both permanent and electromagnetic uncouplers. I have seen home made versions in H0 scale.
I used the magnetic uncouplers on the first Oakville Sub - thought you just HAD to have 'em. WRONG! They were a genuine PITA. I also use Rix Pics.
I concur. No matter how much planning you do those uncouplers always seem to be in the wrong location. One guy in our club made a handheld magnetic uncoupler using two miniature super magnets mounted on a plastic handle. Seems to work well.
I am glad I read this I was thinking about the magnetic uncouplers on my layout I will have to use 1 or 2 but I will also try both ways and see what happens.
I use the following picks (listed in order of obtaining them) Home made with 6 inches of 1/16 wire ground to a point at one end and the other end in 10 inches of 3/16 dowel Micro-Mark UNCOUPLING TOOL FOR HO AND N SCALE Rix N Scale Un-Coupling Tool The Micro-Mark and Rix products do fit in a pocket and have the tendency to get misplaced. As stated before all uncoupling must be within easy reach. Gary
Those of us that use them might... 1) Place 4 anywhere you're capable of runaround movements: 2 on the mainline, 2 on the passing siding. Place them down at each end on the trackwork just inside(but not under) each turnout so you can uncouple, bring the car passed the turnout, and reverse over to the other track. 2) Place 1 just inside the turnout on any spur you delivery cars to. Very important point...magnets are best placed on straight trackwork to allow the couplers to start in the center when uncoupling! Curves will lurch the couplers to the outside rail and make uncoupling impossible. Some will disagree, and object to mainline placement so to avoid unscheduled uncoupling, but these placements are used by many with success. I myself NEVER place magnets on curved trackwork. Also I, and many others, use two 3/8 x 1/8 disc magnets at each location, one under each rail. Works great. Hope this helps.
This is assuming that you have spurs on both sides, as I have on my layout. You'll need only 2 if you don't.
Hi, I had em on my Z scale layout, but like someone else said, they were never in the right place and/or always uncoupling in the wrong place. I use Rix pix, an old airbrush needle, and a homemade dental tool pic, whatever is handy. I have never used one of the electromagnet uncouplers, I always thought that might be a good solution, but the installation looks pretty complex, especially in a foam base. Todd
Rix Pics for me too. N scale is a bit fragile for smooth magnetic uncoupling operations. I'va also found that it won't work when you want it to, and will when you don't want them to. And they never seem to be located where I actually need them, no matter how hard I plan. I ditched them for my current layout.
Thanks so much for that handy link! You have no idea how long I have been looking for the best source of these extremely effective magnets!
I'll go along with pointed stick of whatever variety you fancy. I had magnets on previous layouts that would uncouple when I didn't want them to or not when I did. A permanent magnet on a mainline can be a recipe for problems, a bit of slack in the couplers or an accidental stop with a coupler over the magnet and you leave part of your train behind. Metal wheels may also be attracted to magnets and cause problems. The main reason I don't use them though, real trains don't, when we uncouple the real thing we do it where we need to and not have to look for a magnet between the rails, and uncoupling by hand gives a hands on feel to model railroad operations, also for this reason all my non-mainline turnouts are hand thrown as they would be on the prototype. You could argue that you need uncoupling magnets for sidings that are out of reach but a better argument could be made that sidings should not be out of reach. Regarding couplers, basically, to cut a long story short, the Kadee couplers you mention are HO, Micro Trains Line (MTL) make the N scale version after the Kadee company split several years ago. Most American N scale now comes with some form of reasonably compatible knuckle couplers, MTL, Accumate, Kato or McHenry. Some older or cheaper US rollingstock as well as British, European and Japanese still use Rapido couplers.
On past layouts and the one I'm currently designing I've used a Rix pick where I could reach and magnets on hard to reach areas.
Not quite (in real world railroading terms). A spur is a track which may or may not be attached to the mainline track (i.e. it can be attached to a yard lead or siding track) and is used for loading/unloading and/or storage of cars. About.com gives a good definition - http://modeltrains.about.com/od/glossary/g/spur.htm From the General Code of Operating Rules (aka "GCOR")- Siding A track connected to the mainline track and used for meeting or passing trains. Locations of sidings are shown in the timetable. (Note: All sidings are double-ended. In addition, these can be occasionally be used to store cars, however if they're used for that purpose primarily, they become a "double-ended spur track".)
I know I'm resurrecting an old thread, but reliable uncoupling when and where you want it is and always will be an interesting problem in N scale. Inkaneer, is there any chance you could find out more about the handheld magnet tool? I've been brainstorming a similar answer but would like to see any examples that already exist.
As long as we are resurrecting old threads here... 1) I don't own any skewers. In-track magnets all the way 2) I don't have a single full-length magnet anywhere. I shorten my magnets to typically 1/4 the original size, scribing them with a glass cutter and snapping them off in a vise, then using an abrasive disk to smooth the edges. That just about eliminates the entire false uncoupling problem, as well as the difficulties in locating them 3) I precisely indicate magnet locations with a tie beside the track. 4) I use truck-mounted couplers - keeps the coupler on the track centerline both vertically and horizontally and is much more reliable for both coupling and uncoupling. I do use body-mounts on 'special' cars, or anything that rarely gets into switching, like an entire train of piggybacks. I rarely have to touch anything at all to switch. Does amaze me when I see the number of people struggling, cutting off trip pins,trying to poke cars apart with sticks. It's a beautiful system as originally designed. I've also been mixing Z scale couplers in with the usual ones. I had to make a 'demo tape' of a finished Climax for a customer, at the end of this 2-minute video I'm uncoupling and recoupling from a 40' box. That shows the Z coupler with the N one, and that a 'really short' magnet (this one is about 3 tie lengths long) can still do the job. With no false uncoupling, just enough to part the train on the main where I want to. You have to be precise in your spot, and if you want to delay uncouple a little longer magnet is necessary. http://youtu.be/hjlvj7f_rBA
