Automatic uncoupling

[garethashenden]

How many of you actually use the remote uncoupling feature of MTL couplers? Do you use electromagnets or permanent magnets? How well does it work?

[Rich_S]

How many of you actually use the remote uncoupling feature of MTL couplers? Do you use electromagnets or permanent magnets? How well does it work?

I have a MTL permanent magnet between the rails in one section of my industrial area. The magnet is installed at a road crossing to somewhat disguise it's location. I've never done an exact study, but I'd say 90% of the MTL couplers work great with the permanent magnet, but maybe 50% of the MTL compatible couplers work with the permanent magnet.  I don't have any experience with their electromagnets.     

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I've clipped or removed the trip pins on almost every car I've gotten. It started as an operational concern: I was tired of them snagging on NTRAK layouts, but then I realized I appreciate the aesthetics too.

[SP-Wolf]

I have a number of permanent magnets in and around both my yard and switch complex. They work pretty good. I also have a few picks placed around the layout. In case a car needs assistance in uncoupling.

Thanks,
Wolf

[bbussey]

Permanent magnets.  Works great.

[Rich_S]

I have a MTL permanent magnet between the rails in one section of my industrial area. The magnet is installed at a road crossing to somewhat disguise it's location. I've never done an exact study, but I'd say 90% of the MTL couplers work great with the permanent magnet, but maybe 50% of the MTL compatible couplers work with the permanent magnet.  I don't have any experience with their electromagnets.   

To clarify, 95% of all couplers (MTL and MTL compatible) will uncouple using the permanent magnets, but it seems like less then 50% of the compatibles will offset properly with the permanent magnets.

[loyalton]

I don't do magnets for uncoupling. I'd rather be able to cut out cars where needed instead of moving to where a magnet is located. I also dislike accidental uncoupling when a train is stopped on the main. That could be avoided by mounting magnets on a hinge or carrying around a dismounted bar magnet but nobody does this AFAIK. Or you can use electromagnet uncouplers. Those have been rarely used and haven't been available for ages until Kadee came out with their HOn3 machine. The HO machine needs to be modified, if you were wondering.

[peteski]

To clarify, 95% of all couplers (MTL and MTL compatible) will uncouple using the permanent magnets, but it seems like less then 50% of the compatibles will offset properly with the permanent magnets.

I believe this is because the shank-centering springs on non MT couplers are simply too stiff to allow the needed deflection.  Most non-MT couplers use plastic whisker type of springs where MT uses very soft metal springs. Wile this design makes MT couplers most reliable for automatic uncoupling, this design is what causes the slinky effect which many modelers find very distracting.

I've clipped or removed the trip pins on almost every car I've gotten. It started as an operational concern: I was tired of them snagging on NTRAK layouts, but then I realized I appreciate the aesthetics too.

Ed, I'm sure that you realize that was a totally wrong way to address the problem.  If someone's NTRAK module has some objects between the tracks protruding over the rail head, that module has to be fixed (not the  rolling stock traveling over the module).  Obviously those modules do not adhere to the NTRAK standard and allowing them to operate like that is detrimental the the NTRAK standards in general. The only problematic areas as I see them could be are turnouts, rail crossings and road crossing the track.  Since turnouts and rail crossings are usually factory-made, those should not cause problems., So that leaves roads crossing the track. If those are non-compliant, they could easily be addressed by the owner of the NTRAK module.

Speaking of standards, there is only supposed to be 0.010" clearance between the top of the rail head and the bottom of the trip pin.  IMO, this is too close. Because couplers can droop and the track can be uneven, I usually bend up my coupler's trip pins to be higher than the standard 0.010".   They can still reliably perform automatic uncoupling, but they shouldn't be prone to being snagged.

[C855B]

...they could easily be addressed by the owner of the NTRAK module. ...

Heh. Good luck with that.    We have a couple of long-time club members who field crap like this, and we do battle with their modules nearly every show they participate in. The sad part is they cannot be politely convinced that the problems are theirs and not everybody else's, countering with things like "If you ran what you call 'pizza cutters' like I do you wouldn't have derailment problems," or like in Ed's case, clip the trip pins. I just wanna smack 'em sometimes; they're nice guys, but not the best craftsmen, obviously.

The only way we get around these problems is deft show planning, where the known trouble modules are conveniently left out of the plan. However, can't do it all the time and keep the peace.

[mark dance]

Don't use them.  I find skewers work fine for me and the C&W as you can "pull the pin" wherever you want.  I attach a small disposable LED light and battery from a ball point pen to them and this helps significantly find the knuckles.

On layouts with permanent magnet uncoupling - admittedly HO ones -  I struggle with unintended uncoupling and recoupling.  One layout has tip-up magnets under the roadbed which gets rid of unintentional uncoupling but you can still get the unintended recoupling of course as well as the constraint of having to "pull the pin" in specific locations only.  Skewers all the way!

md

[mmagliaro]

I don't use magnetic uncoupling at all.  I did when I built my very first N Scale layout back in 1986, but over time,
I came to conclusion that just poking a tool or skewer in there was easier to do and could be used anywhere.  I have never subscribed to the notion that sticking one's hand in there somehow breaks the illusion of the model scene. 

[Cajonpassfan]

I only have a handful (half a dozen) magnetic uncouplers, in hard to reach places where I can't uncouple manually, and only on spurs, not on the main or the yard tracks; in my experience in N (and HO), there are just too many unintended uncouplings on heavily used tracks where for each succesful uncoupling there are one or likely more unintended uncouplings. It's frustrating and it diminishes the quality and joy of operations when departing trains fall apart.

I've  clipped a number of pins on cars that never go to the magnet-equipped spurs (like hoppers, tanks and gons that never have a reason to go to a warehouse for example) and use Martini olive sticks, strategically placed around the layout in little brass loops (see below) to do most of my uncouplings. Having the little brass loops prevents uncoupling tools laying around the layout. In emergencies, the uncoupling tool can be used to stab an olive as well 
Otto K.

[Doug G.]

I still, after over 45 years, think it's the neatest thing to be able to back a train over a magnet and move away forward and leave a car or cars there without touching anything. Using the delayed feature is great too.

I don't have any permanent magnets on mainlines. I do keep picks handy for those locations even though I don't really like them. I also cut the magnets at least in half because they don't need to be 2" long to work. In fact, I think performance is much better with them being only 1" long. I even have some only 1/2" long.

I also agree with Pete about bending the uncoupling pins farther up than .010" above the railhead because of potetial coupler droop. They still work fine.

Doug

[nkalanaga]

I've never used magnetic uncoupling.  Way back in the early 70s I bought one magnet, just to try the idea, and it ended up on the refrigerator.  It worked, but I was too cheap (and, as a teenager, broke) to buy enough magnets for every place I might want to uncouple a car.  So, I used a small screwdriver, and then figured out that a piece of brass rod, with one end mashed with pliers, and the other stuck in a wooden dowel, worked just as well. 

When I used Caboose Industries ground throws I had double-ended uncouplers.  Another piece of rod, in the other end of  the dowel, had the last quarter inch or so bent at a right angle, for lifting the handle, especially when it was behind a building or another track.  It also worked well under overhead wires, if one was careful not to snag the wires.

[bbussey]

I also use stronger magnets embedded into the cork roadbed under the track, rather than the standard between the rails magnets. All of the coupler brands seem to work fine. I also put a pair of retaining springs in each caboose to eliminate MTL coupler oscillation. Passenger equipment has enough drag already with electrical pickup and functional ALM diaphragms installed. And I put non-magnetic couplers or draw bars between engine consists.

The only mainline magnets installed are on the passenger mains in the New Haven station area, for electric/non-electric motive power changeovers. So no worries of freight consists uncoupling on the mainline.