Using neodymium magnets between the sleepers

Kevin. no doubt Perry will respond in due course   but I use code 75 and my 3 rows of magnets replace sleepers and are level with the other sleepers.





 And you must make sure the uncoupling pin/tang/hook clears the  little foot plate on the height gauge


and as per https://kadee.com/html/205_206ins.pdf

Hi Ron. Thank you for your reply. I cannot remember if that is the case, but, I will check. I will advise on my findings.All the best. Kevin

I've been using Kadees on my UK stock for 16 years. And I tried the Kadee between the rails magnets as well as the rare-earth magnets. After many many many hours of fettleing both couplers and magnets I came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth the time or effort due to the unreliability of both the magnetic uncoupling and the lack of reliability of the couplers re-centreing after uncoupling. Not to mention the totally unreal and unprototypical Kadee shuffle. The old skewer saves alot of wasted time and frustration….and is actually more prototypical.  I have to admit that I suspect the only magnetic Kadee uncoupling that might have a modicum of reliability might be the Kadee electro-magnet unit, which I haven't tried…and that probably has its own issues includeing extra wiring.

Wow Gene!  The simple skewer is something I've been preaching for a long time.  I will concede that there are layouts with nooks and crannys that can't be reached with a skewer.

Magnets and, worse, electromagnets have always seemed to me to be more trouble than they're worth.

Most, if not all, coupling systems in the real world require some sort of manual intervention to uncouple.

John

Haha John. Yes we both realized the advantages of the skewer many years ago but I admit I gained the courage to cut my first glad-hand only just last week. 👍

Hi Gene.   Thank you for your reply.  It all comes down to choice , I agree I'm not in favour of too much wiring, but if I had done some research, and not rushed into it , I may have started out different. But then again hindsight is a wonderful invention .all the best. Kevin

Yes.  Magnetic uncoupling is not for me, either.

Too hard with computer control.

Avant d'accéder à YouTube

The Rix uncoupler with forked magnets work great - easier to use than a skewer and it's a "no touch" operation. SKU: 628-0014. Easy enough to make one using 2 cheap magnet strips and some styrene strip. The Rapido electromagnets also work fine but are a pain when retrofitting.

All of these fixed magnets mean uncoupling at defined locations, not always what you want to do. Most operations layouts that I've seen use the Rix uncouplers. Last one I played trains on had at least 4 in each yard.

Nigel

My D&S has electromagnets in the main station platform tracks;


the magnet range is between end yellow sleepers & the LED lights up for the operator convenience.


3mm Cube rare earth magnets elsewhere


the magnets are the yellow sleepers - middle row of 3 sleepers


and the operating crew also use skewers

Also magnets are good for when uncoupling required some distance away from layout edge


that single van in the middle at the back is 32"/ 80 cm away from the layout edge;  not easy to reach with a skewer

Hi Max   Thank you for your reply. I am a bit of a Luddite when it comes to automation . Bearing in mind "Modellers Licence ". In a life size railway of Era's 1,2,3,4, and maybe later in some Countries, there would have been men on the ground running about everywhere . But you cannot ge either OO/HO or any other scale of plastic figure to do any of the work. Each to His/Her own? The fact is I am so clumsy around models I had better keep my hands off the scenery.   All the best. Kevin

Hi Ron.  Did you "wind your own" electromagnets? I purchased the copper wire, but couldn't get a small enough core which would have sufficient pull. It is a case of "Research and more Research " but I didn't / don't have that much time for that? I just wanted/want trains running , they run okay, it is just that I put the cart before the horse as far as planning was concerned , (like the wagon turntable project ) the structure supporting the baseboard gets in the way of what you put on top or the "gubbins" that are necessary beneath. Like electromagnetic uncouplers.All the very best Kevin

Kevin, I used the actual Kadee units #309
 https://kadee.com/htmbord/page309.htm  and had to make sure my baseboard support structure was not in way of the six electromagnets

Hi Ron.   Thank you for your reply. Planning should have been my watch word? But I have always been the same, and that is what I meant. Hindsight is a wonderful invention .  All the best. Kevin

[user=1632]BCDR[/user] wrote:

The Rix uncoupler with forked magnets work great - easier to use than a skewer and it's a "no touch" operation. SKU: 628-0014. Easy enough to make one using 2 cheap magnet strips and some styrene strip. The Rapido electromagnets also work fine but are a pain when retrofitting.

All of these fixed magnets mean uncoupling at defined locations, not always what you want to do. Most operations layouts that I've seen use the Rix uncouplers. Last one I played trains on had at least 4 in each yard.

Nigel

I tried the Rix uncoupler wand some years ago…I found that trying to thread it between the buffers was very fiddley and  problematic on UK stock. It did work very easily and well on North Ametican stock

[user=541]Genetk44[/user] wrote:

[user=1632]BCDR[/user] wrote:

The Rix uncoupler with forked magnets work great - easier to use than a skewer and it's a "no touch" operation. SKU: 628-0014. Easy enough to make one using 2 cheap magnet strips and some styrene strip. The Rapido electromagnets also work fine but are a pain when retrofitting.

All of these fixed magnets mean uncoupling at defined locations, not always what you want to do. Most operations layouts that I've seen use the Rix uncouplers. Last one I played trains on had at least 4 in each yard.

Nigel

I tried the Rix uncoupler wand some years ago…I found that trying to thread it between the buffers was very fiddley and  problematic on UK stock. It did work very easily and well on North Ametican stock

That's a bu##er.  I hadn't seen one before and it looked like a nice piece of kit.   

Hi Everyone.

I've put this link in the other Kadee thread as well in case anyone is interested.
http://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=13783&forum_id=6&jump_to=272883#p272883


Tony.

http://rapidotrains.com/on-off-remote-coupler/

Hi Max.    Remote Uncoupling as per your railway,  Excellent, but, if only I ( or many model enthusiasts ) had enough space to run a large scale model railway???     All the best. Kevin

Hi Ron. With the various options available to me, now I have already laid the track, bearing in mind the under baseboard support, it will be necessary to cut out some sleepers, but, how do l remove these??  Without removing any of my fingers or parts thereof?     All the best. Kevin

Kevin, with either a new blade in your modelling knife or a disc cutter in your Dremel close to the rail. Take your time - don't hurry.