Off at a tangent once more.

Morning Toto

For all the time it will take, I would fit couplings to a pair of wagons, verify the heights to the kadee ht gauge, then try on the layout befor covering up any track or scenery, as you will be able to get a better view of whats happening. Once everything is ok, then get its time to get plastered - the layout that is.

Paul

Hi Paul,

I'll maybe just do that. I only need two in order to test. I may even tackle a shunter as well. Oooooo. Now, …….. Where did I put that height gauge.:lol:

I hope that some of the modern wagons ( Bachmann ) are easy to fit. Another first …….:thud

Cheers

Toto

G`day Toto,
If you have ideas for anything on your railway…..give it a go and see what happens. That`s the best way to learn.
This hobby has no boundaries as far as I`m concerned and it`s a way of releasing your inner creativity.
Where would we be if nobody tried anything new.?……and I reckon most of us have at some stage  tried something that didn`t work, so we try something else and persevere until it does work.
This magnets and axles issue for example can be resolved quite easily……electromagnets….which I think has been mentioned earlier by somebody.??
There is a lot of gear available now on the net that "may" work for you. Quite some time ago I was looking at solenoids on" theBay".  As you know a solenoid is an electromagnet that pulls or pushes a metal pin. Remove the pin and you`re left with an electromagnet. Some of these solenoids are very powerful and may be overkill for uncoupling, but there must be something suitable out there.
The point, is an electromagnet only needs to be on momentarily to disengage the coupling and therefore when it`s off there should be no magnetic attraction to axles etc. There must be an electromagnet available that will handle say twelve volts for possibly ten minutes without cooking it.

Look Toto ……this started out as an inspirational couple of lines and now I`m raving on about electromagnets……..Crikey Gormo!!!…..settle down son!!!

Anyway….all I`m saying is lateral thinking will win the day and don`t give up!!!

:cheers  Gormo

Hi Gormo,

There is always a way as you say. I am going to change my priority tonight ( again ) :lol: to trying to fit some couplings to a couple of Bachmann wagons. I think it would be wise to have them available for testing as I go from the earliest possible point. That way I can get a better understanding of how exactly these work. It would therefore have an influence on how and where they are positioned.

Once that is done I'll also fit out an 08 and maybe even a 04 which has been chipped and test both loco and wagons. The scenics can wait.

Once the coupling are working using manual encouragement, I'll turn my attention to getting the power to the track. Not a big job for the size of the layout.

This will also allow me to try out the switches for the frog polarity as I am not comfortable enough that the switch itself is achieving full mechanical travel. Better sorting these things out before any scenics or fragile buildings / structures are on the layout. The switches must be doable as other have used them successfully so it should just be a matter of a tweak here and a tweak there.

Boy oh boy ……….. The plan changes daily:lol: still, I'm used to that. It happens as things start unfolding and sinking into place……… Evolution I believe they call it. :lol:

Cheers

Toto

Ahhh tecky stuff, and were back

Remembering that a Kadee needs the magnetic field to parallel to the sleepers (i.e. across the track)

So a coil buried under the track, with a soft iron core (nail) connected to a piece of copper at each end, when energised, the magnetic field is passed via the core to the copper plates up to the track base.


This may work

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC3V-12V-Push-Pull-Type-Solenoid-Electromagnet-DC-Micro-Solenoid-/221804922156?hash=item33a49a852c


Mounted vertically would work for tension locks

Paul

Most of the current Bachmann, Dapol, Hornby rollingstock have NEM (362) coupler pockets. NEM is to Europe what the NMRA is to the USA. To replace the coupling, simply pull the tension lock out and slip in a Kadee, either No.17 or 18. For longer vehicles, ie coaching stock, a No.19 may be the order of the day. This really relies on what radius the curves are (on any given layout).

NEM Kadee couplers are very easy to fit. Always check against the height gauge, as this will be very beneficial for smooth operation.

Cheers, Gary.

ps. I'm with Paul on the checking before finalising.

Hold on there bald eagle.

I ain't even tried this out yet. Are we saying these magnets won't work ? I think I need to concentrate on the one system first and if it presents issues then maybe I will try another.
Electromagnets could maybe be attempted on Breadalbane or Highbridge if the Kadee magnets turn out to be unworkable. If from what I have read ( and think I understand ) so far, there is maybe a small lurch when operating possibly down to the effect of the magnetic field on metal axles, provided it's not something horrendous and wagons don't start dancing all over the place, it may be acceptable. I'll need to try it though as one, I have the stuff at hand and two, I've already started. I'll get nowhere if I change now. The Kadee couplers are a given, it's only the type of magnet that is under question at the moment ( I think ). I'll try these out, at least the one I have fitted and if there is an issue that can't easily be resolved ……. Get your explaining head ready as I'll try electromagnets.

You can start looking up the electrical supply requirements in case the Kadee version falls on its ass. I'll keep you busy.



Now ……. Boring, mundane spreadsheets await. Conference call required around lunch time.

Cheers

Toto

Sod the spreadsheets for the moment.

I have no 18's Gary. Once I locate the height gauge I'll be sorted. It should be with the rest of the Kadee gizzmo's.

I'll put it together and try out a couple of wagons for best fit. If I have some whose levels fit out of the box without any adjustment required all the better. If not, it's look out the washers time. If anything, the loco's may be the items that will need more adjustment but I won't know until I've tried and they aren't so important at the moment as the wagons can be trailed by hand initially although it would be my intention to fit out a loco tonight as well provided things go smoothly.
When you say checking before finalising, I take it you mean before committing to covering the magnets over with ground cover ?

Cheers

Toto

[user=1505]toto[/user] wrote:

 When you say checking before finalising, I take it you mean before committing to covering the magnets over with ground cover ?

Cheers

Toto

Correct. And don't worry about the Kadees failing, they shouldn't. John Dew uses Kadees on Granby, so if he can use them on there, your plank is a breeze ! ;-)

Cheers, Gary.

And while I have noddles of 3mm cube magnets in line over many parts of my layout, I also use 6 Kadee electromagnets on the main platform lines in my main station & they work a breeze !

So a good old mixture can be used really. I'll trial what I have but may experiment with others ( I'm thinking particularly of electro magnets here ) on Breadalbane.

Wish me luck with my encounter with the fitting of my Kadee couplings tonight. maybe another lesson on how not to.

I will be rigging up a test jig with a magnet and height gauge to allow me to do it indoors if I fancy it. It also keeps all testing " standard ".

Photo's will follow

Cheers

Toto

Never a dull moment Toto,….

Paul may be onto something there with the solenoid / electromagnet ????

:cheers  Gormo

Hi Gormo,

Yes, these other methods will be worth following up. I may have a bash at electro magnets for Breadalbane. For now, I'll go with the Kadee version to let me get going.

It's not so bad if I need to change them out on a small layout like Highbridge but the R & GLR  is a different kettle of mince pies.

Cheers

Toto

Hi






Just checked on the Kadee situation. I have 4 packets of no18 couplers with NEM pocket type connections. that is 16 couplings in all as you get two pair to a packet. I also have the height gauge so I should be ok for setting up a jig for tonight and doing a trial fit on a couple of wagons.

Thought I'd better check.






cheers






toto

Must say I like the look of those electromagnets on flea bay, 99p each free postage, I paid over 6 quid for one from one model railway signal maker :???: don,t think I will make that mistake again!

Pete.  

I was going to use #19 Kadee's as I have quite severe curves at Weybourne but shelved the idea because not that much shunting is done! However on the shunting plank is another matter, I have the 3mm cube magnets and intend to use them on there. I haven't got a Kadee gauge though, where's the best place to get one??

Cheers
Ron

(Watching with added interest!)

Hi Ron,

I'll need to double check where I got mine from as it was a while ago , but I'll come back with the details if nobody else beats me to it.

Cheers

Toto

i have tried lots of different magnets with my kadees and found that the ones that work best is the offical kadee magnet that goes between the rails.

Hi Toto

Kadee's own electric uncoupler

Kadee 309KADEE Under-the-ties Electric Uncoupler

Ron

Hattons have them in stock - cant say if they are the best place, but they do have them. ;-)

Kadee 206KADEE Insulated Multi-purpose Coupler Height Gauge for Kadee

Paul

Hi Paul,

 

I'll get a look at your link later thanks.

Meanwhile I was in the shed making up a jig for the Kadee fitting and testing. Unfortunately I screwed up with a couple of photos so there is not the complete trail that I would have wanted but you'll still get the picture.

anyway I made the jig and turned my attention to the Kadee coupler gauge,




There it be and fitted onto the track.



The two donor wagons.




started by removing the existing coupling and then I fitted the new one ……. one of the missing photos.



however we jump on to the two kadees fitted. Now I started on the second wagon and when the kadee was fitted, it turned out there was a considerable difference in height. Tonights exercise was not about altering Kadee's purely fitting them and testing the magnets out so I chose another wagon of a known correct height fitting in order to get two wagons to work with.

I'll probably do a post on how I get around the height difference some other time.

The wagon was definitely not heavy enough to prevent the magnetic field from having a pulling effect on the steel axles and here is a picture of the kind of weight I needed to prevent it moving.



One of the two wagons coupled up



magnets fitted in place after a few measurements were taken ( any questions on how I arrived at the positioning welcome ).



some general distance shots for scale and distances purposes.



another



another



and one of the shunter in the kick back siding.



Two of the magnets will need packed back up slightly as I got a bit over excited with the wood chisel but that doesn't cause any issue. the last two I done are sitting flush with the top side of the baseboard nicely.

next job is to pack up the two magnets and lay the track back in place. I wont glue the magnets until I have tested them out. ( and under power ). I'll also need to fit a Kadee to one of my shunters for testing under power conditions.

so that's where it is for the moment. hopefully I'll get an hour or two tomorrow night in order to push this on a bit further. Apologies for the missing photo's. I did have a couple of the wagon with the coupling height issue but messed it up when transferring over. I'm sure there will be more at some point.

Ron, the height gauge came from Osbourne models ( at least that was the flyer that I had in the box where I had it ) Very easy to put together.

 

cheers for now

 

toto