Using neodymium magnets between the sleepers

Saturday night, one of my friends brought his large Australian NR class diesel around & the steps fouled my indicator pins for where magnets are located




One set of magnets still be installed - the yellow map pins are the indicators.

So I purchased some Humbrol bright yellow & painted the end of the sleepers.




Now that will not cause any problems  with overhanging loco parts or even track cleaning methods.

Right!  That's done it! Expletive-expletive-expletive-expletive-expletive. :oops: [Three Weddings and a Funeral?]

Having formerly decided on the neos + staples system, yet still at the right sort of stage where I can change my mind,  Perrys demo of uncoupling and subsequent pushen' mit nein couplnk-mayken...[sorry, slipped into German there….a recent wisitor hass left me a leedle confoosed] I shall convert my Hornby 'B' set, my Bachmann 45XX, my 'Ornby [sorry, back to French] Railcar and odd RTR wagon to Kadees. I am a little concerned for my several CooperCraft wagons as they contain the dreaded steel weight!

Werry much is thanking to you good peeps for der research unt dewelopement, auf weidersein, unt vot ser hell am to be ordering? Iss das shoppen-keeper in der Vild Vest of Cornvall selling dese sings?

Hhum [German for 'Hhum']


Helmut Luce [a freund off Doofer]

Herr Luce, the  shoppen-keeper in der Vild Vest of Cornvall selling dese sings?  Nein for Kadee but u cood try
http://www.kato-unitrack.co.uk/kadee-couplers-1171-0.html

But for Bachmann brass wheels, yes then the Cornwall bloke sells those.

Coopercraft - if you can fit an extra lead weight, that will help but I would test one first.

Thanks Sol, that looks like a werry, sorry, very informative sh44e, er sorry again, site!


Doug

The Bachmann wheel sets arrived  - Brass turned but still with axles that magnets like - steel.
A bummer - I was hoping they too would be brass axles like we get in Aust/USA.
I will now have to think a bit about this.

Ron, the yellow paint looks better than the pins. What about have realistic trackside signs or features to represent where the magnets are, even like a white post?

Craig

 

[user=320]CraigSR[/user] wrote:

Ron, the yellow paint looks better than the pins. What about have realistic trackside signs or features to represent where the magnets are, even like a white post?

Craig

 

'Praps 3-4 rail shoes skimmed off of some bits of flexi-trak? When newly 'deconstructed' the rust is quite a bright orange….


Doug

[user=312]dooferdog[/user] wrote:

[user=320]CraigSR[/user] wrote:

Ron, the yellow paint looks better than the pins. What about have realistic trackside signs or features to represent where the magnets are, even like a white post?

Craig

 

'Praps 3-4 rail shoes skimmed off of some bits of flexi-trak? When newly 'deconstructed' the rust is quite a bright orange….


Doug

Mmmmm…. food for thought !

[user=320]CraigSR[/user] wrote:

Ron, the yellow paint looks better than the pins. What about have realistic trackside signs or features to represent where the magnets are, even like a white post?

Craig

 

Well, not white posts as  they may get confused with fencing but yellow posts




I will have to do more brown paint on the sleeper end - camera shows up mistakes too easily !
I was going to use a match cut in half but thought that they could get broken easily so used a brad instead so that won't get broken but skin may

Hello Everyone.
Just giving this thread a bump up & wondering if you are still using the cubes to uncouple your Kadee's & what was your final conclusion?

[user=710]amdaley[/user] wrote:

Hello Everyone.
Just giving this thread a bump up & wondering if you are still using the cubes to uncouple your Kadee's & what was your final conclusion?

I've been using the "Rare Earth  Magnets" and would definitely recommend them as an alternative to the Kadee magnets especially for those of us using computer automation :cheers

[user=710]amdaley[/user] wrote:

Hello Everyone.
Just giving this thread a bump up & wondering if you are still using the cubes to uncouple your Kadee's & what was your final conclusion?

Tony, I am still using the magnet cubes & think they do the job good enough for me - you just have to be careful not to leave a train standing so adjoining wagons are over the magnets.

I did some more experimenting with neo magnets in a small good area.I used 6mm x 3mm magnets on end like in the photo & it works every time without fail.

It it works to your satisfaction, very good, another way of doing the same thing then.

I had tried something similar previously with only two magnets on each side but it didn't work very well.I removed a sleeper & fitted the third magnet in the middle.That seemed to make all the difference.I have some other types of magnets on order & will try different formations when they arrive.

I don't know if you've read the whole thread, but a lot of experimental work with different sized and shaped magnets has already been done by other folk on here. I'm not trying to discourage you from doing even more experimental work. I only mention it to possibly save you some time and expense in repeating work already done.

It's nice to see this thread is still generating interest. :thumbs


Perry

Yes I read through the thread. Just had a few ideas of my own to try out.

I did some further experiments over the past week with various types of magnets including flexible magnetic strip & have I feel found one which works all the time & more importantly is very easy to fit. I would say it takes no more than 3 minutes for each uncoupling area.

These magnets are 10mm long x 3mm wide x 2.5mm thick & the magnetic attraction is through the 2.5mm thickness. In other words across the track. Normally the poles seem to be at the ends.The 2.5mm thickness is the same as a sleeper in Peco code 100 flexible track.
Fitting them is very simple. Remove one sleeper, place the magnets with contact or super adhesive on their 2.5mm flat sides & fill the gap with a cut down sleeper.When weathered & painted I doubt you'll see them at all.These magnets cost 30p each, that's 60p per uncoupling section.

Tony, I tried that with the smaller 3mm cubesm making uo a larger unit like 9mm long & in only having that amount of magnet area, one had to drive the loco ever so slowly & spot the couplings perfectly over the magnets to be effective.
 I can understand why Kadee have a long magnet - to give a bit more tolerance on spotting especially if the location is not easily seen such as wharves where tracks are all over the place behind buildings, etc.

Hi Tony ,

I haven't seen the flexible magnetic strips before.  Where would I find them ?