# Magnetic Uncoupler - Ugh



## xrunner (Jul 29, 2011)

Well I got an order in today with various new devices, one of which was a section of track with a magnetic uncoupler.

I was totally underwhelmed.

I found only one pair of cars it seemed to work well on, the others all required help to get it to uncouple or stay uncoupled so that backing up wouldn't re-couple. What kind of aggravation/tweaking am I looking at with these things? Is this concept a waste of time? If it doesn't work on all the cars well it just seems like it would be an aggravation rather than a neat idea.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

I'm not sure with N but with HO you need to make sure that the coupler trip pin height and the coupler are at the proper height. Also make sure there is unobstucted movement of the coupler.


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

They also make a magnetic wand which uncouples them and then just a rounded rod works to and they always unclouple every car you want and not ones you don't. Plus you can control where you want to uncouple instead of at just one set point on the layout.


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

I have not played with this on N scale but in HO the stronger the magnets the better. I have used ceramic magnets with ok success but the best have been rare earth and strong electro magnets. The wand idea is great for uncoupling any where, but if you have a spot in the yard that will always be the same point then bury a magnet and save some time.

Massey


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## xrunner (Jul 29, 2011)

gc53dfgc said:


> They also make a magnetic wand which uncouples them and then just a rounded rod works to and they always unclouple every car you want and not ones you don't. Plus you can control where you want to uncouple instead of at just one set point on the layout.


That rod looks like it's only for lifting a steel ball inside HO couplers upwards - that won't work on the N scale types - they have to be pulled sideways in two directions at once. that does give me an idea though - I might try to make my own N scale wan with magnets on two different sides of a "wand". At least I could uncouple the damn things without jabbing a stick in it.

Believe me, I looked at advice and adjusted the trip pins, etc, etc., etc. ... it just doesn't work reliably, lots of times they just don't open wide enough (Pic #2). Sometimes they even uncouple pulling trains going forward past the magnet - that isn't supposed to happen. When they do uncouple the couplers don't open wide enough to go backwards and push without re-coupling (Pic #3)










Image #2










http://www.kadee.com/animation/c1.htm

I have Micro trains couplers and Atlas cars which have a slightly different type. They all couple well and hold together, but this magnetic uncoupler seems to work a little differently on both types, but even with 2 MT couplers it isn't reliable. I'd just as soon leave the thing out of my design if this idea isn't engineered well enough to work on most cars most of the time. The amount of adjusting, tinkering, hair pulling, etc. just doesn't seem to be worth it. Like I said I have a couple of cars that it works on but sheesh - it would be sheer chance that they would be the ones I'd want to uncouple. 

It's too bad a rock-solid design hasn't been invented by now. If they want to hang wires downwards from the couplers as they do with these magnetic designs, they well could have designed a fool-proof mechanical uncoupler system that could have been driven by a small motor and risen up from under the track to push the couplers apart when an uncoupling was needed. I bet I could design it.

Ah well I rant on ...


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

I suspect the problem with N scale design is with lack of steel in the trip pin to make it work well or consistently. 
I can get my HO ones to work all the time, And I use fixed magnet and electro mag type.


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