can someone help me with this problem ihave a hard time uncoupling my cars without derailing half the train or reaching all the way across the layout i have the bachman ez couplers and i put a magnet on the end of a old paint brush to try and seperate the couplers apart and that dosent workbecause the way the room is set up i cant reach the other side of the layout with out standing on a step ladder.
I use the bamboo wooden stick or my special made coupler: You pull the "hose" out off the way. Wolfgang
I changed all my couplers over to Kadee #5's and haven't had a problem with them. I have undertrack magnets set up in three places and they work very well. As for the distance problem, I have two pop-out areas on the layout. One comes out from the top and the other drops out from thew bottom. If I have a derailment on the backside of the layout, I can go underneath and come up through either area and use the old 0-5-0 to correct the situation. I don't have many derailments, my longest train is nine units and the shortest is eight units.
I use Kadee #5's too with under-track magnets. I found that the Atlas/accumate? coupler does not work very well with other makes, so I just stick to #5's on all my stock.
Coupler Issues If you can't reach between the railcar areas in question with an uncoupling "wand", then it doesn't matter whose brand of magnetic couplers (or Sargent and any others for that matter) that are being used. So the alternatives are to employ a solenoid or other intermittant electrically controlled remote magnetic uncoupler in that place(s). If gradients or other physical line conditions exclude this... you simply have to change the accessibility of the trackage to yourself, by whatever means are available to best effect this. Excluding suspended over layout chair arrangement, that means moving the right of way to where you can reach it, or cutting out access holes in the intervening layout space. Good-Luck, PJB
Thanks for the post and pictures. I have been using the RIX magnet w/ mixed results. I will be at the workbench replicating your "gadget"!!! How do you use the end w/ the loop????
With access being a problem I would install uncoupling mafnets in the area. I use ONLY Kadee couplers and trucks all the "Maybe-Mate" couplers out there are junk so don't waste your money on them. Be sure the couplers are the correct height from the rail by using a gauge. While I'm not a salesman for Kadee their line of products is top drawer.
Then you have some work. Kadee offers couplers like #5 but with overset shank and underset shank. You can also add a special washer (from Kadee of course :angel: ) to the truck and get a higher coupler. You can add a piece of styrene to the coupler box and get a lower coupler. Wolfgang
It's not hard to get Kadee's all to the same height. Get a Kadee coupler height gauge. It's a life-saver.
Uncoupling Beside using shims and washers the diameter of the wheels is another consideration. Many of the modern freight cars have 36 inch wheels while cars from the past use 33 inch. Some of the double stack container cars have 28 inch wheels. Sometimes it is a test and fit process to get the correct coupler height. A Kadee gauge is a must. Kadee has a list of which coupler to use where. Contact them at Kadee.com for more information. The Walthers wishbook 2K+7 has a listing on page 276-278.
