What’s a good method for uncoupling? When doing switching ops, it seems to me it could be a pain trying to uncouple by hand. Kind of hard to get big fingers in there to do the job. Is there some easier way?

Currently I have just the basic truck-mounted Bachmann knuckle couplers. What about other brands, do they all operate about the same way?

Ray,

I have found that any of the Kadee couplers can be uncoupled quite nicely with a “swizzle stick”. In the smaller scales that could be a round toothpick, on larger couplers I use a piece of square doweling that is sharpened at the end. Insert between the moveable knuckles and twist.

There are those that have tried to use uncoupling levers with minimal success (Accucraft), and others have designed gadgets that will reach under the coupler and push up the pin to open it on couplers so designed. The Kadee doesn’t have a pin to push up but as HJ stated either something like what he uses or a long skinny electricians screwdriver works just fine…some use a long skinny phillips too.

There’s also the always-effective-but-not-terribly-prototypic “lift and separate” technique. I find I use that with my Kadees around a third of the time–usually because I forget to bring a screwdriver out with me.

Later,

K

The screwdriver is used on the KVRwy. I tried the longer electricians screwdriver, but found it gettting in the way when not switching. So I use a standard 8 or 9 inch 1/4 inch straight blade screwdriver and carry it in my back pocket like I do most of the time, anyway. The screwdriver also reaches under Bachmann or Accucraft couplers for those with lift pins. The cut levers have proven to be useless for me.

I use Kadee #1 on all my F scale rolling stock and use the screwdriver method for uncoupling between cars. Most of my switching involves dropping off a string of cars. So I have all of my motive power outfitted with Precision Scale bronze #1 working couplers with lift bars. It works perfect with the KDs.

Oooooooh thos’re SNAZZY!!! I like it! What kinda chain do ya use?

Bart Salmons said:
Oooooooh thos're SNAZZY!!!! I like it! What kinda chain do ya use?

Qzark - 8.5 links per inch... here's the link

http://www.ozarkminiatures.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=319

What about the obvious answer: Kadees with the Kadee uncoupling magnet. So, (let the flames begin) all of you have given up on using the very nice uncoupling features of Kadees? The remote uncoupling with just a magnet, the “delayed” uncoupling, where you can uncouple a car, and then push it further down the track and drop it?

Yes, it’s a bit more work to get them to operate, you have to mount them at the right height, get the mount solid so the couplers do not deflect, and get the uncoupling arms the right height from the rails.

Most of the problems people have with Kadees is when they are truck mounted, and long trains tend to deflect the couplers up or down. That can have them pull apart, or the uncoupling lever drags on a switch.

I run ~25 car trains on a very twisty layout and once I have mounted and set everything properly, they work great. I’m 95% body mount.

Knowing Ray’s layout, long trains are not a problem. If you want knuckle couplers like bachmann or others, you could devise an air-operated uncoupler that raises between the rails and hits the uncoupling tab on aristo or others. The only negative I see in Kadees is the appearance of the uncoupling arm hanging down. I do not view the care to get them mounted and set right as a negative, just as I do not view adjusting wheel gauge on brand new cars as a negative, it’s just a necessity.

Regards, Greg

Greg -

Not a flame - BUT …

I don’t want to be tied down to the location of an uncoupling magnet. When I switch out on the layout I rarely uncouple in exactly the same place. If you are always going to do the same thing, then magnets or ramps are fine, but I like to vary my operations.

Back to Ray’s original question -

For Bachman / Delton / USA / Lionel & other couplers with a lift pin - I have bent the tip of a screwdriver 90 degrees (heat it first) and use that to lift the pin from underneath. Works fine so long as you can get directly above the car. Inside for yard uncoupling I have a flat piece of metal attached to a long dowel to do the same across the yards.

JR

Geoff Ringle said:
I use Kadee #1 on all my F scale rolling stock and use the screwdriver method for uncoupling between cars.

Most of my switching involves dropping off a string of cars. So I have all of my motive power outfitted with Precision Scale bronze #1 working couplers with lift bars. It works perfect with the KDs.

Geoff, those pics look terrific! Very realistic. I like the subtle details such as the oil-stained ballast near the entrance of the train shed.

Is that an outdoor layout?

Ray Dunakin said:
Geoff, those pics look terrific! Very realistic. I like the subtle details such as the oil-stained ballast near the entrance of the train shed.

Is that an outdoor layout?

Thanks. The layout is indoors. Just ran around (handheld) with my trusty old Sony that uses diskettes. I’m hoping to upgrade to a SLR type digital, so that I can document the layout. Heck, I just figured out how to post pictures… “just coming out of the train shed” so to speak.

Ray:

I use Kadees, same as I did in smaller scale efforts. I’ve standardized on the larger ‘G’ size ones for the 3’ stuff and have some of the ‘#1’ size for use on the 2’ construction RR stock. I have some Accucraft cars with the OEM couplers (probably to be changed) and I also run some ‘unit’ trains such as dump cars and logging cars that use link & pin within the unit, but have Kadees on each end.

I leave the magnetic ‘hose’ in place and have a couple of magnets placed at yard throats, again copying what I liked best in the smaller scales. I especially like using the delayed magnetic uncoupling when a road engine backs a train into the yard tracks and cuts off, but I can just as easily use a tool or the “lift and separate” technique Kevin mentioned, so I’m not in any way tied to a location. The occasional visiting engineer gets his choice.

I do have flat bladed tools to use where there is no magnet or to avoid having to return to a fixed magnet position. My current tools include a long flat-bladed screwdriver, and a wooden dowel with a small aluminum blade epoxied in a slot at the end. I envision putting a leather thong loop and / or small deadhook on the handle end of the dowel, allowing it to be carried on wrist or belt loop.

I use pneumatic turnout machines and have a small control panel housing the pneumatic contol ‘switches’ at each major (yard) location. There are two panels so far, with one more planned for the immediate (this year??) future. I’ll hang one of the homemade dowel tools on the panel at each location.

Before deciding on LS Kadees, I looked at several brands (including Bachmann) of OEM couplers. To me, they all seemed to have the need for initial rework, or are to some degree incompatible with each other. Some share both problems.

I put about the same amount of time and effort into changing to Kadees and avoid a signifcant amount of stress in building / operating my RR. Since they are manufactured by a solid U. S. aftermarket supplier, I can always get them, irrespective of the locomotive or car production schedule in China. They cost a few bucks more, but I just buy them as needed or when I find them on a special deal, so the cost is well spread out.

The ability of the Kadees to operate almost perfectly with minimum maintenance while resisting garden RR type abuse is really appreciated. I do follow the instructions, use Kadee’s setup tool (height gauge), and lubricate them occasionally with some powdered graphite. I think the Kadees are the only LS automatic couplers of their kind.

Just my experience and preference.

Geoff:

Beautiful model work and detailing. I started to comment that your RR seems to only use internal combustion power, but then saw the back of what I think is a steam engine or tender in the last pix. Do you have a thread or site with more information / pix?

Happy RRing,

Jerry Bowers

Can the Kadee couplers be mounted on the trucks? (I know, it’s not prototypical but with my sharp curves I may not be able to avoid it.)

Ray Dunakin said:
Can the Kadee couplers be mounted on the trucks?

Ray:

Mine are all body mounted, but I believe they have LS truck mountings available. Take a look at the Kadee website at http://www.kadee.com/. They have a very complete sales and technical info site. They also accept and respond to phone inquiries for info’ or tech’ help.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

Ray Dunakin said:
Can the Kadee couplers be mounted on the trucks? (I know, it's not prototypical but with my sharp curves I may not be able to avoid it.)

Ray, Just how sharp are your curves?

I do have some very tight radius curves on my indoor layout (hidden from view) and have no problem with body mount Kadees. In my experience, the limiting factor is how far the truck can swing before hitting the undercarriage. This is not true of body mounted Accucraft couplers (they need modifications to work on tight R.) but I just replace them with KD.

Ray Dunakin said:
Can the Kadee couplers be mounted on the trucks? (I know, it’s not prototypical but with my sharp curves I may not be able to avoid it.)

Ray, The Kadee #831 is made specifically for truck mounting. An additional benefit is that the coupler shank is offset to raise the coupler to the same height as that of a body mount allowing them to be used together. I shorten the plastic shank on the trucks to put the couplers closer to the car for a better look. This also eliminates the “sagging” that some have experienced from the couplers being so far out.

This car has Kadee #831 couplers. The Bachmann, etc., types besides being grossly oversize use a straight shank that puts the truck mounts very low.

When I’m at Ric’s, I’ve usually mislayed his screwdriver, so I just reach between the cars with two fingers and push one KD up and the other down.

The screwdriver is generally laying between the rails somewhere to entrap the next train the comes along.

Tom Ruby said:
When I'm at Ric's, I've usually mislayed his screwdriver, so I just reach between the cars with two fingers and push one KD up and the other down.

The screwdriver is generally laying between the rails somewhere to entrap the next train the comes along.

Hey Tom,

OK now I get your sign off line!

OK. I’ll be in the minority here. I use Accucraft couplers. I started with Kadee based upon my experience in HO, but I do not like the way they uncouple. Yeah, you can have a tool, but you often end up moving the car while uncoupling - or giving up and lifting the car up to uncouple. Hardly prototypical.

I use Accucraft because I can uncouple without needing a special tool. Yeah, I model the liftbars, but I typically don’t use them to uncouple - it’s just as easy to reach underneath and press up to uncouple.

I’m thinking of doing away with the stupid springs that center the couplers. The real ones don’t have this…and why not pay some extra attention while coupling. I’ve thought about adding magnetic air hoses to add to the atmosphere, but sanity struck.