Released now is the 1:20.3 working glad hands. You get enough castings and hose for 4 cars.
There are tiny magnets mounted in the casting and it is ready to install.
1:32 sets are in the prototype stage, for 1:29 you can easily use the 20.3 sets.
http://www.thetraindepartment.com/protohands-working-glad-hands/
?t=1363817510
I’ve been making my own magnetic glad hands for quite some time.
Got the idea from Bruce Chandler, who’s been doing it for years.
John & all -
You really need to see these up close & personal. They have amazing detail and are designed so they mate & stay aligned just like the prototype. Designed by Geoff Ringle, a man known for his attention to detail. I pre-ordered enough for 12 cars at the show.
Geoff and I got to talking and a future version may contain a fine wire to detect disconnect that can drive an air release sound from a Phoenix sound card. The guys at Phoenix think they can detect a change in wire length so it would work no matter where you cut the cars. This is still in the neat idea stage and has NOT been promised.
@Jason - If you can get some high-res close-ups pictures from Geoff that may help the cause.
Jason,
Clicked on your website to order. I don’t want to go through PayPal. How do you process a CC? These are beautiful!
Two questions/concerns.
First as any other magnet type device, a N/S pole exists. So how do you get around the problem of not being able to turn a car around? If the “B” end of the car all have N pole, and the “A” end have S pole everything works great. But what if I want to put together to “B” ends, or two “A” ends? The magnets will repel one another.
Secondly; why doesn’t 1/29 get their own correct size? 1/32 is too small, and 1/20.3 would be way oversized…1/32 hose ‘might’ work in 1/29 as Multiple unit hoses between locomotives as they are smaller than the trainline hose, but they would be too small for a trainline hose.
Craig
Jon Radder said:
John & all -
You really need to see these up close & personal. They have amazing detail and are designed so they mate & stay aligned just like the prototype. Designed by Geoff Ringle, a man known for his attention to detail. I pre-ordered enough for 12 cars at the show.
Geoff and I got to talking and a future version may contain a fine wire to detect disconnect that can drive an air release sound from a Phoenix sound card. The guys at Phoenix think they can detect a change in wire length so it would work no matter where you cut the cars. This is still in the neat idea stage and has NOT been promised.
@Jason - If you can get some high-res close-ups pictures from Geoff that may help the cause.
Jon
Yes your correct …Talked a bit with Geoff on them both days, the hand is NS to carry the current … the 1:20 looked rather large when placed against Conrail #9 Friday…
Either way they are very cool
Craig Townsend said:
Two questions/concerns.
First as any other magnet type device, a N/S pole exists. So how do you get around the problem of not being able to turn a car around? If the “B” end of the car all have N pole, and the “A” end have S pole everything works great. But what if I want to put together to “B” ends, or two “A” ends? The magnets will repel one another.
Secondly; why doesn’t 1/29 get their own correct size? 1/32 is too small, and 1/20.3 would be way oversized…1/32 hose ‘might’ work in 1/29 as Multiple unit hoses between locomotives as they are smaller than the trainline hose, but they would be too small for a trainline hose.
Craig
Craig…the 1:29 and 1:32 versions are in development from my understanding
David Russell said:
Craig Townsend said:
Two questions/concerns.
First as any other magnet type device, a N/S pole exists. So how do you get around the problem of not being able to turn a car around? If the “B” end of the car all have N pole, and the “A” end have S pole everything works great. But what if I want to put together to “B” ends, or two “A” ends? The magnets will repel one another.
Secondly; why doesn’t 1/29 get their own correct size? 1/32 is too small, and 1/20.3 would be way oversized…1/32 hose ‘might’ work in 1/29 as Multiple unit hoses between locomotives as they are smaller than the trainline hose, but they would be too small for a trainline hose.
Craig
Craig…the 1:29 and 1:32 versions are in development from my understanding
Okay, but that still doesn’t solve problem number 1 for me… I would like to be able to actually switch and turn freight cars and locomotives around and still have the glad hands work.
Craig Townsend said:
First as any other magnet type device, a N/S pole exists. So how do you get around the problem of not being able to turn a car around? If the “B” end of the car all have N pole, and the “A” end have S pole everything works great. But what if I want to put together to “B” ends, or two “A” ends? The magnets will repel one another.
You are correct Craig. Using this system cars can not be turned. Geoff and I talked at length about this too. For me this isn’t a problem. I turn trains, but not individual cars.
Jon Radder said:
Craig Townsend said:
First as any other magnet type device, a N/S pole exists. So how do you get around the problem of not being able to turn a car around? If the “B” end of the car all have N pole, and the “A” end have S pole everything works great. But what if I want to put together to “B” ends, or two “A” ends? The magnets will repel one another.
You are correct Craig. Using this system cars can not be turned. Geoff and I talked at length about this too. For me this isn’t a problem. I turn trains, but not individual cars.
I ordered a bunch, but the N/S pole problem could be a killer. The ones I make don’t have that problem because they don’t have the super detail that these do and I can hook them up from either direction. I have thicker magnets and the hose is flexible enough to twist to align the magnets corrrectly.
These look VERY nice, but you do have to make sure that all your cars are facing the same direction.
In an operational environment, that’s pretty darn tough, if not impossible.
However, I plan to experiment with mine and see what I can do. I may sacrifice some detail… 
Bruce and Jon,
That confirms to me why I’m staying away from them for now. Maybe someday we’ll see working brakes in large scale (not ride on, they already have them) then I’ll be interested.
You won’t have to fake the exhaust noise either! 
My needs are simple. I am satisfied if the trucks don’t de-rail.
Well there goes more of my money…
Gary - You just order from the website and a invoice gets emailed to you with payment instructions, check, Echeck or Credit card.
Yes the hoses have a N and S, they do need to be set correctly to couple. You can mark the underside of the car if you want to make the A or B end random. Not sure you about others but I couple a train and it stays coupled until I disconnect. May add or remove cars but I don’t turn cars around.
I will have to photograph the hands, I have 2 cars set up as a demo along with a loose pair for playing.
I also spoke with Geoff about these. As Jon said you really need to see these up close and in person. They work just like the prototypes. Im going to order a few for some kitbashed rolling stock I plan on building. For me having a and A and B end does not metter. I just run trains. Operations are too much work for me lol.
Craig Townsend said:
Bruce and Jon,
That confirms to me why I’m staying away from them for now. Maybe someday we’ll see working brakes in large scale (not ride on, they already have them) then I’ll be interested.
You won’t have to fake the exhaust noise either!
I hope Aaron Loyet sees this post and can show some pictures of Larry Herget’s lumber bunks or boogies with working brakes. I got to see them at our Gateway Garden Railroad Club Winter Meet and they are fantastic.
I seen it Ric, Your wish is my command-here is an overall shot of a pair of bunks
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s414/trainbuffjr1/hergetlogbunks004_zps6f4fd437.jpg)
here is a view from the top showing the hangers
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s414/trainbuffjr1/hergetlogbunks001_zpsf8f38e5d.jpg)
here is a bottom view showing the brakes released
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s414/trainbuffjr1/hergetlogbunks002_zps024a33a9.jpg)
and with a turn of the brake wheel
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s414/trainbuffjr1/hergetlogbunks003_zps1f2dc779.jpg)
Jason Kovac said:
Gary - You just order from the website and a invoice gets emailed to you with payment instructions, check, Echeck or Credit card.
Yes the hoses have a N and S, they do need to be set correctly to couple. You can mark the underside of the car if you want to make the A or B end random. Not sure you about others but I couple a train and it stays coupled until I disconnect. May add or remove cars but I don’t turn cars around.
I will have to photograph the hands, I have 2 cars set up as a demo along with a loose pair for playing.
Thanks Jason.
I started using the brake wheel end (B), for one pole and the A for the other.
But my surgical tubing was so flexible, it didn’t matter. As Bruce said, it twists without kinking very nicely.
For that price, I’ll stick with my design: Less than a buck per car. With the “ten foot rule” applied, they look like a prototypical coupling.
On my simple layout that (for the most part) lacks run-around facilities cars usually don’t get turned even though I am doing operations, not roundy-round. So for me the N/S issue is not a problem. I’m looking forward to getting mine in about a month.
