magnetic decouplers

[gehdoc97]

Hello again- newbie here

I have placed a magnetic decoupler under a straight piece of EZ Nickel Silver Track away from the powered rerailer with the metal
plate on the decoupler still installed.  The decoupler is very balky and sometimes it works on a car and other times it will not - it also
does not like most of my other cars - all HO scale and all Bachmann Silver Series.

Can someone help me ?  Did I install it correctly? What areas should I look for to troubleshoot this issue?  I thought if you backed onto the
magnet, shut off the cab power, waited a few seconds, then pulled forward slightly it should decouple and then you could back the car
into it 's position.

Thanks again for the help - alot more to learn I guess.'

gehdoc97

[Doneldon]

ge97-

Do you have the regular uncoupler or the electromagnetic one? Did you use the manufacturer's template to make sure it is positioned
correctly? Are you using the same brand of couplers and uncoupler? The answers to these questions will help us zero in on a hypothesis.

                                                                                                                                                                                             -- D

[gehdoc97]

Hello again

The electromagnetic ones with the metal plate on one side and a sticky surface on the other came in a plastic bag
with the Bachmann Sante Fe HO "warbonnet" set I purchased.  I also got another one, same packaging, with the EZ Track
extend a track set.  There were no instructions with them.  I would believe they were distributed by Bachmann but with
no markings on them I do not know who manufactured them.   There is one available on the Bachmann site with the little
flag man.

Hope that helps

gehdoc97

[jward]

since you said you have all silver series cars, i am assuming all have the factory installed ez mate couplers.

the first thing i would checque is the height of the trip pins. if the pins are too high, the uncouplers won't work properly, too low and they snag on switches and bend the coupler.

a good tool to have is a kadee coupler height guage, which has a way to checque trip pin height. if you don't have one, lay a couple index cards across the rails and adjust the pins so they just barely clear the cards. you can adjust the pins by carefully bending them with needle nose pliers. to lower the pin, place the lower jaw of the pliers on the curved part of the pin, and the upper jaw on the very end of the pin, and squeeze very gently to straighten the pin. to raise the pin height, place the lower jaw on the end of the trip pin, and the upper jaw on the end of the pin at the coupler head. once again squeeze gently to make the adjustment you need.

[jbrock27]

If it becomes necessary to adjust your trip pins, I put the recommendation in for purchasing Trip Pin Pliers that are designed to do just as Jeff describes.  This tool makes the job extremely easy.  Any tool that does that, just like the Kadee Coupler Height Gauge, is tool worth investing in, in my book.  Chances are good, you may have other pins that need adjusting in the future.

[gehdoc97]

Thank you - I was unsure if the metal plate was suppose to be on the magnet still or off - seemed it did not matter.
The trip hooks are suppose to touch each other when coupled and when going over the magnet reverse pole one and it
uncouples the car?  Never went to electric shop as a kid - but I know not to stand in water when you plug something in hhaha.

Thanks again - feel like such an old dufus around all the experienced modelers I have found.

I will look into getting a Kadee gauge - they have coupler and track gauges as well I think.

gehdoc97

[jbrock27]

For a track gauge, look for the NMRA one.  It is a flat metal plate with several functions to it, including the ability to check turnouts.  Also a very worthwhile model RR tool to have.  It also has a gauge for coupler height, but I like the Kadee gauge for that purpose better.
Don't feel like a dufus, we're all learning.

[rbryce1]

This is from the Kadee web site.

1. Stop with the couplers over an uncoupler and back up slightly with the couplers still over the uncoupler, allowing slack to occur between couplers.
2. Pull forward bringing coupler off the uncoupler. Couplers will snap to the delayed position.
3. Back up, pushing the car(s) to the desired location. Do not permit slack to develop between couplers.
4. Pull forward, leaving the car(s) where desired. Couplers will automatically return to normal coupling position.

Here is the site that contains these instructions.

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

[Hunt]

Click Here to view Bachmann how to video.

[gehdoc97]

That was a great set of videos and wish they had come on a cd as a starter set with my new train set

[gehdoc97]

I am befuddled

I have checked the trip pins on the couplers, have watched them move to one side when over the electromagnet under the track,
have followed the instructions, watched the videos and guess now what I have to do is take the engine and cars and go to the hobby
shop and find out what is wrong.

The couplers move but look like they dont move enough to one side to loosen.

Anyone have any other ideas?  Maybe I need to change the couplers.  These are the original couplers that came with my DCC Sante Fe HO set.

[Doneldon]

ge97-

You don't have electromagnets. Those require power and a switch to turn it on and off. It only has a magnetic field when the power is on. Some modelers prefer them, especially on mainlines, because the conventional magnetic uncouplers can sometimes cause accidental uncoupling.

The key to reliable couplers is having them properly positioned and adjusted. The key to reliable uncoupling is having magnets which are placed in useful locations and which are positioned at the correct height so they will pull coupler knuckles open when wanted but not when the operator wants the cars to remain coupled. A Kadee coupler gauge is a near requirement to get couplers correctly installed. A template or careful measurement is necessary to properly mount an uncoupler.

I cannot overemphasize the need to be meticulous with your couplers. Model trains which don't operate reliably and consistently quickly become frustrating and abandoned. The two things which will cause the frustration are couplers and derailments. So ... make sure that your tracks are built perfectly and your couplers installed within specifications. That won't mean you never have a coupler malfunction or a derailment but it will minimize such mishaps so you can enjoy your railroad. It's much easier to enjoy a well functioning layout with mediocre scenery, or even no scenery, than it is to enjoy a beautiful layout with trains coming off of the rails and couplers which let go when they should stay together.

Other posters have given you the information you need to get your couplers working as they should and I won't restate any of that. But I will encourage you to follow their instructions carefully.
                                                -- D

[Elnovato]

I had a similar problem, but basically you need to practice a bit. Make sure the magnet is properly attached to the tracks. In my case, the magnet did not stick properly and came off inadvertedly. Good luck!

[Jerrys HO]

I had a similar problem, but basically you need to practice a bit. Make sure the magnet is properly attached to the tracks. In my case, the magnet did not stick properly and came off inadvertedly. Good luck!

Low temp glue gun works well holding them in place. I run a small bead around the outer edge.