Uncoupling

[mojo]

I would like to add an extension to my layout to create a 4/5 platform terminal station and it would involve uncoupling locos (steam) from the incoming coaches prior to the coach set departing again. All my stock has Rapido type couplings.
What is the best practical method for uncoupling in this situation with a covered train shed. (No hand of God)!
Maurice C.

[mr magnolia]

Hah, now you're asking!
I look forward to learned replies - I'm having some frustrations with experiments with magnets just now, which would need some dapol easy shunt couplers to be substituted....

[RussellH]

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=15969.msg159227#msg159227

Regards

Russ

[d-a-n]

Change your stock to Dapol easi shunts

www.youtube.com/results?search_query=dapol+n+gauge+easi+shunt&sm=3

[PostModN66]

If you didn't want to go the Dapol route for any reason (perhaps because your carriages don't have NEM couplings) you could convert the couplings at the end of your rakes to "pivot" and just use a fixed permanent magnet in the track.  You would have to use some visual reference to judge when your end couplings were over the magnet (e.g. fourth carriage toilet window level with the third lamp-post type of thing) but I would be confident it would work well.  Locos would need no modification.

This illustrates the approach....




Cheers

Jon   

[mojo]

Thanks for all the replies.

Russ, I wonder if a fixed ramp at a point where the loco comes to a stop would lift the loco coupling but not the first coach coupling, allowing the loco to move forward slightly? I like the ramp idea though so will have to experiment.

Too much stock to convert to Dapol.

Maurice C.

[PostModN66]

This might well work.

You might need to spring load the ramp so it doesn't bodily lift the loco off as it goes over.  You might also need to cut off the lift "prong" on the coach coupling so that the ramp doesn't lift it at the same time as the loco coupler.  The prongs are in theory offset, but not by much so it would make things easier to get rid of it on the coach.

Cheers  Jon 

[mojo]

Thanks Jon, never thought of that!
It would have to be done at both ends ( on the brakes) since the coaches would depart from the opposite end and arrive back again t'other way round.

Maurice C.

[PostModN66]

It would have to be done at both ends ( on the brakes) since the coaches would depart from the opposite end and arrive back again t'other way round.

Yes - could be quite a neat solution. I don't know if you are like me - I have hundreds of spare Rapido couplings so not too much of a risk to experiment!

You might also think about my suggested method above though.  Although a little more work to modify the couplings to pivot, the actuation part is very easy (just a magnet in the track).  Here is a clip of Lofthole to illustrate.  In these examples the magnet moves up and down on a string, as they have to be capable of not uncoupling as trains go over them, but for terminal road applications they can be fixed.

Look at about 1min in.


Lofthole Part 2

Cheers  Jon 

[Dr Al]

You might also need to cut off the lift "prong" on the coach coupling so that the ramp doesn't lift it at the same time as the loco coupler.

If you offset the ramp to the appropriate side then it'll only lift one of the couplers (loco or coach, it doesn't really matter), and therefore avoid the need to modify stock.

Cheers,
Alan

[PostModN66]

You might also need to cut off the lift "prong" on the coach coupling so that the ramp doesn't lift it at the same time as the loco coupler.

If you offset the ramp to the appropriate side then it'll only lift one of the couplers (loco or coach, it doesn't really matter), and therefore avoid the need to modify stock.

Yeah, but it would make the device trickier to line up.....if you are like me and have thousands of spare Rapido's it might be easier just to cut the prong off and have a wider, less sensitive mechanism.

Just a suggestion

Cheers  Jon 

[Dr Al]

Yeah, but it would make the device trickier to line up.....if you are like me and have thousands of spare Rapido's it might be easier just to cut the prong off and have a wider, less sensitive mechanism.

Undoubtedly on curves, but it sounds like it's most likely to be on straight track from the OP's description - therefore I'd try offsetting it first before moving to modify a lot of stock.

Cheers,
Alan

[Karhedron]

Too much stock to convert to Dapol.

The thing to remember is that you don't have to convert everything to using Dapol couplers. I just use them on the locos and then convert one coupling at each end of the rake. The coaches continue to use unmodified Rapidos within the rake itself. I am assuming you will not be wanting to uncouple individual coaches and rearrange them.

I have found converting each bogie to use Dapol's NEM pockets is not very hard and can be done in under 30-minutes (part of which is glue drying time). It will probably not take much longer than converting Rapidos as shown above. Plus most new stock seems to be fitted with NEM pockets anyway so it would not be an ongoing commitment. If you go down the modified rapido route, you will have to modify every new loco you buy.

[Zakalwe]

if you do fancy a bit of shunting of carriage formations then having 2 or 3 dapol easi shunt couplers in the rake works well.

I do this for an HST formation, both power cars and a split at the end of the buffet allows some splitting of formation to visit the wheel lathe, power cars to be serviced and some interesting power car formations
 
also did the same for container flats so some can visit the wagon works

inspiration for this was the excellent horseley fields steel terminal and the OO gauge Kirkhill depot

[PostModN66]

If you go down the modified rapido route, you will have to modify every new loco you buy.

Not the locos - just the end coaches.  The advantage of this approach (and the mechanical one) is that you don't have to modify any locos.....and a bit cheaper.

But any of the three methods suggested would be fine.......

Cheers  Jon