Hand of God.................Uncoupling tool

[Tom@Crewe]

OK  I know you can get special couplings for the stock magnetic etc., and uncoupling devices to lay on the track or under it.

BUT.....At a show I saw (OO) a tool pen like with brass rod attachment being used to uncouple coaches, What if any is used for 'N' gauge Home made or shop bought.

Anyone in the know?

[scotsoft]

How about using a cocktail stick?

Really cheap and you get hundreds for a £1 in the pound shop 

cheers John.

[jond]

With the rapido type coupler in N gauge, I've found it tricky to uncouple with such a pick or tool because you tend to pick up the whole loco/wagon etc.

The design and sizing of OO style hook couplers makes them fairly easy to uncouple with a hook on a stick type tool.

A few years ago I saw some N gauge stock coupled with proper chain links, and the uncoupling and coupling was performed using what looked like a dental pick/scraper type tool !

Jon

[port perran]

How about using a cocktail stick?

Really cheap and you get hundreds for a £1 in the pound shop 

cheers John.

They come in handy for modelling purposes too.

[Newportnobby]

How about using a cocktail stick?

Really cheap and you get hundreds for a £1 in the pound shop 

cheers John.

They come in handy for modelling purposes too.

I find they're great for sticking into cherries

I always remember the huge black 'shovel' type thing I used to uncouple my Tri-ang stuff with

[keithfre]

I wonder if some kind of "magnet on a stick" would work if the Rapido couplings were fitted with Seep coupling adapters?

[ScottyStitch]

I have seen a thin wooden plate placed on a rail at it's mid point, with one end under the couplings, and then a finger applied at the opposite end of the plate, on the outside the track rather like a see saw with the rail being the fulcrum. the plate end under the coupling rises and takes the couplings with it. If that makes sense........

[austinbob]

I have seen a thin wooden plate placed on a rail at it's mid point, with one end under the couplings, and then a finger applied at the opposite end of the plate, on the outside the track rather like a see saw with the rail being the fulcrum. the plate end under the coupling rises and takes the couplings with it. If that makes sense........

Yes it does make sense - I might try that. As an aside, I find that the Peco couplings are much easier to uncouple than the Dapol ones and a bit easier than the Farish ones.

[keithfre]

I have seen a thin wooden plate placed on a rail at it's mid point, with one end under the couplings, and then a finger applied at the opposite end of the plate, on the outside the track rather like a see saw with the rail being the fulcrum. the plate end under the coupling rises and takes the couplings with it. If that makes sense........

In that case you might as well use the Peco SL-330 Decoupler, cheap and elegant.

[ScottyStitch]

I have seen a thin wooden plate placed on a rail at it's mid point, with one end under the couplings, and then a finger applied at the opposite end of the plate, on the outside the track rather like a see saw with the rail being the fulcrum. the plate end under the coupling rises and takes the couplings with it. If that makes sense........

In that case you might as well use the Peco SL-330 Decoupler, cheap and elegant.

I think maybe the advantage of the plank type I had seen was that it could be used anywhere on the layout. Am I right in thinking the 330 is attached to the track?....I've never seen one in action......

[austinbob]

I have seen a thin wooden plate placed on a rail at it's mid point, with one end under the couplings, and then a finger applied at the opposite end of the plate, on the outside the track rather like a see saw with the rail being the fulcrum. the plate end under the coupling rises and takes the couplings with it. If that makes sense........

In that case you might as well use the Peco SL-330 Decoupler, cheap and elegant.

But ScottyStitches idea is FREE pretty much. Very attractive to us of Scottish descent!

[keithfre]

Am I right in thinking the 330 is attached to the track?....I've never seen one in action......

A quick google found this:
http://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=30782

[PostModN66]

Not really my kind of thing this, but a neat idea I have seen for a HoG uncoupling device is a brass rod with a bent end and a bit of flat brass soldered on, the rod being attached to a small cylindrical pocket torch - the idea being that the beam of the torch helps you see the coupling and apply force where needed!

Cheers  Jon 

[austinbob]

Not really my kind of thing this, but a neat idea I have seen for a HoG uncoupling device is a brass rod with a bent end and a bit of flat brass soldered on, the rod being attached to a small cylindrical pocket torch - the idea being that the beam of the torch helps you see the coupling and apply force where needed!

Cheers  Jon 

I used to use something like that for my EM gauge layout and it worked really well. But - as someone else has posted - N gauge is so light that you're just as likely to lift the wagon or coach off the track as uncouple them...

[E Pinniger]

I use a slightly modified dental pick tool, with the end bent at a shallower angle (about 45') - like this (took the photo ages ago to use in my layout thread but never got round to posting it):



The angle of the tool makes it easy (in theory!) to hold it under couplings and use the 90' angled tip to push one of them up. I've found uncoupling is a lot easier if you push up the coupling on the vehicle(s) that are to be detached from the train - otherwise you're attempting to push/pull the loco out of the way, usually resulting in the rolling stock derailing. This is especially true with short wheelbase, 4-wheeled stock which are prone to getting lifted up along with the coupling!