Electromagnet uncouplers -modifying old Peco point solenoids

[RST]

I think I'm right in saying some folk on here have used cut down Peco point motors to use the solenoids for uncouplers (typical I can't seem to find them on a search)?

I think I'm going to do this as I'm about ready to start ballasting.  Is there anything else I need to be aware of:

• I bought some SEEP uncoupler bar add-ons as they were cheap enough for 15.  Should work fine with the unsprung couplers (I just have a few tankers and ballast / engineers wagons)
  I have some spare Peco point motors -cut them in half so the solenoids can be used and fab up some form of mount
  I have some spare steel rod from Meccano -cut that down to size and drill a 4mm hole between sleepers and pass it through the coil beneath (well glued into place)
  Make sure that the top of the steel rod is flush with the sleeper tops

...That sounds about right going from what I read on here and they would actually look the near enough same as the Peco stock units.  Going to use 16vAC to power them off a simple push button.  I'm only going to need 3 or 4 of them, if this isn't going to work it's not worth spending any cash buying them.

[Newportnobby]

Please keep us updated with your experiment - sounds interesting

[Malc]

Yes, please keep us updated, sounds like a good idea. I have a solenoid with an open circuit coil I can use.

[lil chris]

I have seen a post somewhere of someone using the solenoids out of seep motors. If you manage to use peco motors let us know, I have quite a few old peco motors I could canabalise for my goods yard when I get to build it. I want to use electromagnet uncouplers myself, I am thinking of buying some from the NGS in the new year.

[A.Carter (BiG-T)]

I tried on a previous layout with the Peco electromagnetic un-couplers they look to be the same coil used on the point motors. I could not get them to work successfully using the Peco coupling adaptors,
I was talking to a guy at an exhibition earlier this year who was using this system successfully and he was using the Gaugemaster EM2 coupling adaptors as these have a larger area for the magnet to attract.

Tony

[Rabs]

I tried with butchered peco point motors to actuate my DG couplings but I found that the windings were too wimpy to produce a strong enough magnetic field.  After two went up in smoke under my test track I bought myself a bunch of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Pull-Solenoids-open-frame-12v-to-38v-39-ohms-/161170631239?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item258684aa47
Which worked out at about £1 each in bulk from that seller and are much beefier.  I then just removed the spring and glued the core in place to make it into a static electromagnet.

[RST]

Drat, you guys are right -thinking back it maybe was SEEP point motors.  Anyhow, tried it this morning and the only thing it does after 2s is generate allot of heat to the point it was just going to burn out.  The Peco coils are obviously not designed for anything more than a pulse a fraction of a second long.  Was worth trying with scrap parts but think I'm just going to get a couple of the Gaugemaster coils, the SEEP metal coupling plates are the same as the Gaugemaster ones so nothing lost there.

One thing I can't find is the depth required for the Gaugemester units -I only have 1" clearance under the board, hence not able to fit any of the commercial solenoid coils.

[DCCDave]

Solenoid point motors are designed for a quick kick from the coil, the polarity of the current determines which direction the kick is in.

That's why momentary contact methods are used to change solenoid point motors, such as stud/probe or passing contact switches. As several have mentioned above anything beyond a very brief pulse of juice will burn the solenoid's out. Please don't anyone else try this as it won't work and may well start a fire.

Cheers
Dave

[fordpop]

Rabs,

Do your solenoid's work OK - I assume thay can handle current for a longer period?

[EtchedPixels]

The gaugemaster/SEEP uncouplers are designed to take a longer pulse but are probably still not going to be enough for all types of coupler. Ought to handle a DG though I would have thought.

[RST]

Hmm, bit harsh Dave.  I see a few things in the model railway world likely to start a fire.  It was worth it for the sake of making up a quick test piece, there was nothing I could find against it before so now I think it's documented if anyone else searches for it.

[Newportnobby]

The subject has now been locked at the request of the OP