Well It finally happened and the uncoupler button stuck, overheated the magnet and shorted out the track. It's in a tight stop between two other tracks and a set of switches, and ballasted in. I can live without the uncoupler, but is there an easier way of pulling this section/part out without dismantling a whole section of ballasted track? Any experience here would help.
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The magnet has melted the plastic roadbed. This will cause a short in the track circuit, thus the uncoupler section has to be removed. I have melted about 4 of these.
I added an LED light circuit to my uncouplers, so I can see when they are "stuck" on, and can kill the power to the layout to turn them off before the track melts. I have attached a PDF of the design for your reference.
You may also want to replace the plastic pushbutton that comes with the unit with a better pushbutton purchased at a radio shack or electronics store. I no longer use any of the lionel plastic uncoupler pushbutton units.
Well, I would cut the uncoupler section into scraps with a Dremel tool, then pull out the pieces leaving two good ends on the adjoining Fastrack. I would then take the Dremel tool and shorten the pins on the new uncoupler and existing sections to just a nub, maybe 1/16 inch, so I could "jimmy' the new uncoupler into place, counting on the nubs to maintain alignment. I would then solder jumpers around the sections with the cut-off pins for electrical continuity. You will also need to remove the plastic "socket" so the "plug" can drop straight down, on one end at least.
Try it first with a 5" section, but I bet you can make it work.
1 word of warning - I have a few Fastrack track and uncoupler sections that are unsolderable, must be incorrect plating on the rails. Most of them are fine.
Additional comment - I have wired a 1/2 amp hold, 1 amp trip resettable fuse into the main feed for all my Fastrack uncouplers. The fuse "trips" in about 5 seconds, more than long enough for uncoupling. If you trip it, they take about 15 seconds to reset, a small price to pay in my book. If you wire an 18 volt lamp across the fuse, it will light when the fuse is tripped.
PLCprof: the resettable fuse for the uncoupler circuit is a great idea. Do you have a model number or manufacturer of your fuse. I would like to add this to my uncoupler transformer output wires as you describe.
There are many that will work, here is one...
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