Magnets For Kadee Couplers?

Personally, I prefer NOT to clutter up my track with any sort of magnets. We use various chop-sticks, paint brush handles, and home made brass rod uncouplers. Besides, the delay action feature of Kadee couplers works great for spotting cars in industrial sidings or cuts of cars in the freight yard.

I'm presently using an old TV tuner type screwdriver, plastic on one end and metal on the other.

 

The only issue I have with any blade is I can't see well enough down between the cars (especially 2 boxcars) to get it right the 1st time.  It usually takes me 3-4 tried before I get it.  At one time I used one of those "finger lights".  Worked pretty good, but the batteries gave out and cost more than the whole light.

 

I may experiment with one siding just to see if it'll work (plus I still haven't ballasted any sidings yet).

 

Bob - I don't know if you have seen laidoffsick's videos.

This link also has other videos.

 http://www.youtube.com/user/Laidoffsick/videos?view=0

 

IMHO the Kadee magnets are stronger than many available.  You would have to experiment to see if what you were buying was adequate. 

Pretty slick video and great RR action!

 

I guess I'll give my Kadee magnets another try.  I think I was making it too hard with trying to determine where to place them, but from the video I think I now have the answer.

 

Thanks marker!

John Armstrong kept a supply of K-D magnets and dropped one between the rails wherever he wanted to do switching, then gathered it up after he was finished.

Rex,

 

My initial trial using the KD magnets I just placed them on the ties.  If I remember correctly they wouldn't stay still long enough for me to do the switching.  I'll try that again though and see what happens.  The "kit" comes with a metal plate that's suppose to go under the magnets to keep them in place, but then the plate has to have somewhere to go and that means cutting ties out.

Make sure you use those plates that come with the magnets. They amplify the strength of the magnet and make a big difference. Also make sure the trip pins are bent to the correct height for smooth operation every.time

Thanks l-o-s, nice video by the way!

Laidoffsick....I think maybe Bob could use your excellent how to install Kadee magnets video. It sure helped me  Thank you Clem  

i have been using the plastic sticks that the fruit is on in those edible fruit baskets.  have also used them for lamp posts

Well the point of my switching layout was to switch cars at every industry, with any combination of cars and engines without having to use anything but my Cab 1 or Cab 2 controller. I can spot, pull, and shove cars wherever I need to without ever touching them with my hands. If you paint your rails, magnets, ballast the track, and detail the layout..... no one really even notices the magnets.

 

The big keys are good track work, excellent electrical contacts (wiring) and a good quality engine. My engines will crawl through the turnouts without jerking, so slow it's hard to tell if it's still moving. If your engine is jerky at slow speed, the delayed uncoupling action of the Kadees will not work properly. But then again, in real life, we don't always make every joint or every cut the first time

My approach is a little different. I already had the track laid and set up with Gargraves uncouplers before I switched to KD's. Not wanting to disturb the track, I found by using the #809? and by putting an appropriate metal shim between the magnet and top of the tie (Gargraves and Ross track) I could position the top of the magnet just below the height of the center rail. Not terribly pleasing aesthetics wise but fully functional and easy to mount. When I am inside the layout switching, I cannot see the placement of the magnets so I marked them with the white/black posts you see pictured.

 

They work with only one magnet on each side of center rail? instead of two stacked.

Clem,

 

Yes, they are fully functional.  Delayed and uncoupling work fine. Center pin height is critical. (you are welcomed anytime to see them in action)

 

A second spin-off of this method is that by using only two of the four magnets in the set, I can make another set-up for the same price. I have lots of operational industrial sidings and need many of these.

Thank you Cape Cod I am in the process of a major expansion and Kadee conversion

Clem

I have 1 other suggestion (from experience): Slightly round down the end of your magnets (you can see mine in my videos) because while switching at super slow speeds, some of my center rollers were catching on the squared edge of the magnet and would stop the engine. The magnets are just a bit above the railhead height, but far enough apart the center roller maintains contact with the rail as it rolls through. It's much easier to round them down before installation, like I said, I learned that the hard way.

some of my center rollers were catching on the squared edge of the magnet

 

I wish all the other manufacturers would follow what 3rd Rail has done on their E7s.  They have tapered center rollers, I wouldn't think they would catch at all.

Yes absolutely, they all should be tapered in my opinion. The other thing I found to have an effect on getting caught by the magnet is the spring tension of the rollers. Some are much stiffer than others. I have an Atlas GP9 that is very stiff, and crawls so slow that it would catch the magnet and stop, and it would take me a few seconds to realize that it was stuck because of the fact that it can move so slowly.