My old layout only had one siding / switch track and I had a UCS on it. I am planning to have a Ross 170 four way switch and five feet of yard track on my new layout. My question for folks with more elaborate yards, do you put a remote uncoupling track like a UCS on each track or do you manually uncouple cars as you build a consist?
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I use fastrack and have a fastrack uncoupler on each track in all my yards. This allows me to break down and build trains, shuffling the car order as needed and removing cars not required for a particular train.
I have uncoupling tracks at each location where I would uncouple a car, either in a yard or an industry track.
That said, I run command control and follow next to the train when doing switching operations. I sometimes find it easier to manually uncouple the cars (just like the real way they did it in the 50s).
The more the better. I don't have the luxury of long yard leads so I have a few out on my main lines. I can un couple half of a consist and come get it with a switcher locomotive ,bring it into the yard. Un couple the rest from the main line steamer and come and get the other half with another switcher and bring it in.Nick
The Plywood Empire Route has two industrial areas, one with three short spurs and the other with one longer spur. There are (10) Fastrack remote uncouplers in use, 6 of which are equipped with the car-stoppers I invented.
Per joe k, Ron and rockstars, it appears I need a few more UCS / RCS than I have. The cheapskate approach is losing out. I never really had a yard on my old layout and the new layout will have four yard tracks plus a yard lead.... (I hope). Trying to fit in a caboose track too but I appear to be out of space....
Lew, share the wealth! Show us the car stoppers please...
@hokie71 posted:Per joe k, Ron and rockstars, it appears I need a few more UCS / RCS than I have. The cheapskate approach is losing out. I never really had a yard on my old layout and the new layout will have four yard tracks plus a yard lead.... (I hope). Trying to fit in a caboose track too but I appear to be out of space....
Lew, share the wealth! Show us the car stoppers please...
Sure. These gizmos eliminate the need to crash-couple Lionel-style "lobster claw" couplers.
The basic bit is a Circuitron Tortoise switch machine. It's motion actuates a brass tube plunger which is fitted inside a larger diameter brass tube:
Lowered for trains to pass over:
Raised:
There is a thread here with more detail:
I do it all by hand. I had made a smaller layout where I had put uncouplers on for the couple spurs and found them to be more of a hassle then just reaching over and doing it by hand, so when I build my larger layout I just put my whole yard within arms' reach and use the HOG to do it all. It was also a lot cheaper this way too.
I use both, UCS and the 5 finger crane. I haven't added UCS's to all my sidings so depending on where I'm spotting cars...
Many of my sidings are right off of 027 turnouts so I usually have to align the couplers on a pick up anyway.
I bought a bunch of tubular track a while back and found some beat up UCS sections in the mix. The track was shot but the magnets still work so I rolled my own.
Ya, it takes a lot of room to have couplers always aligned. I use Fastrack O72 track switches and find that coming off the curved leg I need a half-section (5") between the switch and the remote uncoupler.
I apologize for the sideways pic. To get proper lighting I had to take it in portrait format but the forum software treats landscape orientation better.
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