Coupler Trip Pins on Passenger Cars

[nkalanaga]

Also, making sure the pins are correct at the factory would probably raise the cost.  We can adjust them ourselves, or pay to hire a factory inspector to do it for us.  In my case, I don't use magnets, but leave the pins on, partly out of laziness, and partly to simulate air hoses.  Instead of measuring the height I simply bend them up out of the way so they can't snag.  The only ones that get cut are those that get in the way, such as on some locos with snowplows.

Peteski's picture D looks like most of mine!

[Brakie]

I cut the pins off everything I own. I hate when I pick up a car and the next one comes with it.

My thoughts..

Why would one want to destroy the beauty of MT or Accurail couplers operation?

I realize everybody doesn't switch cars but,the delayed uncoupling and hands off uncoupling is well worth the few seconds it takes to adjust a trip pin.

As far as picking cars up why should that be needed on most layouts?

I use my magnetic uncoupler to uncouple the cars before I removed them from my dining room table  switching layout..

[nkalanaga]

I do switch my cars and have never used magnetic uncoupling.  I own exactly one uncoupling magnet, and HO one, and it's on the refrigerator.  A screwdriver-type uncoupling tool works fine, and all of my track is within arms reach.  The main reason I don't cut the pins off is laziness.  If they don't cause problems why go to the trouble of cutting them?

[CBQ Fan]

Final verdict, I am just going to bend them!

[nkalanaga]

If you decide to cut the off later, you can, but if you decide you want them, after cutting  them off, it's very hard to reinstall them!

[Brakie]

I do switch my cars and have never used magnetic uncoupling.  I own exactly one uncoupling magnet, and HO one, and it's on the refrigerator.  A screwdriver-type uncoupling tool works fine, and all of my track is within arms reach.  The main reason I don't cut the pins off is laziness.  If they don't cause problems why go to the trouble of cutting them?

I used a screwdriver or skewer at the HO club until the "super cars" came along with their fragile detail parts now I use the magnets.

If I tried using a screwdriver in  N I would probably derail more cars then its worth so,I continue to use my Unitrack uncoupler tracks on my dining room table switching layout..

[peteski]

Final verdict, I am just going to bend them!

Excellent choice!

[nkalanaga]

Brakie:  My tools aren't real screwdrivers, but 1/32 inch brass rod with a piece of thin brass sheet soldered into one end, then tapered.  Insert the pointed end between the coupler faces, twist, and they're apart.  The rod is long enough to reach through overhead wires, and the 3/8 inch wood dowel handles make it easy to hold.  Most real screwdrivers are either too wide to fit the couplers, too thick to fit between them well, or too short.  I agree, they don't work well at all.

[peteski]

Manual uncoupling tool like nkalanga created is already available (in plastic).  http://www.rixproducts.com/rix_pick_uncoupling_tool.htm It works really well for manual uncoupling.  We also use regular bamboo skewers - they are much cheaper and they also work fairly well.

[nkalanaga]

Oh yes. the Rix pick has been around for years.  It's just that I'm too cheap to buy one when I can make my own from leftover brass sheet and tube.  The tip looks very much like mine, just more "professional".

[robert3985]

Snip Snip...off come ALL of the magnetic "dongles" on every car and engine I own.  It's the first thing I do when I bring 'em home and open the box.

Rix Pix are great, and I use 'em for all of my uncoupling and switching.

Next is body mounting the couplers and lowering the car if needed...and I replace the hurky (herky? herkie?) "N-gauge" MT coupler (or whatever else is mounted to the truck) with MT Z-gauge couplers, which are really N-scale couplers.  Oh...and snip snip, the magnetic teeny dongles come off of all of them too. I paint the shiny cut ends of the dongles with a dab of grimy black before weathering the car.

I don't have any doubts.  I will NEVER use magnets to uncouple my cars.

As to why I would reject MT's "Magnematic Action (TM)"? I think it's more prototypical for a real hand (although a big one) to be involved in the uncoupling.  Real couplers don't go over a ramp and uncouple "magnematically" as far as I know.

I still used the "delayed uncoupling" action of the MT couplers however and push the car(s) to where I'm spotting it (them).  Easy to do with the Rix Pix or bamboo skewers or martini toothpicks.  It's not rocket science and with about ten minutes of practice, they don't derail either.

If there were couplers that used uncoupling levers on the ends of the cars to uncouple...I'd be happier.

Lastly, NEVER....I mean NEVER trust the manufacturers to sell their stuff with the proper NMRA (or other) clearances.  ALWAYS assume they don't comply and check every car and engine you have as part of the process of putting it on your layout and running it.  I find that about 40% of engines have at least one set of wheels that is out of gauge, and which would "hop" whenever it traveled over my "tight" NMRA clearanced hand-laid turnouts.  They ALL get checked before they go on my layout.  You should do the same and quit griping.

Cheers!
Bob Gilmore

[u18b]

I do like magnetic uncoupling on freight cars in general.

But I don't worry about it on passenger cars, since I don't switch passenger cars.  The consist usually stays together.
So if the pin is present, then fine.  But I never install the pins on all my Kato cars.

[nkalanaga]

Ron:  Like you, my Kato passenger cars don't have pins, and for the same reason, they run from staging to staging as "mobile scenery".