[joe rusz]

Recently, in the Large Scale Events forum, Garry Woolard provided us with some great photos and informative descriptions of some of new, large scale products including Kadee's radio-controlled couplers. Personally, as soemone who looks forward to the day when my layout is built, I was excited about this gimmick that would allow me to switch and uncouple cars without using a magnet or a chopstick. Unless I missed something, the response was underwhelming, which made me wonder if any besides me reads this stuff. Or cares?

Just asking...

 

[Curmudgeon]

Nope.
You're the designated reader.

 

[John J]

I read a lot of this stuff. I think that if you have a large amount of rolling stock Like Marty and me. The price of putting the coupler system in each car is expensive. Even if you did evry other car. But I try to read about every new idea and gadget.
Who know you might come up with a new idea for your layout.

 

[Guest]

Posted By joe rusz on 08/03/2008 8:33 PM
Recently, in the Large Scale Events forum, Garry Woolard provided us with some great photos and informative descriptions of some of new, large scale products including Kadee's radio-controlled couplers. Personally, as soemone who looks forward to the day when my layout is built, I was excited about this gimmick that would allow me to switch and uncouple cars without using a magnet or a chopstick. Unless I missed something, the response was underwhelming, which made me wonder if any besides me reads this stuff. Or cares?
Just asking..." border=0>




AAAAAAAA, the 1st thing i did when i read the thread about the auto kadees was to call them up and get a little info, it appears they will be avalable after the 1st of the year, they will come in different sizes and they work with a servo. now i really wanted them for my locos but as they will need some room to mount i guess i will buy a few and try them on box cars 1st...
Nick...

 

[ShadsTrains]

I have a german magazine that Manfred (lotsasteam) gave me a couple years ago. There was an aristo FA that had the exact same thing done with the kadee coupler, although it was controlled with DCC. I've kept the magazine around as I plan on making this modification to my switching engines.

 

[paintjockey]

I read about it but since i aven't seen one and don't know anyone who has, i didn't want to make too many comments.
Personnally, i wouldn't use them. I like to follow may trains and uncouple them manually. My $1.50 dollar store screwdriver/uncoupling tool has held up this long i just may keep it around a few more years.

The other thing is that products get announced and then are never heard from again. People see a proto type fall in lust, and swear they're gonna buy 30 of em.

I quit watchin, has Accucraft released it's swiches yet?

 

[Gary Woolard]

The price of putting the coupler system in each car is expensive.


I think JJ has it nailed. This general kind of solution has been bandied about for a while, but even if Kadee can bring it in very inexpensively, the cost scales up pretty fast if you're doing any kind of real ops -- and the ops peolple are the only ones who'd care enough!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif When you compare that to the cost of a more 'traditional' solution like a two-foot length of dowel with a bent nail in the end.. well golly../DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blush.gif


BTW, Joe, thanks for reading my thread! Sometimes I wonder if anybody's reading them!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crying.gif

 

[altterrain]

No Kadees here, so I guess I don't care. A long thin screw works just fine when I am around them. I did enjoy the other pics though. A reply:view rate of 1:70 isn't atypical of the forums.

-Brian

 

[East Broad Top]

I think it's an interesting concept, though most of my switching is done via the front pilot of my steamers. I'm not sure where I'd put the servo. That, and I'd still need to uncouple cars within the train, so there's not a whole lot of advantage to be gained.

Later,

K

 

[david bunn]

Dear All
Unless one has loads of funds automatic couplers on all stock is really out of the question. Bent nails, lengths of wood etc do the job just as well especially if you like being next to your trains while operating.
My solution is simple, my couplers have been modified so that the cut bars operate, basically just lift the bar and hey presto coupler release and no fiddling around under the coupler to release the pin.A short piece of chain and a small pin plus ca is all it takes.
Regards
Bunny

 

[Dougald]

The concept of an electrically activated coupler has been talked about for a while. It has two drawbacks the first one of which - cost - has been spoken of here.

The other drawback was hinted at - only those of us who really are into operations are likely to have the interest to massively install these things. And all of the operators that I know use battery power (there has to be at least a very few DCC guys out there who operate but I do not know them)... which makes installation of the proposed product doubly expensive and difficult.

Regards ... Doug

 

[Torby]

Na, I just look at the pictures

 

[Gary Woolard]

Posted By Dougald on 08/04/2008 5:34 AM

The other drawback was hinted at - only those of us who really are into operations are likely to have the interest to massively install these things. And all of the operators that I know use battery power (there has to be at least a very few DCC guys out there who operate but I do not know them)... which makes installation of the proposed product doubly expensive and difficult.




Doug,
I should have made it clearer in my initial post -- the prototype that Sam Clarke was showing is battery powered. The servo was fed by two double-A or triple-A batteries, can't remember which, & I think Clarke was talking about replacing them with a 9V. Control is via an independent, programmable transmitter about the size of a garage door opener.
Bunny (gotta' love that handle!)
Sounds like you've put some effort into doing a 'cut-bar' mod that's practical and inexpensive!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/shocked.gif I'd love to see pictures & descriptions any time you'd like to post them!

 

[toddalin]

[No message]

 

[markoles]

While slightly off topic, I saw the MTH video for their GG1 and it has automatic uncouplers. I guess for hard to reach places, and switching moves, this is important. In the video, the GG1 drops its observation car on the fly. Looks like the GG1 will find home in many yards as a swich engine. Small enough to hide behind 53' evans boxcars! (maybe!)
For me, I don't even like Kadee couplers in the first place. I don't see any added benefit, and actually found the Kadee couplers separated much more frequently than my usual coupling methods. I have not had problems with the aristo and LGB knuckles. I find they work exactly as I need them to and stay coupled. Uncoupling is easier with the aristo than the LGB, due to the spring.
From an ops point of view, who out there wants auto uncoupling? Isn't that why most of you got in to large scale, so that you could walk with your train and switch the cars? It seems like a case of a solution being presented before there is a problem.
Oh, and like Tom, I also read just for the pictures!

 

[Curmudgeon]

Part of the issue is cost.
One or two per car?
Times 130 pieces of rolling stock (less locos)?
Cut a hole in the floor of your EXPENSIVE hand-built 1:20 wooden passenger coach?
Low-side gons?
Flatcars?
Tank cars will be fun.

For me, not worth the effort.
I am guessing there is the same vocal minority that resulted in a certain Socket that have hollered for this.

To give you an idea, the outfit I work with has had remote control of turnouts available for, oh, 12-13 years or so.

Sold?

Not a lot.
Folks in the field who do this don't care, don't want it, don't want the extra maintenance, are quite happy with manual throws or EZAir.

Same with couplers.
Maybe on the loco, but if you're dropping off car #3 in the string, then you have to have all of them so equipped.

Now, if this transmitter is addressable to any specific car, great.
But, if one transmitter triggers all of them, and you want to drop one car that is 3 back in the string, you back in, hold the button, pull away and leave the entire string.

Let's say it's addressable by car number.

The average age of Garden Railroaders?

You want to drop that third car.
You end up walking over to the train to read the car number anyway.

9V batteries.

Going to disassemble all your rolling stock and replace all those 9V cells every operating session?

Let's see.
Duracell, with tax, about $2 each.
Times 130.

That would cost me $260 per session, on top of the cost of the uncouplers, installation, AND mounting Kadees on all my stock, just to be able to "do" it.

Nope.

 

[toddalin]

Posted By markoles on 08/04/2008 1:16 PM
Isn't that why most of you got in to large scale, so that you could walk with your train and switch the cars?


I don't think so. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/ermm.gif

I think the vast majority of G-scale equipment just goes "round-and-round," or "back-and-forth" while people look on.

 

[markoles]

Todd,

Agreed, most large scalers (including myself) watch their trains go round and round.

I was directing my comments to the posters on the thread, most of whom are ops guys.

Mark

 

[Richard Smith]

No comments on the r/c couplers as I wouldn't need them anyway. I would imagine they might be of use to roundy round runners that want to change locomotives and/or trains as they're running. For that purpose you'd only need the r/c couplers on the first car of each string and the engine tenders.

But I always read Gary Woolard's posts. They are amongst the most informative and best presented on this site and Mrs. Woolard's photos are excellent! I regard him as you would a very good news correspondent. Perhaps I should comment more about them in spite of having nothing constructive to add just for feedback. I know from my own experience that comments from others do let us know that what's being posted is interesting to others. For that reason an occasional "attaboy" does serve a purpose.

 

[vsmith]

LGB had a remote control hook and loop uncoupler system built into one of their switchers, same underwhelming responce. I'm all link and pin, and for the ones I have that still use knuckles, all the limits are rather restricting as to just what i could install this on? The rear tender coupler being the most logical place, but what happens when I need to shove a car onto the siding? See various comments above.