Progress - 27 May 2012

Starting on Friday I received my shipment of parts included in that were the magnet I need to build more uncouplers.

Started with building the six uncouplers I need for the yard area.

On Saturday installed the ice house track first

Then the yard classification/storage tracks

Today installed the end of track bumper for the caboose and yard storage tracks. These are make by a technique that my friend Rich C show me. You can find his technique here http://www.thewhistlepost.com/forums/operations/13439-sand-springs-off-layout-staging-changes-4.html

Uncoupling Magnet - Installation

Here a couple of photos of the installation of the uncoupler magnets.

I used a 1" dia. Forstner bit to form a pocket for uncoupler magnet 

You will notice I used some styrene to space the magnet, as the balsa wood spacer start deforming from the magnets
 

Replaced the roadbed and painted the section removed black to mark the uncoupler magnets

Uncoupling Magnet - Option Two

After couple of e-mails to my friend Richard, I when on a hunt for some magnets. Finally found some that I thought would work.

What I got were some 1/4" dia. x 1/8" thick magnets at Hobby Lobby.

Based on the info I got from Richard. I had a couple of options for a base either a washer or a small piece of sheet metal. I opted for a washer, so I dug thru my draw of misc nuts, bolts and washers, and found a 1/4" fender washer which is about 1" dia..

With the instructions here what I came up with

The magnets were painted on the North or Positive side. A spacer of 1/4" x 1/16" balsa wood holds the magnets apart as they try to pull together. The space between the magnets is formed by the natural repel force of the magnets. I had not glue the magnets down at this point but I believe I should before final placement.

The uncoupler setup was placed in the pocket I created under Option One and place the cork roadbed and track over it. I was able to uncouple MT to MT, MT to Accumate and Accumate to Accumatewith good success, only quirky issue is the accumate to accumate, I needed to get a full car away from magnets for the couplers to re-align for re-coupling.

At this point I am moving forward with Option 2

Uncoupling Magnet - Option One

Here is what I used for my door layout, but I did not like how it came out, mainly because I did not give enough planning to this.

 

So this time for Option One. I thought I would embedded the magnets into the ceiling tile below the cork roadbed.

This worked for the M-T Coupler's but did not for Accumate Coupler's. Placing the magnet like I did on the door layout just below the track works for both, but I do not like the look.

Here the info on the magnet used from Radio Shack (sorry I forgot to rotate the photo first)

For Option Two, I will be try my friend Richard's solution, just need to contact him to get the info on the material, so that will be for another post.