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LEGO train knuckles don't lend themselves to decoupling. Has anyone got a good design (either as part of a switch engine or fixed to the track) design for an automated separator? I'm close to an in-engine (but very ugly) solution which can pry a (...) (25 years ago, 6-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: Automatic decoupler designs?
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GMLTC had a design for uncoupling, and there have been others posting here speaking of this. Not much hard info is available on the GMLTC design in terms of pictures, but it uses horizontal prying, as you suggest. The idea of a switch engine with an (...) (25 years ago, 6-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: Automatic decoupler designs?
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I wonder if we'll ever see Kadee couplers made specially for LEGO trains? (25 years ago, 6-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: Automatic decoupler designs?
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(...) If I used a magnet as a core and fixed it so it couldn't rotate, then the electromagnet could be normally off (couples as usual, always forcing the other knuckle to flip over). When you wanted to decouple you'd produce the opposite field and (...) (25 years ago, 6-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: Automatic decoupler designs?
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On Thu, 6 Jan 2000, Ben Jackson (<Fnx0A5.L6I@lugnet.com>) wrote at 13:03:41 (...) Has anyone thought of using an electromagnet at track level to overpower the magnetic coupling? I've no idea if this would be practical, and it's non-LEGO, but it (...) (25 years ago, 6-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: Automatic decoupler designs?
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I was working on a hump yard decoupler and was playing around with adding mags to the track using the 2x2 tile that has clips to hold the mag. What's really cool is how you can make a train car hop over the mag on the track. All this play was big (...) (25 years ago, 6-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: Automatic decoupler designs?
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(...) picturing this right, since if you inserted those slope-out I'd think you'd derail one or both cars before they separated. --Ben (25 years ago, 6-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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(...) That'd be great, Frank! I generated a few flimsy Kadee/LEGO conversion prototypes, but I need to beef them up before they withstand contant use. My kids destroy them in no time, and thus function as excellent beta testers for my designs. I (...) (25 years ago, 6-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: Automatic decoupler designs?
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I recall somebody posting pictures of a design that sounds like the below here (or maybe on RTL?--but I'm pretty sure it was here) not tooooo long ago. I think the stubby tapered beam can be had for example in the red Technic chopper that's been on (...) (25 years ago, 6-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: Automatic decoupler designs?
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OK, got it. Instructions even included. (...) chopper (...) (25 years ago, 6-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: Automatic decoupler designs?
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(...) The Kadee couplers I modified to use on my LEGO train layout worked perfectly. I never had a Kadee coupler break off from the bricks it was attached to, even when coupling very hard to the car, nor did I ever experience any coupler problems (...) (25 years ago, 6-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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(...) have (...) Jeff - That's a very good reference page - please leave it intact a little while longer. Great photography to catch those details. A few questions, if I may... 1. I used the same Kadee couplers you did, and glued them on center to (...) (25 years ago, 7-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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(...) There are at least 4 in the 8277 set. (The large robot one in yellow.) I picked it up for a steal at Zellers. Dean (25 years ago, 7-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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(...) The covers of the Kadee coupler boxes are held together with a touch on each side by a soldering iron, melting the plastic together along the whole length of the coupler box. You can super glue them of course, but depending on the type of (...) (25 years ago, 7-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: Automatic decoupler designs?
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(...) In that case, if people need them, LMK, as I have TON's of that set...Yellow Beams! James P (25 years ago, 7-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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I built a version of the decoupler mentioned earlier in this thread. It works remarkably well! I don't have the exact brick mentioned on the web page, but I do have an R2D2 foot, which is very similar: a short technic beam with a 4-plate high 30 deg (...) (25 years ago, 10-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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(...) I (...) cars. (...) other (...) Ben, I think you're correct in using the RCX in that way. I use one in a similar manner with my remote powered switch, and it elimates any stalls. I actually perform the opposite functionality - the motor is (...) (25 years ago, 10-Jan-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: Automatic decoupler designs?
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* Jeff Christner (regult@aol.com) [000106 16:25]: (...) Jeff: If you put it up on (URL) you won't have to keep it on your site and others can add to it. You can upload pictures and everything. :) If you don't want to do that, can you tell me why? As (...) (25 years ago, 2-Mar-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: Automatic decoupler designs?
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Kadee is short for Keith and Dale (the K and the D) Edwards, the gentlemen that originated the Kadee couplers for model railroading. (...) (25 years ago, 6-Apr-00, to lugnet.trains)
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