Uncoupling Ramp/Track

Greg Elmassian said:
I realized that what I was trying to say was not well said, I meant to say will it be in a switchyard where coupling and uncoupling is de rigueur, or where trains are mainly running "through"... so I would guess the loops would normally be "through"?

Were the passive ones cheap? Did you two different brands/makes?

Greg
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Initially they will be in the station, so stopping trains where I wish to "change ends". The passive one are both new LGB at around £7:00 ($9.50), whereas electric ones are around £55.00 ($75.00), bought from different outlets due to stock holdings and best price.
 
I've personally had poor experience with the passive ones, but some trains were double hooked and some single.... the electric ones were better but seemed expensive at the time (USAT and Aristo used to come with H&L, it was the only common denominator until I bit the Kadee bullet).

Greg
 
Yesterday being a nice day out to test the uncoupling ramps, placed in the station area, using a Stainz and three short coaches I ran across the ramps a number of times at various (sensible) speeds, results was they uncoupled every time, the hooks did not lock together to prevent uncoupling, as I understand they are supposed to do. A longer heaver train may have worked, but that is not what I run, and as suggested this has worked for some users.
It would seem I am back to my original plan, an electric uncoupling ramp. Photo of the scene:

IMG_1240.jpg
 
JimmyB JimmyB ,

Whilst thumbing through the G Scale Society Technical Reference Manual, was looking for something else, came across a section about the LGB Coupler Modification on Page 133.

Permanent uncouplers, tend to uncouple all the time, even when traffic is passing over it, which limits its use.
Reshaping the coupling hooks as shown in the picture below, should stop uncoupling occurring,except when the train is stopped and backed up
slightly so that the lip moves clear of the loop.

LGB Coupler Modification.PNG
 
The Shed said:
JimmyB JimmyB ,

Whilst thumbing through the G Scale Society Technical Reference Manual, was looking for something else, came across a section about the LGB Coupler Modification on Page 133.

Permanent uncouplers, tend to uncouple all the time, even when traffic is passing over it, which limits its use.
Reshaping the coupling hooks as shown in the picture below, should stop uncoupling occurring,except when the train is stopped and backed up
slightly so that the lip moves clear of the loop.

View attachment 290634
Click to expand...
Certainly is a consideration :)
 
So after a few "bench" tests with the electric ramp and a passive ramp, all seemed well, so up with some track and fitted to the railway, and now the problems start.

The ramp works correctly raising and lowering, and a passive ramp is fitted in the correct location, but my Stainz refuses to uncouple, the training coaches will uncouple, and if I use the loco the front connected to the coaches it works. I am driving the loco with the passive ramp first, so the electric ramp lower the loco hook, but it won't, just forward of the ramps (ramp raised) and the hook is not lowered far enough. Drive the train towards the electric ramp and it works fine, as the passive ramp lowers the hook on the loco and the electric ramps lowers the hook on the coach. Hook changed and no difference, but it just seems to be the rear hook on the Stainz that is the issue - thoughts please, the obvious ones are extra on the operating leaver, or file the top off the hook, but this does not solve the issue :( :( :(
 
Jimmy, please be patient with my questions as I am confused.

1. You mention both the electric ramp and passive ramp in the "correct location"... are you trying to see how each affects the coupling of the loco to the coach?

2. You are not trying to use both at the same time, right?

3. So from what I take it, one works on the loco, and one works on the coach but neither work to actually uncouple the loco from the coach?

4. Also, are you double hooked or single hooked?

Greg
 
Greg Elmassian said:
Jimmy, please be patient with my questions as I am confused.

1. You mention both the electric ramp and passive ramp in the "correct location"... are you trying to see how each affects the coupling of the loco to the coach?

2. You are not trying to use both at the same time, right?

3. So from what I take it, one works on the loco, and one works on the coach but neither work to actually uncouple the loco from the coach?

4. Also, are you double hooked or single hooked?

Greg
Click to expand...
Greg double hooked, so two ramps are required, and they have to be oriented correctly to get the correct position of the humps to align with hook mechanism. So as you pull the loco and coach over the two ramps both hooks are lowered.
Problem is the electric ramp will not lower the loco‘s rear hook far enough for both to uncouple.
 
Yeah, I have read a lot of posts about double hooking, and never seen it work reliably with remote uncoupling, passive or electrical.

Can you "tweak" the "throw" of the electric ramp?

Have you tried 2 passive ramps? (I'm assuming you have one electric and one passive in this installation)

I'm thinking that would work, but probably always uncouple, a different problem.

Greg
 
Jimmy,

When are you raising the electric uncoupler? If you are raising it when the loco's hook is over the ramp this probasbly explains why it doesn't work. The EPL drive does not have enough umph to completely throw the ramp if something is impeding it. Check if the ramp is all the way up. Also, you need to do the "uncoupler dance" over the uncouplers to eliminate tension on the hooks. Otherwise, they do not consistently uncouple. It helps to have some position reference when using the uncouplers. I use the uncoupler's light post. It takes some practice but once you get used to the correct positioning of the coupler pairs you want to undo and the back-and-forth needed, the uncouplers work pretty good in my experience. I've also found some of my wagons are more position sensitive than others and require more back-and-forth fussing but I eventually get them to uncouple without invoking the yard hog ;)(hand of God).

As an aside, installing uncouplers has relieved a lot of the tedium of putting my wagons and locos away. I'll do some shunting to cut out a few wagons at a time then send the train on its way while I put the wagons away. This lets me get some "operations" in while I'm putting things away for the evening.
 
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P phils2um I read your post on double couples, so:
  • The ramp is raised before the loco gets to it.
  • I have checked the ramp and it is fully raised, nothing impeding it.
  • I understand the "dance", i.e. reverse slowly over the ramps.
Two coaches over the ramps uncouple almost perfectly, and if I drive from the opposite end so the loco is over the passive ramp it works.
This leads me to the conclusion it is an issue with the loco rear hook and electronic ramp, but having inspected both, I cannot see the issue. It would seem the ramp is going to be taken out of the layout for "eye-level" bench testing.

I was hoping somebody had come across this and could provide the answer.
 
Before removing the ramp..

If it is not quite high enough, try a thin shim of plastic, before taking everything out..

It sounds like a tolerance issue, and could be less than a millimetre?

PhilP
 
PhilP said:
Before removing the ramp..

If it is not quite high enough, try a thin shim of plastic, before taking everything out..

It sounds like a tolerance issue, and could be less than a millimetre?

PhilP
Click to expand...
Phil, I think you were correct, however having removed the ramp and put on the bench the electronic ramp was not lowering the hook as far as the passive ramp. Long story cut short: Lots of investigation and swapping items around, and although the heights of both passive and electronic ramps were the same, with the hook mechanism on the electronic ramp, the ramp lowered not dropping the hook far enough. Ramp stripped the underneath is the plastic sprung mechanism that engages with the drive motor, this was slightly (very slightly) below the datum. a little heat from a heat gun and the the item was eased out, just slightly proud. Assembly and all is working, refitted and numerous trials carried out and still working.
Conclusion:
Although new in its box, I suspect it had been stored with the ramp raised, and the box had slightly deformed the under mechanism, causing it not to take the weight of the hook, and therefore not lower the hook enough. :) :) :)
 
JimmyB said:
Conclusion:
Although new in its box, I suspect it had been stored with the ramp raised, and the box had slightly deformed the under mechanism, causing it not to take the weight of the hook, and therefore not lower the hook enough.
Click to expand...
Well done Jimmy! :clap: I knew of the plastic spring mechanism but had not thought that it might take a "set" due to prolonged storage in the up position. Good info. (And sleuthing!)

Edited to correct "do" to "due".
 
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