Over the years, a fair amount has been written about the legendary Brian Kirby Uncoupler. For those who aren't familiar with it; it's a way of cheaply modifying the tension lock coupling found on Bachmann stock so that it can be uncoupled using a magnet.
Essentially, it revolves around gluing staples to the tails of the individual couplers so that they can be flicked up and down as the staple is attracted downwards, forcing up the tension lock.
(There are some links at the end of this piece to help you visualize that a bit better!)
However, there are a few things that can be done to improve this clever idea, and while it cannot be made to replicate the action of delayed decoupling products such as those from Kadee, they can be made to behave a bit more naturally.
Electro-Magnetic Variation
The first is easy - use an electromagnet that can be switched on and off to decouple the stock at will. This prevents mistakenly running over the magnet slowly, and decoupling the stock unintentionally.
The trouble with this is that you need an awful lot of electromagnets to have enough decoupling points to make it worthwhile...
Sliding Plate Variation
...unless you mount them on sliding plates. These can slide in one of two ways - up and down, rather than using an electromagnet, or forwards and backwards. For those familiar with wire-in-tube point changing, this idea won't be that novel.
The magnet is mounted on a plate which can then be slid backwards and forwards under the layout (or in a special groove cut into the baseboard) thereby allowing decoupling under multiple lines.
There are bound to be combinations of these that can be used together to make even more variations, but with these basic techniques, operators can finally wave goodbye to the 'big hand from the sky'!
Brian Kirby Uncoupler Links
The original 'Magnetic Uncoupling for Bachmann Couplings' post on the Model Rail Forum web site.
A YouTube Video of the Kirby Uncoupler in action.
Monday 16 January 2012
Wednesday 4 January 2012
Kudos to Auhagen - Missing HO 11 363 Fussgangerbrucke Piece Received!
Happy New Year to all my readers and fans.
I'm starting this year with a story that shows that customer service is alive and well in model railroading.
Last year I bought a model from my favorite maker - Auhagen. If you're not familiar with the Auhagen name, they're a quality manufacturer of HO/TT and N buildings and accessories for European railroad modelers.
The kit in question was from their Stako System range - a metal footbridge that will find itself a place on my industrial layout. It's easy to build, realistic, and can be painted and detailed to look really authentic.
So far, so good. I opened the box and started building, without checking the contents beyond a visual estimation that everything 'looked' to be present. Sadly, I got near the end, and realized that there was a flight of steps missing.
The handrails were there, the supports, and everything else, but the actual steps seemed not to be.
So, I emailed Auhagen, explained the situation, and asked if they could forward the two missing pieces. After a bit of back and forth with the excellent customer service representative, and provision of a photo (not a scan, but a photo!) of the instructions, they offered to send them to me for free.
Two days later, and at their busiest time of year, the parts arrived, and I now have a top notch footbridge, which I'll photo in situ once it's installed on the layout.
Two things to take away from this feel-good story : one - check your bits, before you build, and two never be afraid to deal with customer service if you feel they've fallen short.
Yes, the contract is with the shop where you bought the kit, but any company worth their salt will help you out if you get stuck.
Thank you Auhagen, it's a great start to the 2012!
I'm starting this year with a story that shows that customer service is alive and well in model railroading.
Last year I bought a model from my favorite maker - Auhagen. If you're not familiar with the Auhagen name, they're a quality manufacturer of HO/TT and N buildings and accessories for European railroad modelers.
The kit in question was from their Stako System range - a metal footbridge that will find itself a place on my industrial layout. It's easy to build, realistic, and can be painted and detailed to look really authentic.
So far, so good. I opened the box and started building, without checking the contents beyond a visual estimation that everything 'looked' to be present. Sadly, I got near the end, and realized that there was a flight of steps missing.
The handrails were there, the supports, and everything else, but the actual steps seemed not to be.
So, I emailed Auhagen, explained the situation, and asked if they could forward the two missing pieces. After a bit of back and forth with the excellent customer service representative, and provision of a photo (not a scan, but a photo!) of the instructions, they offered to send them to me for free.
Two days later, and at their busiest time of year, the parts arrived, and I now have a top notch footbridge, which I'll photo in situ once it's installed on the layout.
Two things to take away from this feel-good story : one - check your bits, before you build, and two never be afraid to deal with customer service if you feel they've fallen short.
Yes, the contract is with the shop where you bought the kit, but any company worth their salt will help you out if you get stuck.
Thank you Auhagen, it's a great start to the 2012!
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