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I haven't seen this discussed here, apologies if it was, but what are the best options for a remote uncoupler compatible with post-war Lionel O gauge tubular track on a new layout?  Lionel UCS track seems too long (can they be cut shorter?) and maybe overkill if there are no operations.  I run conventional with a yard, some storage spurs and passing sidings and I certainly do need some of these.  I know Atlas makes short uncouplers, but it's not pin compatible with tubular.  Where and how are they typically located with respect to the turnout for both spurs and passing sidings?  I may have read somewhere not to put Atlas uncouplers right at the switch due to center rail dead zone.

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Gargraves also makes a variety of tubular-compatible uncoupler track pieces (with the appropriate mating pins, also available from GG) ... 

Gargraves Link

Their 107 is in a track piece 6-3/4" long, and the 117 is much shorter.  Another option is their 108-EM which puts the electromagnet at one end of a standard length piece.  Clicking on the 'blue' words brings up a picture of the items offered.

Not long ago there was a thread on suggested ways of making your own electromagnet coil/armature to be installed at your discretion.  It had some neat ideas, not the least of which was using a plastic sewing machine bobbin on which to wind "X" number of turns of magnet wire of "Y" mil size (can't remember whether anyone had supplied real data for doing X and Y), and a simple length of 1/4" drill rod for the core.  Pretty slick, pretty cheap....possibly. 

I started collecting old electromagnetic uncoupling tracks to extract the coils for my own layout.  Then, realizing that I really had NO idea where they should be ideally placed for a variety of situations I might encounter in operating my trains and accessories, and after listening to several threads-worth of discussions on bodacious 'lobster claw' couplers ("Grossly non-prototypical!!"), their historical variety of trip methods employed on cars, the rancor it generated towards other hobbyists and the manufacturers, etc., etc., blah, blah, it suddenly hit me; The 1:1 railroads manually released couplers, never employing electromagnetic coils beneath/within the track,..... why not leave it at that on my own layout?  Talk about sudden peace returning to the valley of the mind!!!!

Then I found this cartoon in an old Model Railroader magazine as I was cleaning out some musty old stacks of mags the other week....

couplerman

But, of course, we are all running toy trains, of which the electromagnetic uncouplers are 'endemic', so to speak.  For us BIG kids and our little acorns, another button to push is, well, .......magical to the hobby!

KD (Lucas Gudinov)

 

 

 

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