Do you couple all your cars together on your train shelf?

SORRY about your mishap! My display has coupled LGB and PIKO cars and engines only and I employ a handy tool called a PIKO uncoupling wand. Have not had a problem to date.

That's good advice Chris. Sorry for your loss...

George

Tinplate Art posted:

SORRY about your mishap! My display has coupled LGB and PIKO cars and engines only and I employ a handy tool called a PIKO uncoupling wand. Have not have a problem to date.

"Not had a problem to date".  I remember taking off a Verandah Turbine off the shelf.  Before I could react, the tender came with it, to the carpet.

Damage was a new coupler on the engine, a new set of rails on the tender and 2 steps off the tender.  Thankfully all replaceable from Lionel.

My answer now, Is No Way!  You can put them end to end, and actually have them appear closer together by offsetting the couplers.

There is no practical advantage to coupling them, and disadvantages if you do.  Perhaps I am missing a true advantage.

Static engine can keep loose cars from rolling, in your next earthquake.

All of my engines and cars on my rail racks have the couplers open, IMO, longer life for the coupler springs...I'm anal that way...😜

Jeff

colorado hirailer posted:

Static engine can keep loose cars from rolling, in your next earthquake.

I use a piece of slit nylon tubing (chocks) and put it on the rail ends.  Works well, and invisible.

WOW, bummer!  Currently, I have 70+ locomotives on the shelves in the hallway, still working on shelves for more locomotives and rolling stock.  I don't connect tenders to locomotives or coupler them together, this appears to be a good reason why.

Sorry to hear about that Chris.  While I've never done that personally, several years ago I was visiting a layout during an open house and the host did that with one of his trains.   You're not alone and I'm sure there are others.

-Greg

I have mine coupled, for what I think is a more realistic appearance. When I remove an engine or a car off the shelf, I slowly lift it up about an inch with one hand, and with the other hand undo the couplers with any other cars or engines that are adjoining, before lifting it up and off the shelf. Never had a problem. I've never caught on any other cars in the process. I move my hands very slowly, so even if my sleeve or whatever snagged on something, I'd feel the tug before anything happened.

Not quite sure what happened to the OP from his description: "I went to lift something below one of my train shelves and caught the observation car." It sounds like he somehow caught on a car that was on a shelf above where he was lifting something, which I have trouble visualizing. If the observation car was on a shelf above where you were lifting something, how did you catch it?

After reading this my answer is:  No, not anymore!

I keep mine coupled, never have had any problem(s)….. yet!  Good advice from all.... go slow and extra careful when removing from shelves.  My biggest problem comes when I need to remove engine and tender, or A-A, A-B-A that are in plexi covered display track from a shelf.  One, the combined weight, two, the close clearances of the shelf above, and three, keeping level and "balanced" until I have it placed on solid and safe area of layout table to make use of it.  Shelves closest to the ceiling, especially when "double deep", can be most interesting.  And do not forget your footing when stepping down off step stool and turning around....!   Oh... just for the room to have a layout LARGE enough to have ALL motive power and rolling stock in yards, and not have a need for shelves...….

Jesse   TCA 

As John stated above I never couple my tenders and engines in the shelves. Nor do I couple cars, I actually had a derailed caboose pull a six car train and a steam engine off of my  viaduct. "Crap" dose happen.

Oh yea, guard rails have been installed. Even a flimsy rail would of kept that caboose from falling over the side.

Well first I would have to build shelves to put my trains on. Then acquire more trains than what I can fit on my layout......

But in all seriousness it's best to not couple trains together on shelves. Even my LHS doesn't do that when they have items on shelf display. 

texastrain posted:

I keep mine coupled, never have had any problem(s)….. yet!  Good advice from all.... go slow and extra careful when removing from shelves.  My biggest problem comes when I need to remove engine and tender, or A-A, A-B-A that are in plexi covered display track from a shelf.  One, the combined weight, two, the close clearances of the shelf above, and three, keeping level and "balanced" until I have it placed on solid and safe area of layout table to make use of it.  

Jesse   TCA 

I have some of the same setup - plexiglass cases on an upper shelf. I don't lift down multiple engines at once, or locos and tenders at once, though. I slowly uncouple each of them and take them down one at a time, same as with engines and cars on the lower shelves. Taking them down one at a time, having them coupled together has never been a problem. Just my method, of course - others will prefer a different procedure. I also don't have any tinplate like the OP.

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With regular knuckle couplers on my non tinplate cars I might have had a chance of one or two cars going but tinplate box hook type couplers do just that basically hook to each other so when one goes the rest go with them!  The cab on the engine got the worst of it but I should be able to  straighten it out with the roof everything else escaped any damage.   Lesson learned.  🙄

Bryant Dunivan 111417 posted:

.....You can put them end to end, and actually have them appear closer together by offsetting the couplers.....

This is what I do.  Looks good.

  The only way I can access most of my trains on the shelves over my layout is by keeping them coupled together and pulling them off one at a time.

Good post and responses--who would've thought such a seemingly trivial practice was meaty enough to warrant some real food for thought and cause many of us to rethink our practices!

WOW, Sorry about that Chris.  I couple mine together.