I am looking at Kadee 805 couplers, since I may be buying some Atlas cars.
What in the world is that long thing hanging down for? Is it the finger trigger to help open the coupler? If so, why don't folks cut it in half, since it looks like half the length would do fine for a trigger.
It looks like a loose air hose, that would be dangling from the end of a car.
Mannyrock
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It doubles as a air hose and used for uncoupling with the between the rails magnets.
The video pretty much explains it. That wire works with the between the rails to uncouple cars. You simply get the couplers over the magnet, stop the trains, put in a smidge of slack and pull away and the couplers spring to the side and open.
Now if you are good, you then gently back in agains the open coupler and you can push the uncoupled car/string to another location and leave it using "delayed" action. this works great as long as you don't have any jerky loco operation.
And yes it is a very loose approximation of an air hose.
The Kadee height gauge is a must for those who want to add Kadee couplers to cars. Not as much room for vertical movement on less than good trackwork with the shorter coupler. Unfortunately I've moved twice since I used mine last and don't know where it is at the moment!
When I used to be in HO, I often cut the trip wire as it would hang up in some of my Turnouts. I have found O to be a little more forgiving.
My favorite aspect of train of decent length with Kadee couplers is the sound the couplers make when a train is first started. All the clicking sounds like a scale version of a real train taking the slack out after a full stop.
An HO friend bends the end of the trip pin up in a " J" shape; that eliminates any "hang-ups"and does not interfere with the magnetic operation.
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