Scale Couplers with High-Rail Wheels

I can not speak for S scale, but I had a very old O scale tanker with scale wheels but "lobster-claw" solid, non-operating couplers. Really odd, at least to me. So i suppose any combination has been used.

My guess would be the guys running scale couplers and/or flanges in S scale are well in the minority. Very hard to tell what the exact percentage would be. I believe it is the same in O scale.

@TOKELLY posted:

Because I started with American Models code 148 rail, I have stayed with high-rail wheels but changed all couplers to scale Kadee or SHS versions on all rolling stock and locomotives except on my original American Flyer set. How common is this high-rail wheel/scale coupler

combination with S-Scale forum members?

Terry O'Kelly

Terry, I do.  I use Kadee #5s or members of the #5 family and I use between the ties magnets for delayed uncoupling.  I also have some #5s on Flyer, plus Flyer link to #5 transition cars.  The 342 has a link coupler on its tender.  I've also been known to convert link and knuckle trucks to SHS High-rail wheelsets.

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

Terry, I am a Flyer/Hirail guy and I use Kadee or similar on a good number of my cars, I have the standard knuckles on some cars so I also have several conversion cars, cars with the knuckle on one end and scale couplers on the other end. Its not uncommon at all to have the mix.

Ray

@Tom Stoltz posted:

Terry, I do.  I use Kadee #5s or members of the #5 family and I use between the ties magnets for delayed uncoupling.  I also have some #5s on Flyer, plus Flyer link to #5 transition cars.  The 342 has a link coupler on its tender.  I've also been known to convert link and knuckle trucks to SHS High-rail wheelsets.

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

Tom,

What are those magnets you have between the ties, where do you acquire those magnets?

Ray

@Rayin"S" posted:

Tom,

What are those magnets you have between the ties, where do you acquire those magnets?

Ray

J&K Magnets B422 https://www.kjmagnetics.com/pr....asp?cat=11&pg=2

At first I tried their B822, but they are too strong as you see in the photo:

The B422's can be a little weak if you are using Kadee #5s.  So what I do now is replace the center B422 pair with a couple B822's.

Much more info on this thread: https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...magnets-and-kadee-5s  There is a metal sheet under the magnets.  I used Sharpies to color the poles, in case you're wondering.  More experiments:  https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...11#38737270554797311

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

Thank you for the information, Dave, Tom, and Ray. I use the brown Kadee 808 couplers and get them to look rusty. K&J magnets are buried in the ballast in the yard to uncouple them. They work better under straight track, and it takes some skill in getting them to open. Tom's multiple magnets are a good solution.

Terry O'Kelly

Terry,

Well-known S modeler, Brooks Stover, runs with that. He has all hi-rail wheels, but uses scale couplers.

- Peter Vanvliet.

@TOKELLY posted:

Thank you for the information, Dave, Tom, and Ray. I use the brown Kadee 808 couplers and get them to look rusty. K&J magnets are buried in the ballast in the yard to uncouple them. They work better under straight track, and it takes some skill in getting them to open. Tom's multiple magnets are a good solution.

Terry O'Kelly

Terry, a thought with the magnets; you might need only the smaller B422 because the 808 coupler has a longer -- (what is that wire called?), glad hand than the #5s.  However because you rail is .01" higher you still might need to add a few B822.

Ray, are you still using Flyer track?  My guess would be you will need even stronger magnets than the B822 because of the rail height.  Also, with the rails being ferrous I don’t know what impact that might have.  But I think metal (ferrous) wheels would come to a dead stop over the magnets because the rail will be magnetized.

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

Tom,

Yes, I am still operating on Flyer track, no plans to change that.

Ray

@Rayin"S" posted:

Tom,

Yes, I am still operating on Flyer track, no plans to change that.

Ray

Ray, I think that will be a problem in regard to duel magnet uncoupling.  I just confirmed that magnets are attracted to Flyer track.  If you have any magnets on hand, you might want to try one under the Flyer rail to see what effect that has on metal wheels – like steam drivers or a Flyer caboose.

Let us know what you find out.

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

Thanks for the tip, Tom. Experimentation with K&J magnets is now on my list of projects for this winter and spring. (My first thought was, "More work?" until I remembered that this whole hobby is about learning and finding new things to do. "Projects" should be reserved for mowing the lawn and painting the house, not for model trains!)

Terry O'Kelly

Carlisle, MA

Just as another data point, my ACG #313 steam has the original knuckle coupler. My Lionel Legacy pacific still has its electro-coupler. My S-helper SW switcher and F unit have Kadee "S" magne-matics installed as do my Lionel Legacy E44 and SD70ACe. I use one American Models boxcar as my "conversion" car, all the rest of my S-Helper rolling stock has Kadees installed as well. All my track is American Models flex track + turnouts.

@Tom Stoltz posted:

Terry, a thought with the magnets; you might need only the smaller B422 because the 808 coupler has a longer -- (what is that wire called?), ...snip...

Trip pin.