How is the uncoupling?

I have some Kadee (I think) double shelf units that are really difficule to uncouple with a pick, so I just use them to display tank cars.  Any problems there?

Man, they look good

They look good Jeff - but it looks like you didnt' work in the graphite on the mating faces. Tsk tsk! 

Coupled & with. the Kadee #119

Okay, I've ot a few more photos - the SE's coupled, the SE coupled to a standard E, and an SE & Kadee #119 comparison that I really wish was in better focus. No, I have not attempted to couple the Sergent and Kadee together.

Two Type-SE coupled:

Type SE coupled to a Type E - I wish I knew what I did to get this photo because it's the best one I took in the entire session:

Kadee #119 on the left, Sergent Type SE on the Right:

Sergent Type SE on the left, Kadee #119 on the right:

I've got a couple of videos uploading to YouTube right now - suffice it to say that these couplers gave me no problems when I was demo'ing them, aside from the metal in the cars being rather attracted to my uncoupling wand.

Videos

The first one (they're both very short) has me uncoupling and coupling the Type SE's:

The second is coupling and uncoupling the SE and a standard Type E:

Clear Photos

Jeff, I've found that getting clear model photo with just about any digital camera requires that you find the exact (sweet-spot) distance from the model to get the focus just right on the targeted spot... yes, even with auto-focus cameras.  Some cameras also have a MACRO option that occasionally helps me.

John Degnan

Scaler164@comcast.net

And now another surprise!

Y'all might find this 3rd Party addition to the Sergent coupler family interesting And of course, there is a "prototype" for this device

As this was quick demo set-up to make the animation, the rest of the remote operating cable and lever has been left off. but the full kit of parts is available now. See the diect link to the web page:

http://www.proto87.com/remote-uncoupler.html  This page will be linked in to the "Operations aids" pages soon.

Andy

Kind of clever

Andy, that's kind of a clever idea. I may need to pick one up just to road test. The problem that I see is while you can uncouple, there is no way to "offset" the couples so you can push the cars farther into  place, and than pull away. Once you disconnect, well, the car(s) sit there until you return.

That seems easy enough to work around, but what do you suggest for alignment to recouple? I realize from my use that 75% of the time the couplers seem to stay in a simiilar alignment, even with different cars, but there's always that pesky 25%.

Good show though!

I've found that

While I am a real newbie to photography, at least beyond point and shoot experience, I have begun switching off the auto focus on my D60 lens and going manual.  I've also begun using a tripod a lot more, setting the aperture as wide as it will go, and adjusting the shutter speed to get the best exposure.  Then I use the self timer to avoid any potential shake from pushing the shutter-release button.  I still take some pretty bad shots but I am improving.  Indeed I have noticed that there is a limit to how close I can get to the subject but the camera seems to focus fairly well if not too close.  Still learning here!

Nice Jeff, still need to

Learning to use a digital camera

There is a great article in the current issue of Model Railroader that goes over using a digital camera to take photograPhs of yout layout. It's written by Pelle Soeberg so you can rest assured it isn't written by an amateur.

Irv

Jeff & Proto87 I've an Idea for aligning the couplers

Jeff as far as I could see your video's were in the top 10% of you-tube Videos and the close up stills were very sharp. Was the second video Sergent's on left Kadee on the right?

Proto 87 who developed the un-coupler? because I've got an Idea for an alignment tool for the couplers that would involve 2 small paddles that would scissor up and center the the couplers with a simple pull of a cable operated lever. you could also use power to operate the paddles but, that would cost for the switch machine and the pull type controller would be much less expensive

Couplers & Cameras

Both Videos were Sergents

The first video was both Type SE double-shelfs, the second was a Type SE with a normal Type E.

compared to the narow shank type?

Those look like the Kadee drop in replacements.  I've done some of the narrow shank replacement type to allow for closer coupling.  Have you tried any of these?  If so, how are they for operation?  I haven't seen many issue for turn radius but I could see how a closer coupling of cars might cause some serious problems getting a wand in between cars without damage or for aligning couplers.  Any issues with this that you could comment on?  I just figured I'd ask before I go through the aggravation of doing any more of the narrow draft gear type conversions.  I've already settled on using the drop in replacements on locomotives as I've run into enough issues where the anticlimber and other detail made it a real PITA to get in there with the wand and uncouple.

Thanks for the videos as they really sell the ease of use compared to the Kadee shelf ones.

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S

One question on the video, Jeff

It appears that the cars are very free rolling and it looked like the Sergents would tend to move the cars rather than coupling unless you held one car stationary while coupling the other car to it.  It may have been do to using the "0-5-0" switcher for the video instead of actually using a locomotive.  Do you have any difficulty gettig the couplers to close?

Occasionally, yes. One car pretty much does need to be stationary.

NOT FOR OPERATING SECESSIONS

Jeff,

A good friend gave me a set of tank cars with these couplers and they got put into the mix for and operating secession.  They no longer have the Segent SE couplers on the cars.  You have to have magnet to uncouple.

This does not work in the 15 to 20 layouts that I have operated on.  Only one had enough magnets in the right places.

It appears that the cars are

Part of the problem shown, lies in the free rolling trucks.  But the issue can be rendered obsolite with proper breaking in of the couplers.  The basic issue (usually) lies in the couplers being a tad to stiff to close so they'll pop back open, bumping the adjacent car.

I'm not going to defend the couplers too far, but the point of the Sergents is protptypical operations, down to the manual uncoupling from the top.  I plan to issue each operator an uncoupling rod.  The manual operations will slow things down a bit.

However, I can see how they can become a problem for larger clubs, or layouts, with hard to reach areas.  I feel if you're going to use Sergent's, you need to plan to use them from the start...

the point of the Sergents is

I have always thought the idea of having one place in a given section of trackage where a car could be uncoupled really took away from the realistic operation aspect.  I like the idea of using Sergents and having to manually uncouple.  Just my two cents.  Luckily I will be able to plan for the use of the Sergents ahead of time.

magnets in the right places?

I'm a little confused by this statement.  The way they work requires the magnet wand.  Andy's got a new stationary uncoupler device but that's not really the same as the usual Kadee uncoupling magnets.  What you describe below sounds like the uncoupling ramps that Kadee has, which wouldn't work for the Sergents in any flavor.  The usual wood skewer method of dealing with Kadees doesn't work at all with Sergents either, and I can easily see that being a problem.  That, and the fact that I can't get the two to couple together at all which is supposedly possible with some severe offset which I wouldn't want to deal with.

So is the problem the fact that they don't work like Kadees at all, or is it that the magnets you're talking about don't uncouple the Sergents because they're meant to work with the Kadee type trip pins?

I guess another question then becomes, how many of the double shelf couplers did you have and how much do you want for them?  Feel free to PM me offline. 

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S

"A good friend gave me a set of tank cars with these couplers and they got put into the mix for and operating secession.  They no longer have the Segent SE couplers on the cars.  You have to have magnet to uncouple.

This does not work in the 15 to 20 layouts that I have operated on.  Only one had enough magnets in the right places."

Car Weight

As Josh has noted, proper breakin of the Sergents is key.

Being new to the hobby, I've also discovered that proper car weighting is also important, especially if you have free wheeling trucks in place in order to provide some resistance.

Being new to the hobby, I've

Good thought.  I had nto considered stating that as well.

Narrow shank, standard head

I've had to install the Narrow Shank coupler on a couple cars that required it - the Genesis Trinity Covered Hopper, specifically.

No difference operationally.

"You have to have magnets to uncouple"

Arthur,

 That's like saying, "You have to have skewers to uncople Kadees." 

It's self evident. If you are going to host op sessions with Sergents (one of these days...) you're going to have to have enough magnet-on-a-stick devices for all.

spacing

So no issues with closer spacing on the cars vs. the wider spacing?  I was concerned that the use of the wand in close spacing would equal damage to end detail so that's good to know.  Maybe the dexterity required to uncouple is not required and any fiddly alignment stuff is done when you have to couple instead?

Anyway, thanks for your thoughts on this.  It's good to know these things before I get too far into it.

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S