WESTPORT TERMINAL RR

BLT 1999

Movable Magnets

To ease uncoupling I made some under the tie, movable magnets. If there are two magnets, one will often be in the wrong place, thus an unwanted uncoupling is the result (Murphy's Law!).

I cut out a piece of roadbed under two tracks, and with two brass L-profiles I made a sliding path to allow an uncoupling magnet to be positioned under either one of the two tracks. As a cover under the ties I used a .008'' piece of brass sheet.

under the module, overview

To slide the magnet under the desired track, I fastened a piece of heavy wire to the magnet that can be pushed or pulled with a brass tube from the front board of the module. This wire was bent to a 90 degree angle. One angle was laid on the magnet and glued with a good amount of two-part-Epoxy.

In both the ent-positions the magnet is secured with stoppers under one of the tracks. Don't forget some space for easy gliding. Use some paper or a thin wire while the glue is drying. If the track is ballasted you will recognize the magnet only by the brass tube at the front board and in my case by two or three ties next to the track.

drawing

a bigger .gif picture of the drawing

And here a step by step instruction:

You have cut the hole. You have glued the brass L-profiles to the wood. This picture shows two magnets. In that way there is at each end enough place for a magnet. The white stripe is Polystyrol which serves for a little bit "air" for easy gliding.

View from the bottom:

test with magnets

And from top, with brass sheet:

prepearing to turn the module upside down

Here's the brass sheet removed. You see the two magnets under the Polystyrol stripe. Next to one brass angle you can see a Polystyrol stripe, too. Now the magnets and the Polystyrol can be removed. Also you see that some of the cork roadbed is cut away for the brass sheet.

top

test fitting

All is ready for the last step. The magnet has his wire (unvisible) for moving. Now you can glue the brass sheet in its place and lay track

moving the magnets

And at Westport yard:

In earlier times I would have used a switch motor for moving the magnet instead a brass tube. Nowadays I like mechanics!

Still any questions? Write to Wolfgang Dudler

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