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 How to Wire Tyco Remote Control Uncoupling Track
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RP model railroads
Big Boy



DOUBLE NICKEL55

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 Posted - November 09 2019 :  7:48:33 PM Link directly to this topic  Show Profile  Add RP model railroads to Buddylist
So, I am in the process of installing what will be 2 Tyco Remote Control Uncoupling Track accessories on RETRO TYCO....but am stuck after step #2.

Below are photos of my current wiring work. As of right now, the train will not run unless the button is pressed and when it does, it runs in reverse. (I know that running in reverse is definitely due to the wires being wired-up backwards on the terminal track - easy fix.)

The diagram in the instructions doesn't seem to match the directions themselves (at least to my brain) and in all 4 of the Tyco Remote Control Uncoupling Track accessories that I have, there's no "lead wire" that was supposed to be "supplied with the kit."

Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks.


"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16

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walt
Big Boy



Tyco Yum

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 Posted - November 09 2019 :  8:16:28 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add walt to Buddylist
I've never had one of these but can not see how the track hook up "terminal" would come into play...
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scsshaggy
Big Boy


scsshaggy

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 Posted - November 09 2019 :  10:32:42 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add scsshaggy to Buddylist
Trust the diagram. The written directions seem vague and confusing. It doesn't look like there should be any wires twisted onto the contacts of the switch. Only the soldered on wires appear to serve a purpose. One pair of them should go to the power pack terminals and the other pair should go to the terminal track terminals.

It shouldn't matter which pair goes to which place.

Carpe Manana!
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Chops124
Big Boy





Penn Central Logo

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 Posted - November 10 2019 :  12:21:06 AM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Chops124 to Buddylist
Yes, I see your point, RP. Why would the power be coming off the
DC, track, termini? If the throttle was at zero, for example, then
the accessory would not work, obviously.

Scsshaggy, is there any possibility the uncoupling track should
be powered by the constant AC termini?
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walt
Big Boy



Tyco Yum

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 Posted - November 10 2019 :  01:40:40 AM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add walt to Buddylist
I think I see how this works... I guess a sudden jerking over the uncoupler track breaks them loose...
Edited by - walt on November 10 2019 01:52:56 AM
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scsshaggy
Big Boy


scsshaggy

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 Posted - November 10 2019 :  09:23:54 AM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add scsshaggy to Buddylist
quote:
Scsshaggy, is there any possibility the uncoupling track should
be powered by the constant AC termini?
Originally posted by Chops124 - November 10 2019 :  12:21:06 AM


No, the uncoupler is just a couple of springy wires pressing in on the posts hanging down from the hook and horn couplers. If the slack in the couplers is run in, they'll uncouple, but if the couplers are stretched, they stay coupled. Theoretically, you should be able to pull a train across the uncoupler and it will stay coupled together because of the tension on the couplers. If you stop with a pair of couplers in the uncoupler and back up just a bit, the slack runs in and the couplers uncouple.

The purpose of the button is to momentarily reverse the locomotive as the train rolls forward over the uncoupling ramp. For all intents and purposes, it's a reversing switch like the one in the power pack, except that it's momentary. You could accomplish the same thing with the reversing switch on the power pack just by quickly reversing the train and switching it to forward again.

It's probably easier on the train to just stop the train with the couplers you want to uncouple over the uncoupler, back up just enough to bunch the couplers, stop again, and then go forward, without using the button at all.

Carpe Manana!
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Chops124
Big Boy





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 Posted - November 10 2019 :  11:43:36 AM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Chops124 to Buddylist
I never knew of the electric uncoupler, or how it worked. Good find, RP!

Here's a manual one I plinked around with:

https://youtu.be/uyV_sDzEZUo

Edited by - Chops124 on November 10 2019 12:32:04 PM
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RP model railroads
Big Boy



DOUBLE NICKEL55

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 Posted - November 11 2019 :  09:12:04 AM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add RP model railroads to Buddylist
I understand a bit better now how exactly this button is supposed to work. I'll wire it up later exactly as the diagram shows, and try again.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16

Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/rpmodelrailroads

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RP model railroads
Big Boy



DOUBLE NICKEL55

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 Posted - November 11 2019 :  6:50:36 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add RP model railroads to Buddylist
UPDATE: I wired up the switch exactly as the diagram shows (2 wires connecting to the DC-side of the powerpack and 2 wires connecting to the terminal track.) I still got the same result -- the locomotive will not move until the button is pressed & held down, and if the button is released, the locomotive will stop. It is as if the switch is doing the exact opposite of what it should do.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16

Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/rpmodelrailroads

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rp_model_railroads/
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walt
Big Boy



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 Posted - November 11 2019 :  7:07:30 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add walt to Buddylist
I had an un-coupler on my 70s layout that just worked by backing the car into it...
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scsshaggy
Big Boy


scsshaggy

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 Posted - November 12 2019 :  7:25:46 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add scsshaggy to Buddylist
Pushed down, the engine should go backwards. Released, the engine should go forward, so the contacts are apparently not making contact when the button is released. I wonder if something is keeping the button from going all the way up. If it's sticking so that it's always a little way down, that could cause the contacts to never make contact to go forward.

I noticed in your AOTW posting that you have four of these buttons. Have you tried one of the other ones? If another one worked right, then this one might have a little glitch in it.

Carpe Manana!
Edited by - scsshaggy on November 12 2019 7:28:42 PM
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Crown Vic
Little Six

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 Posted - November 13 2019 :  10:05:34 AM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Crown Vic to Buddylist
Somewhere I recall reading that reversing a locomotive suddenly while running wasn't something you'd want to do. Maybe Tyco didn't think it would be a big deal with a "toy train", but I think I'd do mine manually.
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scsshaggy
Big Boy


scsshaggy

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 Posted - November 13 2019 :  12:54:15 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add scsshaggy to Buddylist
quote:
Somewhere I recall reading that reversing a locomotive suddenly while running wasn't something you'd want to do.
Originally posted by Crown Vic - November 13 2019 :  10:05:34 AM



It's supposed to be hard on the motor magnets. I would imagine that it is when you reverse while the motor is working hard. At the very low speeds and low voltages you use during coupling and uncoupling, I've reversed direction without consequences.

I would still just reverse manually, because all that jerking back and forth is not always tolerated well by hook and horn couplers. It could lead to derailments and uncoupling in places other than at the uncoupler.

Having said that, I can still see how someone like RP might want to install the button on a layout that's all about Tyco equipment and accessories. It's part of the collection, so to speak.

Carpe Manana!
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RP model railroads
Big Boy



DOUBLE NICKEL55

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 Posted - November 13 2019 :  4:32:27 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add RP model railroads to Buddylist
Hmmmm..perhaps it is the button. I'll try one of the others and see if it works.

I also did not know that such an accessory could put unnecessary wear & tear on my Tyco train motors. Even if I get the accessory working, I most likely will rarely use it anyway, but if I ever needed to uncouple train cars, I could. My ultimate plan is to install 2 working remote-control uncoupling tracks on RETRO TYCO -- one on the outer line and the other on the inner line.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16

Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/rpmodelrailroads

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rp_model_railroads/
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walt
Big Boy



Tyco Yum

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 Posted - November 13 2019 :  5:48:33 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add walt to Buddylist
Here's what I always had. I still have a couple not yet on my layout...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1978-Tyco-Portable-Uncoupling-Ramp-Tru-Steel-Track-Uncoupler-921-NOS/401845656299?hash=item5d8fde1aeb:g:4lMAAOSwmHhdUcrF
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RP model railroads
Big Boy



DOUBLE NICKEL55

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 Posted - November 13 2019 :  11:19:13 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add RP model railroads to Buddylist
Neat Walt!

Tonight I tried one of the other Prestomatic buttons and wired it up directly from the powerpack to the terminal track. Success! Except....the button does not cause the train to "momentarily reverse" as the directions state.

Rather, once the desired train cars have rolled-over the uncoupling track, then the Prestomatic button is pressed, which stops the train completely. Upon releasing the button, the train starts moving again, and the train cars are uncoupled by remote control! Truly cool.

I installed 2 of them on RETRO TYCO....one on the inner line and the other on the outer line. These accessories do, however, require some pretty good precision in stopping the train over the uncoupling track at just the right time...so that the right train cars uncouple.


Here's a short video I assembled of the Tyco Remote Control Uncoupling Tracks in action.


***Note: I think I know what caused the first button to malfunction. When I took off the top cover to access the wiring inside the button, the spring on the bottom of the actual red button itself popped off. I tried jamming it back on, but that was obviously a miserable failure. That should be the only problem with that button, so a "proper" fix in the future should solve that.


"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16

Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/rpmodelrailroads

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rp_model_railroads/

Edited by - RP model railroads on November 13 2019 11:27:47 PM
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RP model railroads
Big Boy



DOUBLE NICKEL55

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 Posted - November 15 2019 :  3:48:55 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add RP model railroads to Buddylist
I had another discovery last night....

All of my trains were either derailing or running really rough over the uncoupling tracks. Upon closer inspection, I noticed tiny plastic nubs (most likely from the factory) sticking-up off the edges of the actual uncoupling section of the tracks -- these were catching the undersides of the locomotives as they ran over the uncoupling tracks and causing issues. So, I simply used my finger and popped off those nubs, and sure enough, no more rough-running locos.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16

Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/rpmodelrailroads

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rp_model_railroads/
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