I Figured Out How To Make The Rix Kadee Uncoupler Work

Although I use the Kadee 308 under the track uncoupling magnet, the 309 electromagnetic uncoupler, and the 322 between the rails uncoupler at various places on the layout, there are always places I need to uncouple cars where magnets haven't been installed. A lot of guys use bamboo skewers or similar devices to uncouple Kadees manually, but my problem is that at my age, my hands shake, and aiming a skewer between two coupled Kadees is a bit too much of a stretch for me.

I've tried the Rix 628-0014 Uncoupling Tool in the past, but for whatever reason, I haven't been able to get it to work for me until very recently. There are instructions in the package, but maybe I haven't been reading them right, or maybe my body English just needed a different approach. Here's how I got it to work.

First, the instructions more or less gave me the idea you had to hold onto the flat handle of the tool the whole time you used it. The core of my approach wound up being to locate it correctly, straddling the rails between the cars, and letting it stand alone without the need to hold it. It works just fine this way:

The secret, at least for me, involved using it with the flat handle on the side of the car away from me. (All the Rix photos for whatever reason show the handle on the side facing the user.) This may have encouraged me to keep holding on to the handle, when I discovered the secret, at least for me, is to let go of the handle once I have the tool in position, straddling the rails and touching the outside of each rail.

At that point, the action of the two magnets on the tool pulls the Kadee coupler loops aside and uncouples the cars with little trouble. I should note that I use only Kadees or their metal clones from other makers, not the plastic ones from Bachmann, Atlas, Accurail, or Athearn/Horizon.

The Rix instructions refer to a "two handed" procedure, but as far as I can see, you basically just need one hand to position the tool using the flat handle -- and then you let the thing go and do its work. You then use the throttle to move the locomotive and pull the cars apart. No need for two hands at any point.

I don't understand why it took me so long to figure this out, but I'm happy now!