Dead uncouplers?

Not sure if this is the place to post this, but I guess its as good as any, although I don't feel very new to Z as I have been building this layout for a long, long time

Question: has anyone ever run into some dead MTL z scale uncouplers? When I mean dead I mean real dead, not enough magnetism to pick up a track nail, much less operate couplers. I picked up four sets of these through my LHS a few months ago, and finally got to where I need them, and they are just plain deader than a doornail.

If you have run into this, is there any way to bring them back? Right now I have them stuck to a really, really strong ring magnet, but I'm not sure that will restore enough magnetism to work. Is this weird?

Todd

Todd, I never had a dead uncoupler. Which ones do you have. The one s on a sectional track or the big ones. I fee the big magnets work better. Also, did you try to flip it over. I doubt it makes a difference, but just maybe.

run another magnet over it, and it should restore the magnetism.

John, they are the big ones that mount under the track. I have had them hooked up to a big magnet for a couple of days, and they have some of the magnetism restored, but it isn't enough. I had read somewhere that someone had used some small neodymes outside the track as uncoupling magnets. I have a bunch of small slot car magnets and I think I'm going to try them and see how they work. I'll let you know how it works out.

Todd

If I remember my physics(unfortuatly too long ago), you must run the magnet across the magnet you are trying to magnetize, try that and see if that works. I am not sure but north pole versus south pole of the magnet might be an issue.