a strange finding

[Cairun]

My guess is that since the magnets are opposing, the flux lines are fighting each other. When the bar of steel approached the magnets, the flux will tend to be attracted the bar instead of fighting the other magnet. I hope this makes sense.

Thank you for offering answers to my question. 
I had similar thoughts about this. 

Thanks,
Alex

[futuristic]

You have to rename file before you can run it in the FEMM.
Try this: select the file with mouse -> press F2 key, replace text "txt" with "fem", press Enter.

I think now I understand where is the steel bar, will do another sim.

[futuristic]

Is this how you have it?

Magnets close together:
http://file.si/pfiles/183688/bar-on-top1.png

Magnets apart:
http://file.si/pfiles/183687/apart.png

If this is not the correct setup then please draw it...

[Cairun]

You have to rename file before you can run it in the FEMM.
Try this: select the file with mouse -> press F2 key, replace text "txt" with "fem", press Enter.

I think now I understand where is the steel bar, will do another sim.

I can rename the file, but I cannot seem to change the file extension.

Thanks,
Alex

[Cairun]

Is this how you have it?

Magnets close together:
http://file.si/pfiles/183688/bar-on-top1.png

Magnets apart:
http://file.si/pfiles/183687/apart.png

If this is not the correct setup then please draw it...

This is close enough to the set up I had. 
However, if I am reading the results right the simulation is showing the opposite of what I found.

Thanks,
Alex