Children's Museum Layout, Sounder commuter train

[weekendrailroader]

Hi all.
I've recently begun volunteering at my local Children's Museum, taking care of their approx. 4x8 HO scale layout. There's a long, lower track that runs around the edge of the layout and goes through a nice long tunnel. The upper track does a circle where it changes between the inner and the outer track.

I come into the museum every Monday, clean the tracks with a bright boy (you wouldn't believe how dirty the tracks get after running non-stop from morning till evening ). I'm also in the process of repairing their fleet of cars and locomotives, which means mostly attaching new wheel-sets and equipping older Tyco equipment with new draft gear and knuckle couplers. I'm hoping to find some cheap Athearn blue-box cars at an upcoming train show which I can donate to the museum (just to make maintenance less intensive).

Right now I'm trying to get the museum's Sounder commuter train up and running. Th locomotive is almost ready to go, but the passenger cars need new coupler box covers. Thing is, these covers are a special piece of plastic which has two screw holes on either side . Does kadee make replacement coupler holders for these cars? If so, what is the name/ number of the part? The Sounder train station is a few blocks away, and it would be great to get these cars rolling again.

Also, if you have any other tips/ tricks for high-use layouts such as this one, could you please pass those tips on to me?

Thanks.

 

[LATX]

It sounds line you have Athearn Bi Levels you can write, e-mail or call Athearn and they will send you a set for like a dollar plus shipping, I have done it for my Metrolink cars

 

[bob]

One trick you might try is to use automatic transmission fluid on the track. Clean the track thoroughly, and then put a couple of drops of ATF on the rails.

They do that at the Puget Sound Model Railroad Engineers layout in Tacoma, and it's worked pretty well. It helps reduce oxidation, while also conducting electricity well.

A couple of warnings. Your wheels should be clean when you try this, or you'll find the ATF pulling gunk off of them. Also, the club layout requires all metal wheels. I don't know what effect, if any, the ATF will have on plastic wheels. That said, switching to metal wheels will help reduce your track cleaning duties, so it's a good idea.

I suppose the best approach would be to try a very small amount on a short section, and see if you notice any difference.