more ho guidance help

[bristolman]

long story short , went to train show and bought some new proto 2000 rolling stock . started assembly noticed upon assembling wheel sets to trucks / 1 would roll across room when you touched it /other wouldnt even move . before any of you start pounding about what you buy remember not everyone has more money than they know what to do with . what are some good valued priced ho rolling stock trucks ( and where to buy ) if i run into more problems like this .
mike

 

[ianacole]

That's odd...the truck should roll freely. I'd take a look at the truck and make sure the frame isn't bent, pinching the wheel. Another thing to check is that a wheel isn't out of gauge and rubbing the side frame. If you don't have an NMRA gauge, you can set the wheel on a piece of track and see if it aligns well. There is also a tool you can buy that will clean out the dimple where the axle points sit in the trucks.

One other thought...check that all the wheels are round.

 

[joed2323]

That sucks.. if u dont mind me ask. What did you pay for them?

Im in the market as well to buy rolling stock.
They have so many diff brands its hard to choose.

Whats up with the metal cars vs plastic, is that so they stay on tracks better? Wouldnt a whole string of metal cars be tough to pull??

Do you guys prefer the cars that require assembly over rtr?

 

[bristolman]

trucks

they were 6.00 at the train show . new / unassembled rolling stock . didnt matter what you bought gondolas / box /etc . 6 bucks . the trucks are plastic and when you put the 1 good on the track it rolls really well . the other not at all so the truck itself has to be the issue . no bending etc. have some other old rolling stock that the truck goes on with screw like the proto so maybe try 1 of those if no-one has a suggestion where to find replacements at the beginner just starting out prices .
mike

 

[Cjcrescent]

I don't believe that the truck is the issue. Switch the axles around between them and see if the problem reoccurs with the same axle set. Probable that you either have one bad wheelset or a bad journal.

But do get the truck tuner. Its called the "Tool" and costs about $10. It cures many problems.

 

[NH Mike]

If you do decide to replace the trucks take a look at the ones from Atlas. They have 70 ton, 100 ton, caboose, and a couple of others. Good trucks for the money, $5.95, and have metal wheels. The mounting hole is sized for a #2-56 screw but can be opened up to fit over a bolster pin. There are other brands out there from Kadee and Intermountain and Walthers also. I like Kadees for sprung trucks and the Atlas for general use or replacements where I don't need or want a sprung truck.

 

[bristolman]

truck tuner

cjcresent , where did you get the truck tuner for 10.00 . looked at micro mark but the want 9.00 for shipping .
mike

 

[diburning]

Reboxx also sells a similar truck tuner.

 

[bristolman]

new proto 2000 question

what do you use to put the coupler box on ? what size screw instead of gluing which would make it easier to change out later ?
mike

 

[Cjcrescent]

cjcresent , where did you get the truck tuner for 10.00 . looked at micro mark but the want 9.00 for shipping .
mike

I got my two at my LHS. I don't buy from MM.

 

[bristolman]

hobby store

wish we had one close by . used to be a lot but they have all shut down . closet one 22 miles away and odd hrs . i wait for the once a month train show now and hope for the best . ( only 6 more days ) .
mike

 

[Iron Horseman]

long story short , went to train show and bought some new proto 2000 rolling stock . started assembly noticed upon assembling wheel sets to trucks / 1 would roll across room when you touched it /other wouldnt even move .

Is this just one truck out of one of the kits, or is this one truck out of each of the kits?

BTW I've been buying any proto-2000 kit (except the 50' box car) I can get my hands on for $6 each. Then this weekend at the Rocky Mountain Toy Train show there were so many I could not buy them all at that price. sigh. Of course I might have been able to buy more had I not spent so much on locos....

 

[bristolman]

first 1 out of the hole

grabbed 1 from bag and one of the first things i ran into . put wheel sets into the trucks and then set them on a track just to see how they rolled . after that loaded all of the parts back into the box and started looking for help on the forum . train show sunday so hoping to find truck tool there . i have also purchased dry graphite . ( helpful suggestions ) , so hopefully when i start again ill know what to do when a problem arises . one of the other things i have to figure out is fastening the couplers to the body , don't want to glue so i can put something better on them later . wife would beat me if she knew how much money I've spent already and i haven't put any track down . drill and tap for couplers ?
mike

 

[Cjcrescent]

... one of the other things i have to figure out is fastening the couplers to the body , don't want to glue so i can put something better on them later . wife would beat me if she knew how much money I've spent already and i haven't put any track down . drill and tap for couplers ?
mike

Yes. Get a size 2-56 drill and tap set. Kadee sells them in several sizes. In the set is a tap drill, a 2-56 tap, and a clearance drill. You'll be using the tap drill and the tap much more than the clearance drill. Go to the local ACE hardware, NOT a home depot or lowes, and get all the 2-56 screws they have, in sizes from 1/4" to 1/2". You'll rarely need any longer or shorter. There are places on the web that sells them in bulk.

Sorry can't think of any right now. Maybe someone else can help with the web sites they use.

 

[Iron Horseman]

one of the other things i have to figure out is fastening the couplers to the body , don't want to glue so i can put something better on them later . .... drill and tap for couplers ?

I don't understand. I just grabbed three Proto-2000 kits at random - a 52'6" Mill Gondola, a 10,000 gallon Type 21 tank, and a 50 ton War Emergency Hopper. All three have a standard coupler pocket. On the plastic sprews are the two coupler cover plates, and in the plastic bag with the trucks are two long screws for the trucks and the two short ones are for the couplers.

Put the brass spring down into the coupler pocket, put the coupler on the spring, put the cover plate over the top, and fasten with the short screw.

If you so desire, a Kadee #5 will be an exact replacement for the plastic one included with the kit.

 

[Cjcrescent]

I don't understand...
If you so desire, a Kadee #5 will be an exact replacement for the plastic one included with the kit.

You're right on these cars, but there are many other brands out there, where this isn't the case, and a drill and tap is definitely needed. I believe that Red Caboose has a lot of kits where the coupler pocket cover is held in place by a small, easily broken plastic pin. Cars like this scream for a removal of the old coupler pocket and replacement with KD boxes and 2-56 screws.

 

[Pete V]

If you do change the wheels to metal, which will improve performance just about every time, pay real attention to the length of the axle on the old and the new wheels. Reboxx has good charts on the different manufacturers. They vary by enough to cause some trouble when mixing and matching.

 

[bristolman]

il look

I don't understand. I just grabbed three Proto-2000 kits at random - a 52'6" Mill Gondola, a 10,000 gallon Type 21 tank, and a 50 ton War Emergency Hopper. All three have a standard coupler pocket. On the plastic sprews are the two coupler cover plates, and in the plastic bag with the trucks are two long screws for the trucks and the two short ones are for the couplers.

Put the brass spring down into the coupler pocket, put the coupler on the spring, put the cover plate over the top, and fasten with the short screw.

If you so desire, a Kadee #5 will be an exact replacement for the plastic one included with the kit.

maybe i didnt get the screws for the couplers . ill open another box and look . i was real careful opening the box so i didnt loose anthing , even had towel underneath .
mike

 

[bristolman]

you were right

I don't understand. I just grabbed three Proto-2000 kits at random - a 52'6" Mill Gondola, a 10,000 gallon Type 21 tank, and a 50 ton War Emergency Hopper. All three have a standard coupler pocket. On the plastic sprews are the two coupler cover plates, and in the plastic bag with the trucks are two long screws for the trucks and the two short ones are for the couplers.

Put the brass spring down into the coupler pocket, put the coupler on the spring, put the cover plate over the top, and fasten with the short screw.

If you so desire, a Kadee #5 will be an exact replacement for the plastic one included with the kit.

i just got another box out and there were screws for the couplers with metal springs . the 1 i opened had no ( brass ?metal springs ) and no coupler screws . thank you for the help . anyone know what those coupler screw sizes are ?
mike

 

[tomstockton]

I have the tap and drill set for 2-56 screws... but I also got a bunch of 1/4" 2-56 self-tapping screws, which (so far) have worked very well. I always drill a pilot hole first, so the screw easily cuts its way in. Unfortunately, I don't remember where I found the self-tapping screws... Normally, I only use the self-tapping screws on coupler pockets, and (if necessary) drill and tap the bolsters to mount the trucks.

I do order from Micro-Mark; and while I think their prices are a little high (and likewise the shipping prices), I'm kind of a "tool nut". My father always taught me to use the right tool for the job, and MM has a bunch of stuff I've never found anywhere else. And I've never had a back order, plus their shipping has always been quick.

I also agree with the truck tuner and the dry graphite suggestions; I was over at my friend's house the other night, and we spent a couple of hours "fixing" some poorly rolling cars. The truck tuner and dry graphite fixed them right up almost all of the time!

Regards,
Tom Stockton