Walthers Heavyweight cars

[WT fan]

I've got three Heavyweight cars. But I've run into problems. These nice cars make problems with my 24'' branchline curves. Any suggestions???

Wolfgang

 

[Trucula]

What kind of problems are occurring? derailments? binding? Seems a 6 wheeled heavy weight would love 24" curves!!... can you hand roll them slowly and find the problem? Is there clearance problems?...Looks like in the picture they seem close at the couplers, but if thats stock that shouldn't be the problem.

 

[NYC_George]

Walthers Passenger Cars

I've got three Heavyweight cars. But I've run into problems. These nice cars make problems with my 24'' branchline curves. Any suggestions???

Wolfgang

I have 16 Walthers passenger cars 12 light weights and 4 heavy weights. I had trouble with 5 of them on bigger curves than 24" and I counldn't understand why. Then one day I decided to run them all around the whole layout and watch which car derailed where. Just to try something when a car derailed I turned it in the oppsite direction. I did this to the five cars that where giving me trouble and they havn't derailed since. Why? I haven't a clue, but it worked. I marked an arrow on the under side of the car so I would know which way it ran without derailing.

NYC_George

 

[WT fan]

At the diner the truck comes close to a ladder. But the two others derail also in the 24'' curve. As much as I see the trucks can turn enough. They're build for bigger curves.

Wolfgang

 

[SP4439]

check the wheels for proper gauge. also check the track for any bumps or elevation change. that can cause a 3 axle truck to derail also. just run the cars very slow through the curve and watch each truck one at a time.

 

[RexHea]

Check the trucks and make sure that you don't feel any bumps or ridges when you turn them by hand. Push them up against the floor when you turn them and it should be perfectly smooth. If you feel the slightest irregularity, post and I will give you directions on where to look w/photos. This is a problem I had that would give intermittant derails, sometimes depending on direction of car; I found the problem and haven't had a derail since.

Make sure the diaphrams are not snagging each other. I also had this problem with the lightweights. If this is the case, you will need to replace the couplers with those that have longer shanks.

 

[Alcomotive]

Rex is on the right track....

I have 2 of the heavy weights. I had burrs on the underside of the body in the path of the trucks where they rotate (or rather pivot). I disassembled mine and filed the burrs away.

good luck!

 

[RexHea]

Alco, that is exactly what I did. This problem had me stumped for months and then I finally noticed the little protrusions catching the screw heads of the truck. The derail all depended on angle of the car, radius, direction of the curve, and etc. A real head scratcher! Hope this helps WT Fan.

 

[WT fan]

Thank you for the hints. I've looked and found those Heavyweights 932-10156, 10103 and 10253 are not made for curves as small as 24'' !! I had to cut.

Now, my train runs my branch line with 24'' radius. Slowly - but without derailment.

Wolfgang