passenger car comparison

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E

Ed Radz

New Member
Hello All

I'm planning on buying some streamline 85 foot passenger cars & need a little help.

Can I get your opinions on Walthers & Con-Cor cars? How do the details compare? Are couplers body mounted or truck mounted? Most important, how do they track thru curves & turnouts?
 
Con-cor is not very good. Walthers is better. Con-cor does truck mounted couplers. Walthers body mounts them and uses a wide-radius swing bar instead. Walthers is more detailed.

I don't do much for passenger, but there is a problem with some of the Walthers cars with 6 axles. The trucks are mounted on the model off-center so that the car can take tighter turns, but because of that, the inner axle (axle closest to the middle of the car) of each truck does not sit on the track as well as the other 2 axles and will derail on switches and some curves. Athearn heavyweight cars have the same problem. The only solution is to add extra weight to the cars and see if it helps.
 
I have 13 Concor Superliners & I had a lot of problems w/them right after I bought'm in 1998. I've added weights to mine about 3 times. They are truck mounted couplers & the only problems I have w/mine are trying to back them up. They turn pretty sharp, although I don't have any tight turns. I'm reworking all of mine right now. Repainting & adding dark window film. No interiors. I bought mine used w/lighting for $120.00. They all have NS wheels & kadee Couplers.
 


I'm running Athearn, Rivrossi, and Walthers cars. I weighted all to NMRA specs, or there abouts. I also changed the Rivarossis and Athearns, for the most part, to the Walthers type body mount couplers. I had trouble backing them down into the passenger car yard with Talgo-type couplers. ConCor cars can be detailed to look mighty nice and I have a few, mostly RPO's and baggage cars.

The ConCor cars will be just fine except for some of the rivet counters. Just detail them and you'll be ok. Or one can use them for MOW cars, like I do.

Bob
 
diburning said:
Con-cor is not very good. Walthers is better. Con-cor does truck mounted couplers. Walthers body mounts them and uses a wide-radius swing bar instead. Walthers is more detailed.

I don't do much for passenger, but there is a problem with some of the Walthers cars with 6 axles. The trucks are mounted on the model off-center so that the car can take tighter turns, but because of that, the inner axle (axle closest to the middle of the car) of each truck does not sit on the track as well as the other 2 axles and will derail on switches and some curves. Athearn heavyweight cars have the same problem. The only solution is to add extra weight to the cars and see if it helps.
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I have not had this problem with them, but if you go with the Walthers cars make sure you follow their recommendations on minimum radius. 24" is "required" not "desired" :D. Anything tighter and you'll probably have to do surgery on them. (remove some detail parts and maybe work on the trucks a little)

They are much more detailed than Con Cor cars, though they are also harder on the wallet.;) Watch Walthers "Bargain Depot" on their website. They have been letting them go pretty cheap, as low as $19.95 for the heavyweights, and those are very nice.
 
Espeefan said:
I have not had this problem with them, but if you go with the Walthers cars make sure you follow their recommendations on minimum radius. 24" is "required" not "desired" :D. Anything tighter and you'll probably have to do surgery on them. (remove some detail parts and maybe work on the trucks a little)

They are much more detailed than Con Cor cars, though they are also harder on the wallet.;) Watch Walthers "Bargain Depot" on their website. They have been letting them go pretty cheap, as low as $19.95 for the heavyweights, and those are very nice.
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The cars derail on straight track over switches. I think it was a bad batch.
 
If you read my post, I said that the 2 innermost axles do not sit on the track and will derail on anything from track joints to switches.
 
Have you exchanged the wheel sets? Just move the wheelset's position in the trucks. I'm sure that replacing the entire truck would help but, may be expensive. But, the cost would be justified in the lack of headaches.

Are they 4- or 6- wheel trucks?

Bob
 
in my original post, I said the 6 axle cars (6 wheels per truck) It's because they are mounted on the car off-center so that it may negotiate tighter curves.
 


Well, I was going to offer to send you replacements. But, I only have 4-wheel trucks. I thought I had a a batch of 6-wheel trucks, I'll keep lookin'.

I've got some trains and parts I inherited. There may be some in those boxes. I haven't taken the time to look through all of them yet. Life, and "honey-do's", keep getting in the way.

Bob
 
Thanks all for the info. My plan is to with the Walthers cars. I would like the Santa Fe Super Chief style Budd cars. Right now I see there are no sleepers available in this type of car. It looks like a Con-Cor sleeper will have to fill in temporarily.

Later!
Ed Radz
 
diburning said:
in my original post, I said the 6 axle cars (6 wheels per truck) It's because they are mounted on the car off-center so that it may negotiate tighter curves.
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Are you sure that the truck is square and true?? It is possible that when it was assembled out of square.. you should be able to correct the problem by loosing the screws and truing up the truck.
 
My cars came in the other day. I was down at the club layout testing. Only 1 car is giving me fits. Its the observation car. Just at one particular turnout the leading truck derails. I tweaked the points, they turnout is not the problem. I switched the trucks front to back. Now it derails at a different spot on the layout. It looked like that leading truck was cocked. Right front & left rear on the rails, left front & right rear off the track. I got it straighten out now. I'll be heading back to the club layout to test.

Later!

Ed Radz
 
Funny how new items need tweaking isn't it?
On a somewhat similar note does anyone know of an interior kit for the Concor Dome/obs?
It sure looks good at the end of the train!
 
I try to find the original older Rivarossi cars before IHC got ahold of them. The trucks were better, many had metal wheels, although with pizza cutter flanges. I normaly retruck mine with old Central valley sprung trucks and they track perfectly. My whole Polar Express train I am building is all Rivarossi cars and only one has the factory trucks, rest are on CV sprung trucks. All have a little extra weight, the cast metal trucks add weight and keep it low to the rails, all have interiors and will have lights eventualy, another benefit of the trucks, they pick up power. Cheers Mike
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Nice cars!


malletman said:
I try to find the original older Rivarossi cars before IHC got ahold of them. The trucks were better, many had metal wheels, although with pizza cutter flanges. I normaly retruck mine with old Central valley sprung trucks and they track perfectly. My whole Polar Express train I am building is all Rivarossi cars and only one has the factory trucks, rest are on CV sprung trucks. All have a little extra weight, the cast metal trucks add weight and keep it low to the rails, all have interiors and will have lights eventualy, another benefit of the trucks, they pick up power. Cheers Mike
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Click to expand...
 


If'n ya want some REALLY nice lookin' cars, get the ones from Hanjin(I think). But, be prepared to mortgage the farm, 'dey ain't cheap. The main reason I don't have any. I've seen them at shows going for small ransoms. They do look good, though.

Most of my passenger cars are either Athearn, Walthers, or Rivarossi. I have "bashed" a Con-Cor diner car into an actual diner. Fits the bill. And I have a combine, baggage, and RPO I bashed into a small freight office complex. Con-Cor cars are good for something. Even with a bit of work, adding details, changing out the trucks, they can be made presentable and less troublesome. They just seem to be too light for trouble free operation. And they can always be used for "yard queens".

Bob
 
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