Menard's O gauge rolling stock

I bought my son a (Nascar) race car on a flat bed. He is 4 and was very disapointed when his new car would not couple up with any of his existing cars. (melt down)

So I had to quietly make it disappear...

The couplers are very stiff, basically non-operational. I bought 3 of the flatcars the other day at the local Menards, after rebate $5.00 each. Going to put some pipe loads on them to add weight. Without a heavy load these guys are very, very light, will bounce over switches. For $5.00, I didn't expect to much, especially when a good pair of couplers will set you back $15.00 or so.

Thanks Mountain Mover and J Daddy for your reply/   The coupler issue sounds like it would work using a dremel tool.  In  regards to the wheel spacing, I guess I could just replace the trucks...

I also had to gauge some wheelsets, just remove and tap with a hammer to open up.

I had to trim some flash from the couplers too, I just used a razor knife, they work better now.

The lionel plastic cradle from postwar era also fits the Menards cars.

franktrain

 Just tap the end of axle with brass hammer.

I looked at those cars yesterday at Menards and they looked like they need a lot of work to get them up to par. The axle does look like it is burled though, so you may be able to adjust the wheel gauge by taking off the axle from the truck and twisting it to the right gauge.

Thanks guys for all the replies/suggestions.  What is strange is that the Weathered Maine car is fine going across the grade...couplers are a little stiff, almost have to slam the car against my other rolling stock to get them to work on that Maine car.  It's like anything I guess, you get what you pay for.  Thanks again guys! John

There is a 'known' issue with the wheel spacing....but as shown above EZ to correct.

The coupler issue can be fixed.....but I'd rather they stay closed and not open at will like many do. How many of us really do extensive switching maneuvers with our 3R O scale trains??  I don't even own a automatic uncoupler track.

Good luck!

Considering the minimal cost of these cars, I would make an exception to a warranty issue and making a fuss about an easy fix. I don't switch either and the couplers will remain closed ( hopefully).

Thanks guys!  Once I get them all coupled up I usually don't mess with them, but like rogerpete posted for the price it's OK to do some tinkering. If I pause and think about it, he's spot on, it's actually pretty fun.  I guess I'm a little disappointed when you buy something and it doesn't even work straight out of the box...but for the price I couldn't pass 'em up.   Plus the little guy won't mind...

I am wondering why we are just now hearing about this?

mine arrive soon should I just send them back?

Some observations from years of tinkering... and running on 027 track with tight curves (and switches placed directly after a curve)...

I've bought in the past bulk lots of "knock-off" fast angle wheel sets and have noticed within one bulk lot, quite a bit of variation in the wheel gauge. Granted, the nature of the fast angle wheels allow for a little bit of variation BUT NOT on the SAME truck.

I've noticed if I have a problem with one car on a switch, I'll check the wheels on the problem truck. Very often the problem is totally solved by swapping wheel sets, making sure both wheel sets on one single truck are the same. This solves the problem. Happened just today...

A repainted 027 light weight CSX tank car was derailing on a switch backing up the train. Checked the wheel sets, replaced one wheel set with one that lined up better with the other, and problem solved.

Couplers can be a problem even on more expensive cars. The problem is everyone else is borrowing Lionel's original design, while making slight variations. An otherwise well made truck from one company might not couple too well with a well made truck from another company. For example, I've found the Industrial Rail trucks don't like to couple with the K-Line Classic die-cast sprung truck, yet both couple well to cars with the same make of truck.

On plastic trucks, sometimes the problem is nothing more than flashing on either the coupler itself or the knuckle. Lightly filing off any plastic flashing will often solve a problem - especially if you can feel the flashing with your finger. Using a Dremel to slightly open up the inside of the knuckle (as mentioned above) is another potential fix.

An example to the "borrowed design," the Lionel plastic Symington truck and the one K-Line used appear to be identical. Yet the coupler armature is slightly different, the knuckle is slightly different and the diameter of the metal rivet holding the knuckle is also different.

I do not know what source the truck used by Menard's derives from. But I do know some of the plastic trucks used on K-Line cars work perfectly, while others barely open and couple with difficulty. So that leads me to believe molds were changed.

I have substituted plastic Lionel knuckles and rivets on the poorer operating K-Line trucks with good results (the K-Line rivet is too large to fit into the Lionel knuckle.

With trucks that want to pop open, just simply removing the thumbtack armature (if it is that type of truck), gently heating the armature for a moment, and then giving the armature a bend upward and then blowing on it, often cures that problem without having to glue it shut.

Gentlemen,

   I started a thread a while back on the Menard military tank hauling car.  In order to make it fully functional with the rest of my trains, I replaced the full truck & coupler assembly with the MTH heavy weight Premier Truck assembly.  After doing this the Menards Car was fully functional clear down to 031 curves.  The change only takes about 10 minutes to accomplish, but the cost is another $15.00 for the MTH Premier Truck sets.  Now if you only display the Menards rolling stock you may find them acceptable, me I run all my rolling stock so I had to upgrade the trucks. 

PCRR/Dave

It has been discussed a couple times on different threads. At $4 to $5 per flatcar I sure don't think anyone was expecting top end quality. I will be replacing the low end plastic couplers with Postwar couplers that I have in my junk box.

Bill T,

    I was going to due the same thing, but I found I had nothing that fit the way I wanted it too, so hence the purchase of the Premier Trucks.  Got to admit I am thinking of investing in a couple more of the Menards tanks haulers and then replacing the trucks again, the flat car really cames out seriously nice with the different trucks, and if I can find some broken Lionel flat cars at Bill & Walts in his cheap damaged stuff, I will take the trucks from those old inexpensive cars, and upgrade the Menards flat cars with them.

PCRR/Dave

That old adage has been proven again: you only get what you pay for!

The other Bill T

received my flat cars and only the red ones had the wheels on the truck out of gauge, fixed this.  the couplers were not as bad as previously posted imo.  yes they are tight but for what I do tight is better then loose.

overall it was a good buy. and I am keeping them.