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A week or so ago I picked up 3 of the Menards flatcars for $4.99 each after rebate. These are low end flatcars, so they needed a little TLC.

 

 

First off, the couplers were so stiff and tight that the were not functional. Out with the Dremel, shaved off a smidgeon on the inside the knuckles and now they work A-OK. Still low end plastic couplers but they are operational.

 

 

Next, the flatcars are light as a feather so they needed a load to add weight. Someday the Keystone pipeline will be built so the Seattle & Yakima RR is ready to transport the pipe that will be needed.

 

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Bill T,

   Nice fix, however I took the tank Flat Car and replaced the trucks and couplers with the MTH Premier truck sets, it adds the weight needed and the quality trucks make the tank flat car run perfectly, and the couplers operate correctly.  If I purchase any more of these flat cars I intend on doing the same thing, ends up costing about $22.00 for a decent flat car with load.

PCRR/Dave

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Last edited by Pine Creek Railroad

Hopefully when I get mine I also have stiff couplers... It will save me gluing them shut to prevent accidental opening at the public layouts...

I do zero switching, so any coupler that smells like trouble gets glued. I have had to many accidental openings, with the latest being the Lionel Polar Express cars opening going up the mountain at our public layout. 

I have some maple saplings in the woods behind my house that are begging to be cut & chained down to some flat cars...

Originally Posted by rtr12:

What did you use for the pipe? Looks like it might be thin wall electrical conduit? I don't have the Menard's flat cars, but I would like to have some loads like that for some others.

The pipes are actually part of the stakes for outdoor lights. The lights bit the dust so the copper tubes went into the layout re-purpose box. I knew they would eventually become flatcar loads someday.

Bill T,

    I can certainly understand your thinking and actually they look like they came out real nice, with very little investment.  Got to admit the MTH Primer trucks are not inexpensive stuff.  I thought they would only be about $10.00 but they were $14.95

before tax.  Some of this stuff has gotten way out of hand, if you invest in say 5 tank cars, like I wanted too, with the new trucks, you now have some serious investment going on, just for cars you thought were going to be a very small type investment.

PCRR/Dave

Last edited by Pine Creek Railroad

wb47,

   Actually you have to remove the old rivets from the Menard tank Car from the underside, the rivets are very low grade, so you can use a pair of good long nose pliers, and crimp the rivets together from the underside, then carefully pull the old trucks off the flat bed, I took the wheels off prior to bending the rivets, the old rivets will then fall back thru the holes, the new MTH primer trucks, fit perfectly into the flat bed holes resting on the mounting flange perfectly, and the screws that come with the trucks, fit perfectly into the holes in the Menard flat bed railroad car top side, just do not over tighten them.  One other thing, the shells and webbing on the top side of the flat car need to be gently removed to insert the new screws in the MTH trucks, try not to damage them as you pry them off, super glue them back where ever you want when you are done installing the new trucks.  As you see in the picture I super glued the old trucks on the corners of the Menard tank flat bed car, to give the car a more military appearance.  I then super glued the shell flat, just back under the tank, to be able to get to the crews if I ever needed too.

 

PCRR/Dave

 

You can see in the 2nd picture how perfectly the screws and flanges on the MTH trucks set up on the Menard flat Car.

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Last edited by Pine Creek Railroad
Originally Posted by Bill T:
Originally Posted by rtr12:

What did you use for the pipe? Looks like it might be thin wall electrical conduit? I don't have the Menard's flat cars, but I would like to have some loads like that for some others.

The pipes are actually part of the stakes for outdoor lights. The lights bit the dust so the copper tubes went into the layout re-purpose box. I knew they would eventually become flatcar loads someday.

Thanks, I like copper better so that's good. I may just get some of each and try both types. If copper prices haven't gone through the roof that is.

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