@Ray of sunshine posted:I did an earlier posting about the couplers on these new cars.
I received my CNW Friendship car, Lionel 2026742 last week. It's marked "Made in Vietnam". The paint and detail is one of the best I have seen in recent years, and one that I expected from Lionel. But the COUPLERS ARE AN ISSUE!
Next to impossible to connect to my other cars, be it Lionel, Atlas, KLine, MTH, etc. They don't connect no matter how hard to slam them together. Even if you hand connect the cars, the coupler is so tight, there is absolute no play, up and down, side to side.
This is, IMO, a defect in the design, and it needs to be addressed and corrected.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm a die hard Lionel fan, with 90% of my engines being Lionel and over 50% of my freight and passenger cars by Lionel..
Attached are 3 photos that show the defect as well as a video showing an attempted to couple the new trucks to a Lionel truck from one off a scale box cars of a few years ago.
Today, I reworked the couplers by filing down the knuckle on the inside as well as by the rivet. The reworked was a successful. The coupler will now connect with older Lionel couplers and there is a slight play or gap between mating couplers.
Shouldn't have to do this. I hope Lionel will step up to the plate and correct this defect for future cars and send replacement trucks or couplers to those of us that have this issue. I would like to buy the other 5 or 6 cars in this series, but am hesitate at this point.
RAY
Thank you.
FACT - As I covered this weeks ago, the new cars just out do not couple to the older and better PS design. 
Lionel was notified.
Had to pick one car up and place it in. Very tight connection.
