Thank you all for your support and replies!
SWANKO - you know me to well 
TinplateBob: I looked at trying to remove the remote coupler's lift pin. Looks like I would destroy the 'box' if I tried. I tried taking a picture of how the lift pin is attached to the box's top side but it didn't come out. The lift pin is not merely a pin as you probably know. It's all one piece but the lift pin has a bracket shaped top part which then has 2 holes drilled thru it. Those holes fit into 2 nubs on the top of the box. How they are kept there is puzzling to me. The nubs are metal it seems so trying to remove the bracket - well, I don't see how it would be done.
Captain Flowers: all of my 3 cars wobble, even on straight track. I brought this up to the only tin-plate person that I know and he said that's normal an part of the charm of tin-plate, so I accepted that since I respect his opinion.
PCRR: Thank you for your continuing education of me!!! I appreciate your supportive and informative comments very much. Knowing information about this set, as you do, as sharing it with us/me is kind of you.
Now that I know it at least runs on 42" I feel a little better. That circle shown about has one straight track on each side and I was able to motor the full train around it at a SMPH of 80!!!! Now I have to hope that it doesn't balk at climbing a 4% grade, which I am planning for my 2014 layout.
- walt
