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I just picked up this beautiful locomotive. It is advertised to run on 0-31 track, but it stops in the curves unless you run it at a high rate of speed. The outside drivers climb the rail, and it will often derail as a result. 

Anyone else experience this problem with this locomotive?

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Check to see if the drivers are gauged too wide. You can do that by turning the loco upside down and placing a straight track on the wheels and noting the side play.

Make sure the pilot truck is not stuck/jammed or lifting the drivers up.

Check to see if the draw bar to the tender is not swinging freely or is bent or twisted.

Last edited by RoyBoy

This can be the tether also, if you wiggle it in a straight does it stop?  The pins on the engine side can crack the solder joint.  Even though you have slight axle depth differences is it really binding?  But, these wheels also were susceptible to zinc rot.  So if that wheel has come off axle it may be because it is damaged.  Need to look carefully at the drivers.  G

Thanks, Roy. I called and talked to MTH’s parts people. The drive block is out of stock for this locomotive and nothing is on the horizon in the way of more parts. She said that if MTH did a new version, the drive block would be upgraded to PS-3, requiring not only the drive block, but new motor, and new electronics. 

My service tech is disappointed, but they will take the locomotive back, and I will have to settle for a different Milwaukee Hiawatha. The same unit is on eBay right now for the same price I paid, but I will not take a chance on another one - zinc rot is an epidemic with this one.

The gal at MTH put me on a list of people with the same problem with the idea that if MTH produces the locomotive again, they will send us all a notification. So, you know that this was a problem with the manufacturing process that probably didn’t show up until several years after the run was sold out.

Have a blessed day.

Jerry

This same thing happened to my Hiawatha. It was my 13th birthday gift. So I had to fix it. 

MTH does not provide wheels, so the whole frame is required. Fortunately, all MTH Railking Hudson’s and Pacific’s use the same frame (excluding the Bantam versions). I found a Railking K4 with bad proto-1 electronics and swapped the frame into my Hiawatha. I added an ERR cruise commander and Railsounds board and my engine was back to running status. 

Hope this helps,

-Ryan

Jerry, Did you read my post?   There are other chassis available with gray wheels, just not the specific Hia style.  I gave you the solution, even if the MTH person you talked about does not know of alternative solution.

No MTH does not carry just wheels, always has been a chassis or truck swap to fix those issues.  G

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