A solution for your Lionel Corporation Tinplate 263E set if the wheels slip.

I can echo Mr. Smith's comments as I was able to roughly double what my new 263e could pull by applying zip ties to the coupling shoes of my 2816 hoppers and caboose.  

I assume this shoe is dragging on the outer rail?  Did something change on the design or build.  This seems like a potentially big issue.

jhz563 posted:

I can echo Mr. Smith's comments as I was able to roughly double what my new 263e could pull by applying zip ties to the coupling shoes of my 2816 hoppers and caboose.  

Glad you guys figured that out!

I have had other problems with those shoes activating on my switches, leaving half the consist behind.

George

George, that problem can be solved with strategically-placed pieces of electrical tape on the rails of your switches. Roll the car through, watching where the coupler is fired, and put a small piece of tape on the rail. It should help. 

John

BlueComet400 posted:

George, that problem can be solved with strategically-placed pieces of electrical tape on the rails of your switches. Roll the car through, watching where the coupler is fired, and put a small piece of tape on the rail. It should help. 

John

I don’t believe the issue on the coupler is electrical. The switch bumps the coupling shoes as the car crosses over it.

Scott Smith

Two thoughts...

1) black tywraps perhaps ?

2) once they are on the track, and you see the look and shine of the new cars?... they ain't going back!

ps. Thanks for the post Scott!

Please note you need to buy plastic cable ties, so they don’t short out. You will never see the the cable ties unless you pick up the car and turn it over.

Scott Smith

Jsulli21 posted:

MartyE posted:

I assume this shoe is dragging on the outer rail?  Did something change on the design or build.  This seems like a potentially big issue.

Exactly. Not to start a flame war here, but didn’t mth mfg. these. Don’t get me wrong they are beautiful and was going to preorder. But for close to 800 bucks I think I would send them back in lieu of wire ties. Glad I went and purchased the real prewar set instead.

While you are not wrong in your assessment (my opinion) it is true that all the Lionel sliding shoes of that design were and are susceptible to the same problem.  The problem is magnified on switches other than Lionel.  There are all sorts of in's and out's, works for me and not for him.  Bottom line is it is nothing new.  You are correct, it is fair to say it should not be so, but it is what it is.  Most of us are aware of the challenge and choose to work around it.  Others have to discover and deal or as you suggest, choose not to deal.  If he sends it back and gets a new one, it will be the same with reference to this issue.  Deal with it or walk away.  I do hear your point though.

Jsulli21 posted:

Purchased these from a fellow forum member and they are gorgeous. The restoration was done so well that they are like brand new. Nice and clean, shiny and best of all no wire ties needed. Observation car in the making and decision on what engine to pull the consist or restore for the same.

Do the trucks on your cars have slide-shoe uncouplers?

Yes, two cars have them. These are original made in th U.S.A. Cars.

Hey, Guys

The simple fix for these cars with the sliding shoe is to remove the shoe. Pop the wheels out and turn the plate over and take a dremel tool and cut the rivet that goes through the shoe and take the shoe out and put a small piece of tape over the wire that is connected to the shoe. We have had to do this several times for some of our customers that use Atlas Track. You can also buy an extra rivet to keep in the box so when you go to sell these cars you can put the shoe back on. These rivets cost 25 cents each.

Thanks

Happy Railroading

Pat

Good idea on using a micro zip tie to fix the problem without really changing anything.  I have the same issue with early postwar shoe type couplers opening when crossing the points of 022 turnouts.  Espically my new to me 2332 GG1.  Some electrical tape on the point rail fixed that issue for now.  So issues with the electromagnet couplers firing when crossing point rails is an issue as old as the postwar/prewar years

      Mike the Aspie