Originally Posted by Ed Loizeaux:
"Perhaps we should ask for success stories about which track systems the cylindrical hopper does work well on. This would include switches on both the straight and curved route as well as backing up a long train through both routes."
Well here's my input on your request.
Today I received my first American Flyer CH:
I have two types of molded roadbed track on my layout...Lionel/AF Fastrack and
S-Helper-Service S-Trax.
My observations:
1. My point-to-point SHS track has two passing sidings. I ran the hopper forward and reverse when placed between an SHS SW9 and an SHS caboose. The car negotiated all straights and 19" radius curves easily. The car ran smoothly through all SHS turnouts when being either pulled or pushed through the straight or divergent route. I increased the speed as high as I safely could on this 25 foot track and the car ran smoothly through all possibilities. In short, there were No derailments!
2.My Lionel Fastrack loop is over 90' long and shaped like a horseshoe. I placed the car at the front of a 20 car train behind an American Models Pacific engine. All the curves are 20" radius. The car ran and pulled smoothly without problem.
I placed the car mid-way and at the end of the same 20 car train and it performed perfectly. No derailments!
3. I did notice that while the wheelsets track well on both types of track there is a noticeable side-to side "slide" of the wheelsets. What I mean is that the distance from the rail side of one wheel flange to the rail side of the other wheel flange on the same axle is about 1/16" to 3/32" narrower than the distance between the rails themselves. If you push one flange tight to a rail the other wheel will stay on the opposite rail but not by much. I don't know if my example is an oddity or not as all the axles were the same. Perhaps this "narrowness" has something to do with traveling through curves. In any event Lionel has designed them to operate on their own track. I'm NOT going to attempt an adjustment. If it ain't broke.....
4. The high-rail couplers mate perfectly with other Lionel/AF cars but are noticeably "higher" than couplers on SHS, American Models, PRS and some original Gilbert.
If you use the high-rail coupler and want to lower it it looks like an easy fix. Two small screws hold the coupler arm to the truck. I would add a tiny washer or two behind the arm to "lower" it if needed. Mis-mated couplers can come unjoined on uneven track but if you have that scenario these cars probably wouldn't track too well on it anyway.
As no one to my knowledge has an example of an AF Fastrack switch we will have to wait and see if these cars like them as well as the SHS switches.
5. If I could easily swap these wheelsets for High-rail wheelsets I would but I'm not sure if you can do that with these roller cap rotating trucks.
6. The entire truck could be easily be swapped out for another brand of truck by removing one screw. I tightened the truck screws on my example slightly as there seemed to be a little too much "wobble" of the car body on the trucks. A very slight adjustment made a nice difference.
I hope this has helped out a little.
All in all the cars will run fine on AF or SHS track and SHS turnouts.
Mark