I got this cool Animal Crackers boxcar (MTH?). It kept derailing when passing through the Fastrack O36 switch. I noticed the wheels were too close together and would ride up over the inner rails close to the "v" in the switch area. Anyone experience this issue before? Fix?
Thanks
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Garrett, that's a reefer made by Frank's Roundhouse also known as Custom Trains, not MTH. In additional to the yellow one you have, there is also a red version. The trucks on those were plastic - unless they've been changed, so it is easy to swap out the wheel sets.
Yes, I have experienced unexplained derailments on 027 switches. Fast angle wheels have some slop in them. You want to be sure both wheel sets on the SAME truck are in gauge with each other. Swap out one wheel set with another one that is the same gauge.
I've discovered this from buying used MPC items, and also from buying bulk knock-off bags of wheel sets from parts dealers. Even with subtle differences in the gauge of the wheel sets, if the wheel sets match on one single truck, the problem should disappear. If the wheel sets on one single truck DO NOT match, that's when I get derailments like what you describe. I've taken an offending wheel set from one car and put in on another car with an identical gauge wheel set and I'm fine. This will even work with the same car, so long as the wheel sets on each truck match up with the gauge of the wheels on that particular truck.
I don't have any experience with FasTrack switches, but from all reports, they are better than the typical MPC-era design 027 switches. I can't guarantee you positive results, but what I've described about has worked with 027 switch tracks.
Hey, I knew I had bookmarked this at one time. Here you go...
red AND blue? oh snap, the search is on...
Here's a red on on ebay. I tried to send you this link in an email, but there is none in your profile.
I'm not big on the circus theme, but can anyone recommend some highly ornate circus cars which I might consider as add-ons for the Animal Crackers cars?
Thanks
The car is KMT. KMT is Kris Model Trains. By looking at the under carriage and there is nothing but the trucks and the 4 screws, that is how you can tell what it is.
I would take the car apart and would put some tape weights on the frame around the trucks.
I'm guessing I can just buy different trucks for it. I will take it to my LHS and see what help they can offer
Why not just gauge the wheels properly?
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