Could you show us a picture close up of where the truck attaches to the car bolster on the frame? Do these trucks make the car sit higher than the stock ones? I have some cars with these trucks. I may try to see if they will fit on a ps1 box car.
Lionelzxl2012 - Did my best to show the spot where it attaches, but when you take the one off of your current PS-1, the new one goes into the exact same hole. TO answer your 2nd question, it does indeed cause the car to sit up higher. I put it next to an NYC PS-1 and you can see it is a few mm higher. That is because on the new truck, the screw socket is a few mm thicker, hence the supplied longer screw. It came with a brass sleeve, but I cannot determine the orientation, but I am sure it serves a purpose. I tighten down the screw until the truck does not move from side to side, then I back it out about 1/4 to a /12 turn and that seems about right. I also have Lionel part number 6-14078 coming in and I plan to try that one next. Maybe it won't lift the car up higher.
Thanks,
Mike
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@electric_express_200 posted:TO answer your 2nd question, it does indeed cause the car to sit up higher. I put it next to an NYC PS-1 and you can see it is a few mm higher. That is because on the new truck, the screw socket is a few mm thicker, hence the supplied longer screw.
From the looks of it, I think there is plenty of material there on the top of the bolster that a Dremel tool could fix.
@rplst8 posted:Unfortunately I think the answer is “Kadee”.
Not for 90%+ of Lionel's customer base...
Pat
@irish rifle posted:Not for 90%+ of Lionel's customer base...
Pat
My comment was about Lionel and other industry players “standardizing” on the operating knuckle coupler. I don’t see how that’s possible until Lionel admits to messing these new ones up. Most manufacturers offer the two hole coupler mounting pads. I think that’s their answer to standardization.
Edit: For the record I think the answer about the overall new design allowing them to do Lionel scale and LionScale (Weaver) cars and 2 or 3 rail is legit. Why would they continue to want to have twice as many part numbers? That said, it doesn’t excuse poor execution on the knuckle coupler. Or the lack of springiness.
C'mon Lionel. For what you are charging today do the right thing. What makes cars connect? Couplers and trucks. Make'em like you used to. Lionel, you should be embarressed loyal fans are posting this. Joshua would not be pleased!
thanks for the close up photos. thats just what I figured would be the case. they make the car set up higher.
please dave olson just redo the knucle portion of the couper to a proper shape to work with all other cars. thats what is needed here. thats problem one. the old truucks with the coupler swinging side to side was great,but the new design can survive with out that feature.
@Lionelzwl2012 posted:thanks for the close up photos. thats just what I figured would be the case. they make the car set up higher.
please dave olson just redo the knucle portion of the couper to a proper shape to work with all other cars. thats what is needed here. thats problem one. the old truucks with the coupler swinging side to side was great,but the new design can survive with out that feature.
Respectfully but strongly disagree with your last point. The new design clearly cannot survive with non-articulated couplers.
Pat
It's been about 6 weeks since the last post - has there been any response from Lionel to remedy - or at least acknowledge - the problem?
@DavidR posted:It's been about 6 weeks since the last post - has there been any response from Lionel to remedy - or at least acknowledge - the problem?
Like all the other screw ups, I'm betting Lionel hope this goes away and there will be no fix, just upgraded trucks/couplers on future offerings.
Gary:
I suspect you are correct. But if that's the approach Lionel takes, it will be an additional blunder. This issue is not going to go away unless and until Lionel comes up with an acceptable solution.
Pat
What gets me with this topic is: 1) How Lionel, the inventor of the knuckle coupler for model trains some 75 years ago, could release this poor design to the market without apparently testing is to see if it is compatible with other knuckle couplers and 2) How Lionel could remain this quiet this long about the problem, as DavidR said. A #3 could be the cheaply designed truck with the fake springs.
Who would want to buy ANY Lionel freight cars now for fear they might have these defective trucks/couplers!!!!
John
I posted this some time back. Corporations establish a Mission Statement for the purpose of defining the existence of their business. Mission statements get at the heart of why a company exists, rather than how it exists.
A mission statement describes the Corporate's fundamental purpose. It answers the question, "Why does our business exist?"
And with that, I let you to decide if, in fact, Lionel lives up to theirs:
"Our mission is to develop, manufacture, market and service the best electric toy trains and accessories in the world within a competitive environment.
Lead the toy train industry with innovative engineering, flawless manufacturing and superior customer service. Employ the best people and inspire teamwork and strong communications in an atmosphere of teamwork, trust, openness and innovation. Expose children to the magic of Lionel trains and sprout interest in the toy train hobby. Work closely with our dealer network and share with them some of the decision making processes for future Lionel products.
Keep the magic of the Lionel tradition living for another 100 years."
RAY
Guys,
With six pages of responses, I've sort of lost track as to which cars were impacted by this design change. Could someone simply post the timeframe this pertains to and the type cars or road names impacted? Hopefully the list isn't extensive.
Thanks!
@Allegheny posted:Guys,
With six pages of responses, I've sort of lost track as to which cars were impacted by this design change. Could someone simply post the timeframe this pertains to and the type cars or road names impacted? Hopefully the list isn't extensive.
Thanks!
I think that’s part of the problem. There really isn’t a way to tell which rolling stock will come with which trucks. Add to that, not all of the new trucks are defective. I picked up some of the TankTrain cars and the new style trucks they have are fine.
I don't have a complete list but here are the items I know about.
Milk cars and 2 bay hopper cars from the 2020 vol 1 catalog.
I12 cabooses from the 2019 vol 2 catalog.
The items I listed were made in Vietnam which unfortunately doesn't help much since there is no way of knowing where something is made until after you receive it.
All the Friendship Cars released within the last 6 to 8 months and also made in Vietnam.
RAY
Yeah, we are at 6 pages. I myself thought there was something maybe on Gary's "Milk Car Topic" about Dave Olson testing the milk cars with no issue. At first I thought it was here, but didn't see anything. Heck, maybe I am thinking of something else where someone had chimed in about them testing them back at the office and they didn't come up with the exact issue, but noted something was a bit off. I don't remember but here we are.
If they were going to release a statement on these, everyone should have heard it somewhere by now. I feel that we aren't going to get one. Like I had said when the new catalog had hit, I wasn't ordering any rolling stock, and I haven't other what I had already ordered, and the Metca Milk Car offering. That is it. I have been looking at other things recently that haven't been Lionel, and mainly rolling stock items. I haven't purchased any as yet, but with other stuff I am looking into, I will most likely go that route since either the couplers/trucks will be an issue, or it is something that I cannot find that Lionel has produced before and probably will not produce for a good number of years to come.
That said, what can we do other than preform surgery, send back, self them, or hope they don't detach/crash/explode/implode/or work as they were supposed to magically like Don got lucky with. You got me on that. Whatever news is to come, it is taking it's sweet time and most of us are already too hot on the burner. With that, I am off to bed. I hope that we get some news, but as most of us already said, "nothing yet as it looks like nothing is coming". Good night all.
Don’t buy any scale freight cars unless you have a set of donor trucks from seven or eight years ago. Admittedly, I may have baked in a year or two, but it’s close. The first round of budget cuts brought the thumbtacks. They sucked and were ugly. The next round of budget cuts brought couplers that were allergic to coupling and cars that fancied derailing. The good stuff came out in the early to mid aughts. Look for those cars.
Well as I'm late to this conversation.
Money talks!!!
I cancelled about 2,500 hundred dollars worth of new trains.
If Lionel doesn't get the message soon.
When they've lost enough profit and their employees are collecting unemployment.
Maybe the NEW OWNERS will fix what needs to be fixed.
I have enough trains to stop purchasing anymore from here on!
Money Talks
B S WALKS
