K-Line trucks do they really disintegrate?

Try a search on the forum for "zinc pest" or "zinc rot".  This metallurgical failure can affect any brand of trains, but usually several items in a batch are affected and the problem surfaces a few to several years after manufacture.

At one point I suggested a Forum thread, or even an external Google sheet with a listing of items widely known to suffer from zinc pest.  I'm not sure if that ever happened, but it could be a credible resource if folks posted photos (i.e., instead of just "smearing" a manufacturer they didn't like.)  I don't personally remember reading about the K-Line 21" cars, but I might have glossed over the posts because I don't own any of those cars myself.

As I said, there are too many cases to remember them all.  I still advocate a permanent list, i.e., products widely known to be affected.  My $.02.

I cannot speak to the 21 inch K-line passenger cars. But I bought used K-line 18 inch cars over 10 years ago and so far so good. I wonder if the documented problem with some batches was only with passenger cars. I did have a problem with a single MTH passenger car over 6 years ago and bought a set of replacement trucks.

I don't know about 21" K-Line cars (I don't have any) but the problem is common to specific batches of the K-Line 18" Heavy Weight Cars. I've had several disintegrate in my hands, and fully expect there to be more. This does NOT imply that K-Line is alone with this problem! Rather, it is ubiquitous to all brands, again, typically by batches of product. As Ted mentioned above, the issue has been discussed many times. Do a search of this Forum for more detailed information. I can tell you that some manufacturers have acknowledged the problem and have issued replacement parts.

But to answer your question, you cannot stop it, as it is an internal self destructive mechanism on the molecular level. Anecdotal evidence has suggested that coating the affected part with the water thin version of ACC may slow it down. I've not tried this, so you are on your own here.

Chris

LVHR

I believe the problem was mostly with the early 18" heavyweights with the silohuette windows made in the '90s. Later cars with interiors and figures seem to be OK. Same for the aluminum streamliners.

Pete

Thanks for all your input and suggestions. I now have a better idea, and I'll search the Forum for this topic of old!

I recently purchased used 21 inch PRR set and i didn't see any zinc pest. The set was from early 2000?

I have a variety of K-line 21" cars and have had nothing pest.

One recent discovery was just one wheel on an MTH 18" dome car that has zinc pest.  Not the side frames, one wheel. 

Buying sight unseen is risky although you can always ask before the purchase. All of the brands have had zinc rot on one thing or another.

One truck on "Cana" NYC passenger car.

Hal