# need advise



## prestige6 (Nov 15, 2011)

I just bought set of lionel O Guage passenger cars. Silver Range,Bluff,Club & Dawn. I have a Lionel 2037 & 2018 Steam Locomotive and Santa FE 218 Diesel. All three of them will pull one or Two of the cars but won't pull all 4. I think I need a more Powerful and stronger Locomotive. Any suggestions you guys may have without sending me to the Poor House>>> Thanks for your time and imput.... Tom


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

prestige6 said:


> I just bought set of lionel O Guage passenger cars. Silver Range,Bluff,Club & Dawn. I have a Lionel 2037 & 2018 Steam Locomotive and Santa FE 218 Diesel. All three of them will pull one or Two of the cars but won't pull all 4. I think I need a more Powerful and stronger Locomotive. Any suggestions you guys may have without sending me to the Poor House>>> Thanks for your time and imput.... Tom


You could try to oil the axles on the cars. Check the wheel gauge.

How are the engines? You ever service them?
All those engines should pull the 4.

Track clean?


Tell me you don't have a 6% grade your trying to pull?


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## prestige6 (Nov 15, 2011)

*advise*



big ed said:


> You could try to oil the axles on the cars. Check the wheel gauge.
> 
> How are the engines? You ever service them?
> All those engines should pull the 4.
> ...


I oiled them all up.Track is clean have no trouble pulling my other cars,with each of the locomotives,Any other suggestions????????? Engines seem fine work great..All on a flat surface...


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

prestige6 said:


> I oiled them all up.Track is clean have no trouble pulling my other cars,with each of the locomotives,Any other suggestions????????? Engines seem fine work great..All on a flat surface...


Check the wheel gauge?

Do the cars seem to roll good, just by pushing them by hand?

Those engines should pull them?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

If you can't pull four or five cars, there's something very wrong somewhere! Even the little Scout locomotives should pull 7-8 cars on a level track with no problems. I just finished an experiment where I got one locomotive pulling 30 cars, and I could have probably pulled more, but I ran out of track on the loop!


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## prestige6 (Nov 15, 2011)

*advise*



gunrunnerjohn said:


> If you can't pull four or five cars, there's something very wrong somewhere! Even the little Scout locomotives should pull 7-8 cars on a level track with no problems. I just finished an experiment where I got one locomotive pulling 30 cars, and I could have probably pulled more, but I ran out of track on the loop!


 The wheels are spinning with no traction,Any suggestions??????????


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The fact that multiple engines won't pull them tell me that the issue is with the passenger cars. How hard is it to roll them along by themselves? Have you compared the rolling resistance to half a dozen freight cars?


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## prestige6 (Nov 15, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> The fact that multiple engines won't pull them tell me that the issue is with the passenger cars. How hard is it to roll them along by themselves? Have you compared the rolling resistance to half a dozen freight cars?


I oiled them and they seem to roll okay. But my wheels are spinning????


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Wheels spinning on multiple locomotives for just those cars screams out that the cars are the issue to me.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

The fact that I can run 12 Amtrak super liners behind a old HO blue box Athearn has me a bit concerned that something ain't right with your cars!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I've hauled six lighted passenger cars behind a Lionel Berkshire Jr., which is a pretty wimpy little locomotive, so something is very wrong here.


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## prestige6 (Nov 15, 2011)

*advise*

I oiled all the wheels,seems to roll OK. Maybe could roll a little better. I used 3in 1 oil, anybody have a suggestion for a better oil maybe with Graphite in it. thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Actually, any oil on the axles should work, at least in the short term. I'd suggest you couple the cars together and try to roll them as a set by hand and see what force it requires.

Next, take half a dozen freight cars and do the same thing. See how much difference there is in the rolling force.

There has to be a reason the locomotives are spinning, and the only logical reason here assuming clean wheels and track, is that the cars are offering too much drag.


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

Let me offer a suggestion: reclean your rails and your drive wheels. It sounds to me like your rails and the drive wheels on those locomotives picked up some oil and are now slick. Get a bottle of GooGone, a Scotchbrite pad and a bottle of 90% isopropyl alcohol from Walmart Automotive, Hardware, and Pharmacy respectively. Spray GooGone on the pad and wipe down your rails, then put alcohol on a paper towel and use it to wipe off the Googone residue.

Now do the same thing for the wheels on your locomotive and all the wheels on all of your cars. As you clean each one, set it down on a clean cloth or paper towel. Once you're finished, test them out---I'll bet your locomotive will pull 6 easily.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I agree, but I get the 99% Isopropyl from Safeway, no water in that one.


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

John, you're right, it's a better product. I was trying to reduce his travel to one trip to see if my solution worked.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I agree, but I get the 99% Isopropyl from Safeway, no water in that one.



Yes, there is water in 99%.

The other 1% is water.

I would go with 99% anything else might be denatured with a chemical that will take paint off. I said might be.
99% is safe the other 1% is the water.

I like using ethanol, either 190 proof or 200 proof....it smells better.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*The Big Picture*

You suspect a problem. Engine wheels spin. 
Track
Two items come to mind. 027 curves and deformed track( especially curves).
Push a car around and feel for resistance. A misalignment willl drag your engine. If these cars are backed up on four curve pieces. Switch out some track. I would expect some spinning they are large and the curves are tight. Since they have no history with you check each wheel for spinning and the axle condition. You may want to remove them and polish up the axles with some scotch brite. These areas could be all gummed up.
Engine
Always clean and lube. Again what is the history some run better than others. These engines will run until they fall apart. The little 2026 class are dependable and from owning a few they have a wide range of operation. General condition? Polish up that armature plate and get rid of the circular grooves. New springs and brushes may help and the price is worth a try. Check the wheel slop bad axle bearings do not help. Also more tender weight may help.
You need at least 90 watts to get enough supply for the engine. If these were just taken out of hte closet you cannot expect them to run like new.

Other options
If you are still unhappy buy a refurbished motor and compare it to yours.
Or buy a modern cast 4-4-2. They have a traction wheel.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I wonder why they are not listed in here,

http://www.postwarlionel.com/passcar.html

2531, 32, 33, 34. Are not listed in the postwar ID.

Those are heavy cars right? Are they metal? (Aluminum?)
What picks up the power for the lights? Rollers?


Drag....are the wheels in gauge?


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

These are huge!









...


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

big ed said:


> I like using ethanol, either 190 proof or 200 proof....it smells better.


I use it too, but not for cleaning trains!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

These are heavier then the plastic cars, but I think they should still be pulled.
How about the square piece by the rollers, is it scraping the center rail?

Did you take off the wheels to clean or just clean them the best you could while on the car?

The cars are old, they could be all gunked up on the axles, did you take them apart to clean? 
I guess you cleaned the rollers too?

Maybe it is just one car holding up the train from moving?
What happens when you try 3 cars? Maybe just one is holding the train up from moving?

I wonder why they don't show them in the Lionel ID listing. 
They are post war.


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