# Con cor passenger car truck installation



## cjp53 (Oct 9, 2020)

I bought 4 N scale Budd steel side passenger cars for my Kato E5 but they came with the trucks loose off the car.I have a washer and threaded small pin.Trucks have the coupler installed in them.Can some one show me a diagram on how to install and where the washer goes?The pin just drops in the hole in the bottom of the car and like I said the pin is threaded.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

cjp53 said:


> I bought 4 N scale Budd steel side passenger cars for my Kato E5 but they came with the trucks loose off the car.I have a washer and threaded small pin.Trucks have the coupler installed in them.Can some one show me a diagram on how to install and where the washer goes?The pin just drops in the hole in the bottom of the car and like I said the pin is threaded.


cjp53;

Unfortunately I don't have the diagram you want, but maybe I can point you toward one. Micro-Trains makes excellent trucks to fit passenger and freight cars of nearly any brand. Their package of two trucks includes a diagram showing how to fit their trucks to ConCor, & other brands, of cars. It sounds like your cars are models of Budd stainless steel, all welded, streamlined cars. Those used 4-wheel trucks. The earlier "heavyweight" riveted steel plates construction, cars used 6-wheel trucks. Micro-Trains makes both types with, or without, their excellent couplers attached. If you buy a pair of Micro-Trains trucks they can be used to make "transition cars" with a Micro-Trains coupler on one end and a Rapido coupler on the other. You might check Micro-Trains web site first, and see if the diagram is posted there. M-T trucks also include adapters to mount them to various brands of cars.

The washer you mentioned goes between the truck and the "bolster" ( the crosswise frame piece with a hole to mount the truck.) The purpose of the washer is to raise the car slightly, and also to help the truck to swivel more easily. You may not even need to use the washer, since most model cars are set too high off their trucks anyway. It depends on whether the truck can swivel past any underbody details without binding against them.

Without being able to see the "threaded pin" you mentioned, I can't tell you much about it. Do the threads actually spiral around the circumference of the pin like the threads on a screw, or are they longitudinal ridges running parallel to the length of the pin? The latter is fairly common, but I've never seen screw thread on a truck mounting pin, unless the pin was an actual metal screw. If you bought your cars used, the mystery pin may not be original. What about the trucks on the other cars? How are they mounted? 
The piece that attaches a truck to the bolster, and around which the entire truck assembly swivels is called a "kingpin." I suspect that's what your pin is. different manufacturers use different types, and sizes, of kingpins. The best kingpin, in terms of staying in place, is a screw. If your pin is too lose in the hole, you might be able to mount the truck with a tiny sheet metal or wood screw. If you can send photos of the bottom of the car, the truck, washer, and pin, that would be a great help.

Good Luck;

Traction Fan 🙂


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## cjp53 (Oct 9, 2020)

traction fan said:


> cjp53;
> 
> Unfortunately I don't have the diagram you want, but maybe I can point you toward one. Micro-Trains makes excellent trucks to fit passenger and freight cars of nearly any brand. Their package of two trucks includes a diagram showing how to fit their trucks to ConCor, & other brands, of cars. It sounds like your cars are models of Budd stainless steel, all welded, streamlined cars. Those used 4-wheel trucks. The earlier "heavyweight" riveted steel plates construction, cars used 6-wheel trucks. Micro-Trains makes both types with, or without, their excellent couplers attached. If you buy a pair of Micro-Trains trucks they can be used to make "transition cars" with a Micro-Trains coupler on one end and a Rapido coupler on the other. You might check Micro-Trains web site first, and see if the diagram is posted there. M-T trucks also include adapters to mount them to various brands of cars.
> 
> ...


So the washer goes between the truck and the bottom of the car,the kingpins keeps coming loose and will not tighten.I had 3 cars assembled and running until the trucks came apart.These are brand new cars,very disappointed as they cost more than any freight cars I have plus shipping.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

I would look in my spare parts bin for tiny metal screws that are a little bigger than the hole, so the threads of the screw would catch in the hole, and use those instead of the pins.....but you may not have all the spare parts that I do.....it would be a “which screw fits best” type of operation, for me anyway....

Also, if you could somehow take pics and show us the situation, that would also help us to help you.....


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## cjp53 (Oct 9, 2020)

Old_Hobo said:


> I would look in my spare parts bin for tiny metal screws that are a little bigger than the hole, so the threads of the screw would catch in the hole, and use those instead of the pins.....but you may not have all the spare parts that I do.....it would be a “which screw fits best” type of operation, for me anyway....
> 
> Also, if you could somehow take pics and show us the situation, that would also help us to help you.....


I don't have any spare parts but might get some loctite since kingpin and the sleeve it goes into are metal


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

That should help.....let us know how it turns out.....


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## cjp53 (Oct 9, 2020)

I'll try and post pictures.


Old_Hobo said:


> That should help.....let us know how it turns out.....


Thanks,been a very frustration day.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

cjp53 said:


> So the washer goes between the truck and the bottom of the car,the kingpins keeps coming loose and will not tighten.I had 3 cars assembled and running until the trucks came apart.These are brand new cars,very disappointed as they cost more than any freight cars I have plus shipping.


Where did you buy the cars? If it was from a good online dealer like www.modeltrainstuff.com or www.trainworld.com and the cars are brand new, you should be able to return them. If you bought them on eBay, that may be different. I don't use eBay, so I don't know. 
As Old hobo has touched on, this is not a big problem for those of us that have been around long enough to acquire a stock of spare parts, but I also see your frustration with paying for new cars and having problems right away. The kingpin issue is fairly common with cars of many brands. Some use a kingpin with two prongs sticking out from the end, and if one of those prongs breaks off, it wont stay in. Also there are many different diameters and configurations of kingpins, there is no standard.

At this point you have three options that I can see.
1) Return the cars for replacement or a refund.
2) repair the cars yourself by using a small screw, as Old Hobo and I have suggested.
3) Replace the existing trucks with Micro-Trains trucks with M-T couplers attached. Note: This option only applies if you use, or intend to convert to, Micro-Trains couplers (as most modelers do, sooner or later.) 

Option two requires small screws. If you don't have any on hand, you may be able to find number six (#6) wood screws, or #6 sheet metal screws, or size 4-40 machine screws, at Home Depot. If those are too big, then hobby shops, or the online dealers I mentioned, may sell smaller screws.

Option three is the most expensive of the three. Unless you plan on using Micro Trains couplers it would not be worth the cost. On the positive side, M-T trucks come with adapters and instructions plus their own kingpins, which fit tightly into the adapters. They are also well made, very free-rolling trucks, but they aren't cheap.

Good Luck;

Traction Fan


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## cjp53 (Oct 9, 2020)

traction fan said:


> Where did you buy the cars? If it was from a good online dealer like www.modeltrainstuff.com or www.trainworld.com and the cars are brand new, you should be able to return them. If you bought them on eBay, that may be different. I don't use eBay, so I don't know.
> As Old hobo has touched on, this is not a big problem for those of us that have been around long enough to acquire a stock of spare parts, but I also see your frustration with paying for new cars and having problems right away. The kingpin issue is fairly common with cars of many brands. Some use a kingpin with two prongs sticking out from the end, and if one of those prongs breaks off, it wont stay in. Also there are many different diameters and configurations of kingpins, there is no standard.
> 
> At this point you have three options that I can see.
> ...


I used some loctite 242 that is removable if needed.Hoping this works out.These were new cars and I did get them off of Ebay.Don't think I'll buy from this seller again but do like the cars.Buying Micro Train couplers would be the next option but that's getting very expensive.Cars were $35 plus shipping and I ordered 4,don't really want to add more expense at this time.Plus the Kato E5 even though I got a great price for a new one $72 this adds up.lol As far as the loctite it's curing time is 24 hours so I will wait till that's up later today and run them on my layout.


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## rrjim1 (Mar 12, 2015)

cjp53 said:


> I used some loctite 242 that is removable if needed.Hoping this works out.These were new cars and I did get them off of Ebay.Don't think I'll buy from this seller again but do like the cars.Buying Micro Train couplers would be the next option but that's getting very expensive.Cars were $35 plus shipping and I ordered 4,don't really want to add more expense at this time.Plus the Kato E5 even though I got a great price for a new one $72 this adds up.lol As far as the loctite it's curing time is 24 hours so I will wait till that's up later today and run them on my layout.


 Sounds like someone swapped the trucks, I have several Concor passenger cars and the stock trucks don't come with washers.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

cjp53 said:


> I used some loctite 242 that is removable if needed.Hoping this works out.These were new cars and I did get them off of Ebay.Don't think I'll buy from this seller again but do like the cars.Buying Micro Train couplers would be the next option but that's getting very expensive.Cars were $35 plus shipping and I ordered 4,don't really want to add more expense at this time.Plus the Kato E5 even though I got a great price for a new one $72 this adds up.lol As far as the loctite it's curing time is 24 hours so I will wait till that's up later today and run them on my layout.


cjp53;

Glad to hear you fixed your problem. One word of caution though. Gluing the kingpin into the hole in the bolster (regardless of the type of glue) more often than not, results in gluing the truck in place, so it can't swivel any more. I've had this happen several times. It might be safer to fill the hole with epoxy, or perhaps your Loctite 242, with the truck, washer, and kingpin, off the car. Let the glue harden and then drill a new, smaller, hole that will fit the kingpin tightly. 
A Kato locomotive for $72 is a good deal. How many cars did you get for $35? For comparison, a brand new Micro-Trains passenger car, with their excellent trucks and couplers factory installed retails for $30. So, if those ConCor cars were $35 each that's at, or above, retail. If you got two, or more, cars for $35, then that's a good deal too.

Good Luck;

Traction Fan


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## cjp53 (Oct 9, 2020)

traction fan said:


> cjp53;
> 
> Glad to hear you fixed your problem. One word of caution though. Gluing the kingpin into the hole in the bolster (regardless of the type of glue) more often than not, results in gluing the truck in place, so it can't swivel any more. I've had this happen several times. It might be safer to fill the hole with epoxy, or perhaps your Loctite 242, with the truck, washer, and kingpin, off the car. Let the glue harden and then drill a new, smaller, hole that will fit the kingpin tightly.
> A Kato locomotive for $72 is a good deal. How many cars did you get for $35? For comparison, a brand new Micro-Trains passenger car, with their excellent trucks and couplers factory installed retails for $30. So, if those ConCor cars were $35 each that's at, or above, retail. If you got two, or more, cars for $35, then that's a good deal too.
> ...


Thanks for the advice,I bought 4 cars,Con Cor was recommended from someone on another forum.I won't make that mistake again.I do like Micro-Trains cars as I have some freight cars of theirs.Wish I knew they had passenger cars that would have gone with my E5 before I purchased these.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

cjp53 said:


> Thanks for the advice, I bought 4 cars, Con Cor was recommended from someone on another forum. I won't make that mistake again. I do like Micro-Trains cars as I have some freight cars of theirs. Wish I knew they had passenger cars that would have gone with my E5 before I purchased these.


cjp53;

If you got four ConCor passenger cars for $35, that's a very good deal.
Micro-Trains makes heavyweight passenger cars in many road names, but I don't think I have seen any modern streamlined passenger cars from them. So, as far as "going with your E-5" probably not. Though the E-5 was an early locomotive in the 'E" series, and I suspect they probably pulled trains of heavyweights at one time or another. Kato makes many beautiful, high-quality, streamlined passenger cars, but mostly as sets/complete trains. Kato cars are also expensive.
ConCor is basically an importer, rather than a manufacturer. They do make a few things, but most of the equipment sold under the ConCor name is really made by someone else, and who made it varies a lot. 

Traction Fan 🙂


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## cjp53 (Oct 9, 2020)

traction fan said:


> cjp53;
> 
> If you got four ConCor passenger cars for $35, that's a very good deal.
> Micro-Trains makes heavyweight passenger cars in many road names, but I don't think I have seen any modern streamlined passenger cars from them. So, as far as "going with your E-5" probably not. Though the E-5 was an early locomotive in the 'E" series, and I suspect they probably pulled trains of heavyweights at one time or another. Kato makes many beautiful, high-quality, streamlined passenger cars, but mostly as sets/complete trains. Kato cars are also expensive.
> ...


In searching for the correct cars to go with the engine I did not see any micro train streamlined cars.I agree Kato has some nice looking cars but like you said they come in sets and are more expensive.I'm not happy with the quality of the cars and will not buy anymore in the future.Live and learn.The Loctite worked but it's a shame I had to go to that extreme.But I really like the E5,I also have 2 Kato Mikado's .You become spoiled with Kato.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

If I may say, having to use a drop of Loctite is hardly extreme......especially considering it fixed a ConCor car issue......


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## Jscullans (Jul 8, 2019)

If I’m not mistaken the e5 was specifically prototypical to the Cb&q to go along with their zephyr train sets. It was either e5 or the e7. I could be wrong though


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## cjp53 (Oct 9, 2020)

Old_Hobo said:


> If I may say, having to use a drop of Loctite is hardly extreme......especially considering it fixed a ConCor car issue......


Sounds like I'm not the first,lol well I have them running on my layout and I'm happy with the look.E5 sure is a smooth running engine and very quiet.


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## cjp53 (Oct 9, 2020)

Jscullans said:


> If I’m not mistaken the e5 was specifically prototypical to the Cb&q to go along with their zephyr train sets. It was either e5 or the e7. I could be wrong though


I believe they were made for 2 years in the early 1940's for passenger service.I really like the streamline look of the engine's nose.I have the Red Nose stripe


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

EMD only made 11 E5 A’s, and only 5 E5 B’s, all for the CB&Q, and its subsidiaries.....

EMD E5


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