# Having derailment problems with Walthers coaches



## jargonlet (Dec 21, 2011)

I have been looking for some nice C&O passenger cars for awhile now. I was at my local hobby shop the other day and bought a baggage car and 2 coaches to go with my Life-Like EMD E7's and I have had nothing but problems with them. First, I had to remove the whisker from the knuckle because they keep getting stuck in my frog. They seem to derail pretty much everywhere on the layout and not just where the rail joiners are and they are doing this at all speeds. I believe that they have Atlas truck and couplers and the wheels appear to be low profile (they just look smaller than my others). I am using Code 80 and I'm not sure if this would be part of the problem. Has anyone else had these issues with these cars? I tried weighting them to match my early 90's Concors but this doesn't seem to help much. I have included a link to the manufacturers page and some pics. 


























http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/932-55069


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## sawgunner (Mar 3, 2012)

those are some really tiny flanges on those wheels!! What radius are you using on your curves? are they jumping on the straight sections as well?

i'd try different wheel sets first JMO


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You might try replacement wheels for one and see if that helps. Steve is right, those flanges look really small.


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## jargonlet (Dec 21, 2011)

I tried some of the standard wheels earlier and they didn't have enough clearance to work. I just got done trying some low profile wheels but they don't seem to work any better. I could only push the the coach over the track to see if it helped because apparently the wheels that Walthers uses are insulated to allow for lighting kits. It just kept shorting out my controller but they don't seem to work any better.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

What about weight? How heavy are the cars? Maybe add some extra weight/ballast inside?

Nice looking scenery on your layout, by the way.

TJ


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## powersteamguy1790 (Mar 26, 2012)

What radii are you using for your curves. 85' passenger cars have derailment issues with narrow radii.


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## THE TYCO MAN (Aug 23, 2011)

Good point. Make sure the trucks pivot freely, wheel gauges are correct and the proper flanged wheel will help. Code 55 wheels have a hard time on anything above code 55 and pizza cutters will have a hard time not being used on code 80.


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## Xnats (Dec 5, 2010)

Have you looked to make sure the trucks are not hitting the under carriage anywhere? Is the screw holding the trucks loose enough to allow them to move freely? Are the wheels moving freely?
I agree with the other the cars themselves with the radius is causing your problem. Code 55 wheels should not make a difference. It helps to have a larger flange with code 80 wheels but there is still a problem. I would check those three areas before spending money on new trucks.


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

I am just wondering if it is note the curve radius. Some of the coaches just do not wnat to stay on track if the radius is to tight.


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## jargonlet (Dec 21, 2011)

Thank you everyone for your help. I checked the radius on my track. The smallest radii I have is 14 3/4". I'm new and I believe that I measured it correctly. I measured from the center of the track at the very beginning and the end of the curve. It was 29.5" across so that would make this 14 3/4" radii, I believe. I am also reworking one of the frogs on my layout tonight. I think the lead in to the curve I measured, which is the smallest, was a bit too steep. I like the lay of the track better now as it starts to ascend up the grade. Once I get power back to the layout we'll see if it helps the car.


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## wilson44512 (Mar 4, 2012)

any place on the box that. Say what radius to use? The radius might be to small.


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## jargonlet (Dec 21, 2011)

Sorry I haven't had time to post here lately. I've been busy between starting a business, playing in my band and working on the layout lately. I have been doing some major work on the layout and hope to have it done soon. I have redone a couple of sections of track that appears to be part of the culprit. Those seem to have helped but I haven't had an engine in front of the coaches yet. I checked the box and the paper work that came with them and it does not say a single thing about radius. Hopefully in a day or two I will hopefully have the layout up and running again but it may be a little longer since family is coming in this weekend.


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## jargonlet (Dec 21, 2011)

About a month later I finally got the layout up and running again last night. I went over all over the track and checked all of the rail joints at the rail joiners. I did a lot of solder and filing work. I also relocated one of the frogs a little farther away from the beginning of the incline and I also added another siding. The coaches seem to run fine on the layout now. The only issue that I still have with them is that the whiskers hit the frogs and won't run with them on there. I may try to bend them upward a little.


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## Xnats (Dec 5, 2010)

Glad to here you got the problem solved :thumbsup: Some folks just get rid of those whiskers all together but it is personal choice though.


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## jargonlet (Dec 21, 2011)

I have been busy and haven't had time to run trains very much lately. A couple of weeks ago I thought I had the problem fixed but now it seems to be back. I am rather confused as to why.


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

Hove you thought about taking a clear piece of plastic cut to the size of a n scale box car (width and length) and mounting trucks, on on each end. Then pushing the car around the track to see where the problems might be? The clear plastic lets you look down on the trucks as they are rolling so you can see what is happening.

Don't know if this will solve the problem but it might be worth a try.


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## brylerjunction (Aug 8, 2011)

Carl said:


> Hove you thought about taking a clear piece of plastic cut to the size of a n scale box car (width and length) and mounting trucks, on on each end. Then pushing the car around the track to see where the problems might be? The clear plastic lets you look down on the trucks as they are rolling so you can see what is happening.
> 
> Don't know if this will solve the problem but it might be worth a try.


great idea...


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