Fit & Finish Issues on MT Circus cars

[altohorn25]

So I got the Diner (pie car) in the mail yesterday.  Noticed that the roof was on backwards; the vents should be over the kitchen end of the car.  So I tried to take the roof off just like I had on all the other cars.  Finally got it off after breaking the roof insert it in two.  Turns out that MT had GLUED with super glue the roof insert into the car.  Not quite sure what the deal is with that.  I ended up having an extra con-cor baggage car roof and swapped it out (I actually think the baggage car vent pattern looks better on the car).  I knew in advance that the kitchen end on the con-cor car is mirror-reversed, but putting the roof on backwards and then gluing it in is just one more thing to chalk up to stuff that I've had to fix on this train.  Guess the old saying of if you want something done correctly, do it yourself comes to mind.  Ok, I'm done griping now.

Nate

[SkipGear]

Nate,
 I got my PIE car today and was looking at the roof issue. The roof was glued in but it was not hard to remove. Just a twist of the body a few times cracked the tack joint of glue and the roof lifted out. As far as the roof vents being on the wrong end, there really isn't much MTL could do about it. The Con-Cor car is designed that way and the locking tabs are offset to one end so it could not be installed correctly without cutting off the tabs. You can't simply flip the roof around. It won't install with the vents on the correct end. MTL is stuck with Con-cor's original mistake.

 After taking the roof off, the thing that bugs me is the interior. It has a chunk of coach interior instead of seats and tables. That is harder to fix and again, a problem originated by Con-Cor, not MTL's fault.

[altohorn25]

Tony,

I've worked with these con-cor cars before as well and I usually end up just cutting the locking tabs off the bottom and flipping the roof around.  While it won't lock in, it still looks better to me than having the kitchen ventilation system on the wrong end of the car.

You are correct with the interior as well; I'm thinking of chisling that out and building a replacement one with tables in it.

Nate

[altohorn25]

I've been experimenting with the circus cars again.  I've started to body mount the couplers on the sleepers.  I have some time this weekend and I'll let you guys know if this fixes the uncoupling problem.

Nate

[Nato]

    All of my original GN and other Road Con Cor Diners have the vents correctly located over the kitchen end,I know the car sides are a mirror image.It must be an assembly problem to current cars including the ones MT painted ,at Con Cor's assembly plant (China?),Mexico? AZ ? The window insert strip with tabs a long clear plastic rectangle with sides and ends is being glued facing the wrong way to the roof so the tabs are on the wrong sides. Now I wonder if current Con Cor Diners also have this problem or if they have noticed and corrected it.                                                                                                    Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah.

[SkipGear]

Nate,
 I think you are right. I didn't realize the roof skin was glued to the window insert. My other Con-Cor diner is assembled correctly. I guess I need to find a silver roofed diner and do a swap. It's easier than removing the tabs and gluing.

[altohorn25]

Ok,

So I think I figured out the problem with why the MT passenger trucks keep uncoupling (don't remember if this was discussed in the the thread or not yet).  The passenger trucks do not have the reverse draft angle in the coupler knuckles which is why they won't seat on each other (one rides up, the other rides down).  I know this is expensive, but here it is.  I've been taking the supplied couplers off the trucks and body mounting 1015's.  While this does put the distance between the cars a little too wide for my taste, it has eliminated the uncoupling problem (can't get the cars any closer without interfearing with the truck swing).  Wish there was an easier way, but after messing around with these the past two weeks, this is the best that I've come up with.  By body mounting 1015's on the sleepers and by removing the drawbars and body mounting the supplied couplers on the flats, I can run the entire 36 car train around my home layout (19" radius curves) without any unplanned uncouplings.  Hope my coupler adventures have helped some of you out. 

Nate

[SkipGear]

Nate (Pierce),
 I ran my set last weekend on our Ntrak club layout for a bit. My only problem was the lead car being derailed by the loco going through one turnout. It was a peco long in our yard that is just flat worn out so I didn't worry about it too much. We are building a new yard to solve the problem. It was a combination of the 1015 coupler on the back of the FVM Gevo, the new medium flange wheelsets, and the worn out turnout, all working against me. Weight in the car would have probably solved it.
 
 If uncoupling becomes a problem, I my try body mounting. I will have a bunch of 1015's leftover after I retrofit my Heavyweights with 1016's moved back to close up the coupling distance on them.

On another note, I'm putting together one of the GHQ Bobcat's and a forklift for the train. This is the first chance I have had to work on one of their kits. I can't belive the detail. The trailer that comes with the Bobcat has all the hitch detail I can think of molded into it. They will make very nice additions when done.

[altohorn25]

Tony,

I used both those kits on my train.  As you said, the detail is great.  Hooked the bobcat trailer up to an Atlas Ford F-150 pickup truck and it looks great on the train.

On another note, I have also replaced all the factory wheels with FVM wheelsets.  The added weight does help a bit with the length of train that I'm running.  Getting it ready for Trainfest in Milwaukee in a couple of weeks.  Should look good on the layout.

Nate

[Roger Holmes]

Interesting that you both are building the Bob Cat.  I built mine last week for the same purpose after it sat 4-5 years in my box of unbuilt vehicles.

I ran mine RBB train last night for the first time and encountered several problems with low hanging trip pins fouling turnouts.  After fixing those I ran it 4-5 laps around (about 6 minutes per lap) with no further uncoupling.  My minimum radius is 17 inches.

There are a ton of RBB prototype videos on You Tube.  One showed unloading with the Bob Cat pulling a string of trailers.  There were also several motorized vehicles which looked to me like airport tugs (the kind that pull strings of baggage trucks or hook to the nose wheel for backing the plane from the gate).  Does anyone know of such a vehicle in N scale.

Each RBB video also showed a bus onboard.  All were flat front medium length school bus types.  Not aware of anything similar in N scale.

Currently working on the water (?) tank truck which also showed up in every video.

[SkipGear]

Roger,
 For the tow motor (for lack of a better term) I have been looking at a forklift available from Tomix at Plaza Japan. It looks the part, just remove the fork lift section and use the body..

http://cgi.ebay.com/Forklift-Tomix-3508-1-150-N-scale-/200535120058?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item2eb0d318ba

What are you using for the Tanker?

The worst part is what to do for what appears to be the Subaru Foresters or Outbacks that seem to be on every train, well that and the Ford TopKicks.

I'm working on a way to recreate the animal cage train that seems to be usually stored on the Autorack lower level. Planning on using photo etch walkways folded to make the cages. I just haven't decided which is the best to use.

One thing I would like to work on later, I just haven't found good enough stills to determine the best way to approach, is the ridge vent that seems to run the length of the cars.

Here is the bus we need to find.....

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/559-2009

Long sold out though. Anybody know where to find one?

[Nato]

  Remember the PBS Television series "Aircraft Carrier" from about a season ago following the lives of the crew of a carrier that deployed to the Gulf. Now starting next week on most PBS Staions we get "Circus"a similar program (same producers?) following one unit of the RBB&B Circus on the road for several months. I'am sure there will be pleanty of train shots, both on board and off.                           Nate Goodman (Nato).

[crencs]

Hate to dampen the excitement but the PBS Circus Series is about "Big Apple Circus" which is a trailer caravan base show :'(

C

[Nato]

  YesI was just going to post that after reading my Sunday Local TV Section. W-a-a-a-a !                  Nate Goodman (Nato).