Today I was running my Kato SP Daylight train around the layout (4-8-4 steamer and twelve cars, all fitted with close-coupling Kato Kinematic couplers and internal lighting kits.) As usual the train ran beautifully all around the track but when I had it re-enter the yard via a Peco Code 55 double crossover, some of the cars derailed in the middle where the crossover becomes in effect an S-turn. My other passenger trains are able to negotiate this track work with no problem, so I decided to take a look at the cars.
I discovered that the trucks weren't able to swivel easily and there was a noticeable resistance to turning. This was traced to the electrical pickups for the interior lights. Kato designed the trucks with inverted T-shaped bronze bearing plates for the axles with the center tab of the inverted T protruding up into the carbody where it rubs against bronze electrical pickup strips that are similar to their diesel locomotives' power arrangements. The problem is the center tab is slightly too tall and rubs so hard against the pickup strips that it causes the trucks to bind.
I corrected the problem by removing all the cars' trucks and then, using rail nippers, I trimmed about 1/32" from the top of each center tab and reshaped and polished it to match the original shape. This still gives plenty of force to contact the pickup strips and now the trucks swivel much more easily.
The end result is the train can now slip through the double crossovers with no problems at all. The lighting has actually improved slightly with virtually no flickering seen any more even when going through turnouts (Peco Code 55 Electrofrogs.) Before I made this improvement, the lights would flicker slightly here and there, but that has gone away.
I am still in awe of Kato's brilliant engineering on this train. Everything they do seems to be a minor miracle and I am very grateful for their efforts.
