Rapido Canadian: rollability fix!!

[simsuper80]

The answer to getting these cars to roll well is by getting ESM wheels. But that's just the first step. The second step is to stretch the trucks by pulling on them from each side until you can get the wheels to spin freely when flicking at them.

After all this, 1 rapido f40 can pull my entire 21 car consist!

Yes you lose the interior lighting, but the overall result is much better! I have yet to run it on a good Sized layout to see if the cars de-rail less, but they now roll just as well as a Kato passenger car!

[peteski]

Interesting. Why wouldn't spreading the sideframes work just as well with the original wheels?

Or do the original wheel sets spin freely, but still don't roll as well as ESM wheels, and stretching the sideframes is  needed because ESM axle length is longer than original wheel sets?

[simsuper80]

I'm thinking it's the latter because I already tried getting the rapido wheels to spin as best I could. BUT even if they did spin just as well, the cars de-rail a lot in my experience. Hopefully the ESM wheels curb the derailments to a minimum.

[kiwi_al]

Have you seen this?

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=51993.msg723814#msg723814

[simsuper80]

Not that messege, but I was aware of those problems.

[bbussey]

Interesting.  I tried ESM wheels in the D&H dome but they were too tight.  But you still should have interior lighting as the ESM wheels have one wheel isolated.

[simsuper80]

Interesting.  I tried ESM wheels in the D&H dome but they were too tight.  But you still should have interior lighting as the ESM wheels have one wheel isolated.

Hmm. I had to face the wheels the same direction otherwise the track shorts.

[bbussey]

If the contacts are through the axle ends, then you are correct, it's not possible.

I wonder if the Kato wheelsets would be an improvement?  They utilize a split-axle design as they also collect current through the axle needle points.

[nickelplate759]

If the contacts are through the axle ends, then you are correct, it's not possible.

I wonder if the Kato wheelsets would be an improvement?  They utilize a split-axle design as they also collect current through the axle needle points.

You can also adjust the axle length of the Kato passenger wheelsets if you need to - although it's not all that easy to do accurately without some kind of press.  I jury-rigged a press out of some sheet metal and a Panavise to retrofit Kato wheels to my Con-Cor Aerotrain (actually Kato caboose wheelsets) and my Talgo (Passenger wheelsets).

[simsuper80]

If the contacts are through the axle ends, then you are correct, it's not possible.

I wonder if the Kato wheelsets would be an improvement?  They utilize a split-axle design as they also collect current through the axle needle points.

Does Kato make wheelsets that are the same diameter as the rapido wheels?

[simsuper80]

Interesting.  I tried ESM wheels in the D&H dome but they were too tight.  But you still should have interior lighting as the ESM wheels have one wheel isolated.

they also have 2 different axle lengths, .553 and .540. I have the .540 length

[bbussey]

Does Kato make wheelsets that are the same diameter as the rapido wheels?

Same wheel diameter, yes.  Same axle length?  That's a discovery yet to be made.

[nickelplate759]

Does Kato make wheelsets that are the same diameter as the rapido wheels?

Kato "passenger" wheelsets are 36" (scale) diameter, which should match.   Part # 932040.  Just remember that the axle length might need adjusting (I don't have a Rapido car to check).

Actually, there's a chance that the Kato "passenger" wheelsets are really 900mm (35.43"), but that's a difference of 0.0035 real inches, which is all but negligible.

[peteski]

Hmm. I had to face the wheels the same direction otherwise the track shorts.

Actually, if you put the live wheels facing the same way on one truck, then facing the other direction in the other truck you will get lighting, albeit with only 2 wheels picking up from each rail.  This is a very common in European passenger car models with lights.

[nickelplate759]

Actually, if you put the live wheels facing the same way on one truck, then facing the other direction in the other truck you will get lighting, albeit with only 2 wheels picking up from each rail.  This is a very common in European passenger car models with lights.

You will have to also isolate the left-side pickup of one truck and the right-side pickup of the other from the circuit, or else you will get shorts from one truck to the other.