Have any of you guys had problems with your K-Line frieght car trucks discintagrating? (sp)
Recently, on two occasions, I've had two separate K-Line box cars whose trucks fell apart when removing it from the box for use. The truck sides and coupler assemblies just crumbled like a cookie.
I knew something was odd when I saw the wheels and axles loose in the box. I've had these cars for quite a few years and they worked fine, then just last week, boom!
These were older K-line cars (maroon box), On each of the two box cars, one truck fell apart and the other was fine. I'm theorizing that these were made of cheap pot metal with high amounts of zinc contamination, which would induce "zinc rot" or "zinc pest", over time. This was a common problem with some early Lionel pieces from the '30s, but I never expected this to happen with contemporaray product. I'm a little wary now, because I have a fair amount of this brand's rolling stock.
I'd just like to know if anyone else has expereinced this with K-Line products, your thoughts are also welcomed.
I have heard this happening on the K-line heavyweight passenger cars so it is not uncommon.
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I've had quite a few K-Line trucks and other castings fall apart. Often one or another part of a truck will fail but other parts not. I replace them with similar Lionel trucks and cobble together complete K-Line trucks as possible from the leftover good castings. The trucks are, or should be, zinc. They rot from having a small amount of, usually, lead contamination.
Bob Nelson
I have quite a few K-Line rolling stock and only have had one truck crumble. The good thing is that the truck / couple assembly is easily replaceable.
Bill T.
I also have had several break or as previously stated almost as if they crumbled. Both were rolling stock from the red colored box. I bought another on ebay that's in a blue book so I suppose I had better stock on on new trucks. What maunfacturer's trucks are better in lasting quality? Thanks for any info or replies. Rudy at outpost38
I thought of retrofitting Lionel trucks onto these cars, but the necks on the couplers look longer on the K-Lines than they are on the Lionels.
I have several K-Line locomotives, both steam and diesel, I just hope their wheel assemblies hold together.
Maybe thats one of the reasons K-Line sold out, some of their stuff was failing...
Maury didn't sell K-Line.
Some of the K-Line trucks were made from a very low quality of metal(has impurities, like dirt, in the metal) and break apart just by looking at them at times. The Interurbans are the classic break apart trucks and so are the heavyweight passenger cars. Another one that broke on me was the K-Line semi-scale GG-1 truck castings, the axles stayed in place but the outside metal just gave way. The GG-1 is useable but is cosmeticly damaged.
Lionel should have replacement parts or know who to get parts from. Depending on the size of the truck assembly, maybe Williams by Bachmann has a repair part.
Lee F.
Lee -- Did the GG1 truck just break into a few neat pieces, or did it disintegrate completely? Any chance of gluing the pieces back together?
I've only had (so far, anyway) one truck break up. On one of the Classic (red box) Santa Fe map cars (#4). I have two of them, and just the other day I happened to notice (on the second car) that one truck is a different color than the other -- it's more grayish. I wonder if it's headed for breaking up?
Martin
Martin,
The little tabs broke off, that hold the casting to the truck assembly. Also the pieces warped out of shape, tried to make a small U shape. Maybe I can get some parts from Williams or Lionel, as K-Line is out of business. Maybe Sanda Kan, the holding company would have parts.
I could try to to glue the pieces back into place, but pot metal or slag(what is used, very close to throw away scrap) usually don't glue well.
If worst came to worst, you could probably make a silicon mold using a good one as the pattern, and then cast a resin replacement. You might have to glue it on, but properly painted, I'd guess it wouldn't be noticeable. (No, I've never done this, but I've read about it, and it looks easy enough ... Right!!)
I know a place that maybe able to help you with a replacement set of GG1 side bogeys. I have a K-line GG1 too, but (knock on wood) my bogey sides are ok
This guy bought out K-Line's parts inventory when he sold to Lionel,
For any (pre-Lionel) K-Line service or parts, this guy should be able to help.
I had to send a 6-motor K-Line F-Series diesel set to him and he fixxed it because I needed OEM parts.
He's on the web, just google "Brasseur trains"
Brasseur Electric Trains, Inc.
410 Court Street
Saginaw, Michigan 48602
I have a 1995 produced K-Line O Gauge Soo Line Gondola with Die-Cast Trucks. One truck never stayed on the track very well. Then last week that truck frame snapped apart. If I could get a seperate pair of ATLAS O INDUSTRIAL RAIL die-cast trucks, would they fit those gondolas?
Andrew
Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer
I just remembered, Aristo-Craft and Ready-Made-Toys got most of the K-Line O Gauge Tooling, so you could contact them about K-Line Parts, in the coming year when they get their production up and running.
Replace the K-Line Die-Cast Trucks with Lionel Die-Cast Trucks.
You will need to get new screws from the hardware store or hobby shop to make them fit.
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