I've got wheels that fall out of the trucks. I can't get them to stay in. What are my options?
New trucks sadly is the best way. I run my trains a lot and wore out 10 sets or so. You did not state the makers of the cars and if the axles are plastic or metal. If they are plastic Proto 2000 wheels sets may fix the problem.
More details will net better answers.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
I have some that came that way new. You have two options. Get wheelsets with slightly wider axles. Get new trucks and wheels.
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cudaken More details will net better answers.
I've got more than one car with the problem. I've been working with a life like boxcar. I bought some new wheels and they don't do any better. I've tried bending inward the trucks and that didn't work.
The one good thing about this experience is that now I CAN put the coupler spring back into the coupler (assuming of course that I find the spring after it hits the floor).
ducky123 cudaken More details will net better answers. The one good thing about this experience is that now I CAN put the coupler spring back into the coupler (assuming of course that I find the spring after it hits the floor).
I forget what issue it was in but I saw an article in MRR that the author explained how he kept the spring from flying away. He would string a small string through the spring, so when he would remove it it wouldn't go flying. To keep the end from fraying he dipped it in CA. Hope this helps
tim
ducky123I've been working with a life like boxcar.
Are we talking a LifeLike Proto 1 or 2000 boxcar, or a so-called train set quality LifeLike car? If it is the 1 or 2000, the wheel sets that came with those were pretty good. If someone changed them out before you got the car, the LifeLike 33 inch replacement wheel sets should work okay. There is also a company called Rebox, http://www.reboxx.com/Documents/Wheelsets/33%20Application%20Chart.pdf, that has replacement wheel sets with different axle lengths made specifically for different manufacturer's sideframes, but you have to know which part number sideframe you have. I think, however, that the LifeLike side frames they list are probably the 1 or 2000 sideframes.
If you have the trainset type boxcar, your best bet might be to replace the trucks. Athearn used to sell replacement trucks for their bluebox kits that were pretty good quality and were relatively inexpensive. However, the wheelsets in them sometimes left something to be desired, but they still sound like a better alternative to what you have now.
What scale are you in? If you are in N scale, Fox Valley wheelsets come in a variety of axle lengths. Their site lists the trucks they fit. Since I always discard the stock trucks unless they are Micro Trains, I haven't had the trouble you mention.
If your car is a Life Less, train set quality car, the cost of new trucks is more than the car is worth. If that's the case, the car may make scenery - either a maintenance/storage car or a wreck at the bottom of a ravine!! Don't throw good money after bad - we've all made that mistake - I even tried to fix an ex-wife that way - didn't work!!