I have a problem with a Lionel HO Scale challenger which I purchased on Ebay advertised new from a collector, (No I don't think it was), but, I have issues with wheel slipage and also the front truck coming off on radiis, plus on a less than 1% grade pulling 15 weighted freight wagons (as per the recommended weight chart), suffers wheel slipage, runs fine on a flat surface. I am looking for suggestions to improve its perfromance and overcome the slippage and front truck issues. Any suggestions welcomed. Its a very nicely detailed locomotive.
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which Cab Forward should I purchase I like the detail and the LOK sound of the Intermountain but is the MTH more robut on layouts with Radius of 26 inch
Has anyonr had experience with either or both Locomotives
While I'm not at all familiar with Lionel HO, I've found that if I can add weight to my HO scale locomotives, and at the same time distribute that weight so that it's balanced at the mid-point of the drivers' wheelbase, it will greatly improve pulling power and also limit wheel slippage.There's a short "how-to" HERE about adding weight.
I have five of these Athearn Genesis Mikados, which originally had difficulty pulling their own shadows...
The locos, alone, originally weighed-in at about 12oz., while the tenders (not originally at-all involved with current collection), were 3.2oz.
After adding weight to the locos, I decided to add wipers to the tenders' axles, so that they could provide power through a small plug-in to the locos.
To better the contact on the tenders. I removed the cast-in-place "coal" and replaced it with a fully-modelled bunker, and loaded it with "loose" coke breeze to represent coal. I also added lead weights to the cistern portion of the tenders.
The modified locos now weigh-in at 18oz. each, and the tenders, originally 3.2oz. now weigh about 7oz.
Here's the plug-in between the loco and tender...
Wayne
Not at all seeking to suggest anything different from Wayne's suggestions, his borne out of a vast array of experiences in the hobby, I add only my own experience with this very locomotive. I have had the 'greyhound' version with 'elephant ears' for about 16 years now. It is still one of my best and most reliable performers. It, like about seven or eight of my older BLI steamers, still has its original QSI decoder.
I did some research about the model before I made an offer on it (it was on eBay, but I could 'buy it now'.) One fellow had posted a fairly involved exposition of his own experiences with the Lionel HO Challenger, and had taken pains to explain some improvements he thought could be done my most modelers who were having troubles, or who just like to put their own thumbprints on their toys.
I followed these two suggestions of his:
a. the tender is much heavier than it should be. If you open it, you'll find two angled speakers mounted in a bracket. They're not firing down toward the tracks, but are angled at about 45 deg. Dunno why, but he suggested stuffing the void in the shell with polyfiber to help with vibration sounds and volume. I didn't quite understand, or don't remember why I agreed with his reasoning all these years later, but I did that and have not regretted doing so. But the main point, to get back to the overweighted frame, was a cube weight that is easily seen and can easily be removed. I did that, and added it later to a much-too-light IHC dome car in CPR livery. Again, never have had an occasion to second-guess myself, or his advice. That loco runs like a deer, tender lightened, and it can tow a hefty tonnage up my 3% grade; and
b. When I first got it, it would not run through an EZ-Track #5 turnout, which it should easily have handled, even at speed. I forget the precise details, but I learned that it was derailing because of the uneven mounting of the turnout. I seem to recall it sagging at the frog (my bad, but it was my first layout). With its long frame, the engine truck took the frame through to the frog rails and beyond, but the lead engine, itself, got hung up high between the engine truck and the rear engine, which was still moving toward the frog along the closure rails and points. So, upon analysis, I could see the lead engine literally free-swinging enough on its pivot that the lead axle popped out of line and the derailment happened.
This is a long frame. If you have uneven rail heights, or if you have dips where both rails are low, especially on a curve, you will almost certainly get at least one axle under the boiler wanting to lift out of the gauge. Happily, I have learned that it pays dividends to lay good trackage, paying up front with all that careful roadbed prep, and then ensuring any super is consistent on both sides of the apex, no dips (!), and making sure curves don't dip down into the <20" range, especially for fast running with several heavyweight pax cars or lots of gondolas/hoppers dragging behind.
It might unnerve new people to the hobby when they hope they've already laid good trackage, but every single time I have had problems with derailments, it has been with a new locomotive, and I have to tweek the elevations of the rails, usually only in one location. Or, it was due to changes in my tracks brought on by some other factor, humidity, heat, whatever.
I have an ho lionel polar express and it has been having issues for a while. the wires on it keep breaking for some reason and the headlight keeps flickering.
You must be talking about internal wires, wires exposed when you lift the boiler shell? But it is extremely unusual for wires to 'break'. Would you be talking about the soldered connections? If so, it might be the solder itself, but sometimes a quick reheat does the trick. You have to be careful, and have a steady holding hand so that the wire end isn't jiggling all the while the reheated solder is cooling. Properly 'taken' solder is shiny, and a gentle lifting of the end of the wire should not have any shifting of the wire...it should be snug and firm.
However, that's not all. Wheels that take up power from the rails sometimes leave the surface of the rails and they lose contact with the power they're meant to pass onto the motor, lights, and decoder if there is one present. Lights will flicker not only due to poor connections, but also due to too many metal tires on wheels losing contact with poorly positioned or poorly supported rail elements.
I have sold my Challenger no more issues, so I am looking to purchase Southern Pacific Cab Forward, which is really what I wanted but my delimma is do I purchase a Intermountain which has awsome detail and LOK sound onboard or buy a MTH which is more robust on curves, I have a minimum curve on my layout of 24"
Has anyone had experience which either or both that would give me their preference.
Thanks
Curious what you mean by "more robust on curves"?
I suspect both are good models. MTH says their engine can take an 18" radius curve which implies there may be some compromising of the accuracy of the engine to allow it take those sharp curves. The Intermountain needs 24" radius, so should work on your layout with 24" curves.