My checklist for new cars is:
Replace plastic wheels with metal wheels
Check wheels with NMRA gauge - replace or fix if not right
If necessary smooth ends of axle.
If necessary smooth journal box where axle ends rest - with HO truck tuner or files for S and O.
Change to or add KD couplers. Check height of coupler and hose with KD gauge.
Squirt some graphire into the truck journals and coupler box.
Make sure trucks swivel freely, but not loosely
Make sure car rolls freely (sometimes I check with down 2% grade, but usually just give a light push and see how it rolls)
Check car for weight to NMRA RP 20 and add weight of necessary
The order can vary a little on these - like sometimes I check weight first.
Paul
AltoonaRailroader,At my club, all equipment is registered on paper forms (one for cars and another for locos) then entered into a computer database (FileMakerPro, in this case). The car form lists: road, car # and/or name, length, weight, AAR code, metal wheels, detection, and "special features" (like "Grain Loading Only").
Part of the registration process is checking out the cars and locos. I built a "torture" track that checks various things. There's a NMRA gauge outline cut out of masonite; the cars must fit through it. There's a Kadee Code 100 magnet on the Code 83 track; the uncoupler hoses should clear it by the thickness of a piece of paper, if they hit, the hoses are too low. There's a 3" long area where the gauge of the rail is brought in tight to the NMRA Gauge; if the wheels bind up, the wheels are too broad. Another 3" area has inner bars of metal set up in the rail gauge to barely clear the inside of an RP25 wheelset; any wheels that bind here are too narrow. At the end is a "Go-No Go" coupler height gauge similar to the one in the MicroMark catalog; a coupler must fit through the gauge. Lastly, all freight cars must be able to roll down a 4% grade unassisted, and I have a block of wood I put under one end of the test track for that. Passenger cars and cabooses must roll down an 8% grade unassisted due to wheel wipers.
Using the above test track, we can easily test cars in multiple ways very quickly.
BTW, to be registered, all cars must Kadee couplers (coil knuckle spring plastic couplers are okay; the rest are banned) and have metal wheels. Detection wheelsets (or track lit cars; anything that draws current) must be present on all passenger cars and cabooses to light up the rear of each train on our CTC boards. While we don't require it, all cars are strongly recommended to use the NMRA weight RP.
Once they pass inspection, cars are not checked again unless there is a problem. We have "Bad Order" slips of paper (roughly 3 x 5 cards) that have pre-printed forms on them; when you bad order a car, you check off any common problems like "no knuckle spring" and fill out the car road and number. The car is put on a bad order shelf in the locker room along with the form.
I try to use metal wheels on everything, I think they're solid and should not come out of guage. I know loco's have adjustable wheels but I haven't gotten to check them all yet. Thanks for the reminder.
That was one of my checks with all my rolling stock (thank God I dont have a ton of cars) is the coupler height guage and I did find some that had low coupler pin height on a bunch of them, they were snaging on the turnouts and causing probs.
ricktrains' list makes sense -- and I'd only add to his pre-service list, checking to see if the car wobbles. That is hard to check on a short test track.
Once in service, it is rare for a car whose wheels are in gauge to have those wheels go out of gauge, but it seems to be common for coupler height to go wrong, or rather for the coupler draft gear to get turned or abused particularly if you use sticks to uncouple rather than magnets. I don't wait for derailments but do try to be observent of couplers that "jus' don' look right to me."
Depending on how fussy you are about these things it is also more likely for safety appliances such as stirrup steps and brake wheels to get damaged or go missing. Obviosuly this has nothing to do with the physical running characteristics of the car. Some guys care intensely about that. Others? Meh.
Dave Nelson
My inspection process consists of checking wheels sets, trucks, couplers, and weight. It occurs on one of three times:
1: Before placing the car in service.
2: When there is a problem with the railcar (Derailment issues, etc...)
3: When placing the car back into service after an extended period of "storage" time. (Off layout for an extended period to swap out cars.)
On locomotives, I also include wheelset cleaning, once every year (or so.)
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
AltoonaRailroaderHow often do you inspect your rolling stock and locomotives?
On an "as needed" basis, one car, and one loco at a time, as needed, when I notice something not working right.
Mike.
My You Tube
Thanks forum for having me back. Some of you see I disappear then pop back in, it all depends on how my life is flowing and what interests I hold at any given time.
That being said I have a question about inspections for freight and loco's.
I've started keeping a rolling stock roster and I've gathered the typical information, car type, road name, metal wheels or not, what couplers it has on it etc. On a newbie question post about running certain radius's for certain car types, one person mentioned about checking the cars, mainly truck centers, wheel gauge, weight etc.
What does your inspection list look like? How often do you inspect your rolling stock and locomotives?