I think they look pretty good. I like the UP cars. The only thing I would change is the load in the cars to give them a little more texture like I did with my Menards B&M hopper coal load.
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@MountainRail posted:Hello Dan
That was a great posting about the wheel spacing and other details on the cars. I do have a question, when you say you are "opening up those wheel sets" how exactly are you doing this and not cracking the wheels? Did you create a tool for this or are you just very carefully pulling them apart somehow. Please share your process if possible.
Thanks
Rory
This issue has been discussed before with Menards trucks.
A harmonic wheel puller is the tool for the job. Contact Frank at Timco Repair (he's a forum sponsor).
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Ha! Put up or shut up, eh? Actually I figured I’d spread the wheels later, but since you asked I went ahead and did it.
I used 2 angle brackets close to the wheel spacing distance, drilled a hole in one so an ice pick would just slip in, and that’s how I spread the wheels without couplers. Slipping the brackets’ bend as close to the axle as possible spreads the wheels evenly.
The wheels with couplers are more difficult. I used just one of the brackets and spread the wheels by twisting a screwdriver between the bracket and a wheel. Unfortunately that pushes the wheels unevenly, so you have to rotate the wheels and spread again, spin the axle to see if the wheels are wobbly (unequal spread), tweak, and repeat, while measuring periodically to see if you’ve made progress.
Here’s the before and after example videos.
AFTER
BEFORE
Hope that helps! Have to get a little bit rough with the coupler side axles, and rotate multiple times, but eventually a wheel moves.
The harmonic wheel puller would be much slicker. My method was immediately available and free, but much less controlled.
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@Hannibal-St Joseph RR posted:Ha! Put up or shut up, eh? Actually I figured I’d spread the wheels later, but since you asked I went ahead and did it.
I used 2 angle brackets close to the wheel spacing distance, drilled a hole in one so an ice pick would just slip in, and that’s how I spread the wheels without couplers. Slipping the brackets’ bend as close to the axle as possible spreads the wheels evenly.
The wheels with couplers are more difficult. I used just one of the brackets and spread the wheels by twisting a screwdriver between the bracket and a wheel. Unfortunately that pushes the wheels unevenly, so you have to rotate the wheels and spread again, spin the axle to see if the wheels are wobbly (unequal spread), tweak, and repeat, while measuring periodically to see if you’ve made progress.
Here’s the before and after example videos.
Hope that helps! Have to get a little bit rough with the coupler side axles, and rotate multiple times, but eventually a wheel moves.The harmonic wheel puller would be much slicker. My method was immediately available and free, but much less controlled.
Excellent creativity 
Here's the OP that from GRJ that discusses his method to repair Menards cars.
I added 2oz of weight to each car and so far it appears to be helping. They're running smoother than before. These are just some automotive wheel weights I had laying around from another project.
I've discovered a couple of weak couplers (I mentioned this and shared pictures in an earlier thread), so those cars have either been moved to the back of the consist or tightened with zip ties so they don't pop open so easily.
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I received my PRR cars today. Unfortunately, the print on one is smudged. Contacted customer support to return and exchange.
They are nice looking cars though. The loads to need some work.
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Could someone provide a picture of how to use the Timko spreader on the Menards cars?
Thx
@Stackm746 posted:Could someone provide a picture of how to use the Timko spreader on the Menards cars?
Thx
Here you go.
IIRC 27 mm is the proper gauge of the wheels.
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