Box coupler on 2600 series cars hanging up on pre-war turnout.

I think that variation of the auto box couplers is notorious for that problem.  Lionel repeatedly updated the coupler design in 1938,39, and 40.  People do all sorts of things with those such as remove them, tape over them and such.  They need to be able to spring down in order to work however, too much down and they catch switch frog rails.  I have several I would like to improve as well.  You might try adjusting the front and rear edge with a light bending up.  Let's see if some others will post as well with their experiences.

Jim Katz,

   In reality there is no great fix, myself I run that particular 2600 type rolling stock on an oval that has only a few switches.  They run on my 2nd level FasTrack oval fine.   Or my inner RealTrax oval, with no switches at all, and I have no problems with them.  Some other types of track do give the old 2600 cars big problems especially at the switches.  I do not like bending, taping or removing them however. 

PCRR/Dave

I would slightly bend the leading edge, and slightly tap or file the leading edge on the switch.

This was a bad design right from the start. Apparently Lionel had problems with the design, and you may or may have not noticed that the later design of that early sliding shoe had a small bakelite 'rider' that was built into the shoe that lifted the shoe over the guard rails on switches. Unless the are bent up and out of the way, or removed, the shoes will cause problems. Lionel replaced them quickly with the now common Bakelite sliding shoe.

Thanks everyone for the replies.  I guess I’ll just remove them.  I just hate to muck up something that’s 80 years old but there just is no alternative.  

Gentlemen,

   Steamer gives the alteration most use unless they remove the shoe completely.  Depending on the track it can work.

PCRR/Dave

Jim, can you remove the sliding shoe assembly without making a permanent scare on your rolling stock ?

I agree, with you about not wanting to alter something that old that is still functioning well.

These are all good suggestions.  Fortunately I have another set of these cars with latch couplers.  After thinking about it overnight, I am just going to use my 600 and 800 series cars instead.  They only item I really need from that set is the Torpedo streamliner locomotive.   I'll just put the box coupler cars away in their boxes until I either have a use for them or another 80 years slips by.

"not wanting to alter something that old that is still functioning well."  Actually as couplers go, the box couplers on this set really suck and they have probably sucked their entire lives.  I can only imagine the frustration of a 12 year old kid in 1938 who go this set for Christmas and couldn't make the couplers work to save his life.

how about running a line without switches? I have an outside loop like that for any cars that don't like switches.

Jim Katz posted:

These are all good suggestions.  Fortunately I have another set of these cars with latch couplers.  After thinking about it overnight, I am just going to use my 600 and 800 series cars instead.  They only item I really need from that set is the Torpedo streamliner locomotive.   I'll just put the box coupler cars away in their boxes until I either have a use for them or another 80 years slips by.

"not wanting to alter something that old that is still functioning well."  Actually as couplers go, the box couplers on this set really suck and they have probably sucked their entire lives.  I can only imagine the frustration of a 12 year old kid in 1938 who go this set for Christmas and couldn't make the couplers work to save his life.

Agreed, and this is probably why the design was completely overhauled for 1939 and then again highly modified for 1940. Both the 1938 and 1939 versions are all but impossible to work on while the 1940 versions are elegant simplicity by comparison.