This Christmastide was my first chance to run my flyer wide Gauge since I got it. Everything went great except two issues with the caboose, probably related.
The first is that the light was shorting somewhere. I need to get into the car to examine the wiring, but I can't figure out how. Obviously, there must be a way. Can anyone share it?
Second: the center pickup roller on the rear truck will hit one track joint and stop. By that, i mean just stop moving, which throws the car into the air and off the track. Turning the roller by hand shows that it can sort of seize up, probably because of it being worn. Lubing it helps, but I had to tie the roller up to prevent it entirely. (No other car or locomotive has any problem at that joint.) The roller assembly appears to be a permanent part of the truck. Any advice/info on working with this item?
Thanks!
Get some kind of flat plastic tool. Kind of like a plastic knife but with a more tapered blade. A plastic tapered putty knife or automotive trim tool of some sort. I use a plastic disposable OR scalpel that has a nice tapered handle that has a very flat end.
Anyway, you want to gently work this under the cupola roof edge on the side, working from one end to the other and it'll pop off for you. If you slide it off, it'll scratch up the cupola walls and roof underside. Depending on condition of the item you may or may not care. If you decide to remove the entire caboose roof, use the plastic blade to bend the brass ladder tabs straight where they come through the roof. Then using the blade, slide it along one side of the roof where it meets the body and it'll pop off similar to as described above. You can leave the ladder bottoms attached to the car frame. Brass ladders are good for probably less than 5 bendings of the tabs, so you want to get as much work done on the car at once. Also, next time you go into the car, use the other ladder tabs, so top the first time, bottom the second, etc. Repro ladders are available if necessary, but you shouldn't need to get into the car body very often. I should also mention that the later versions of the caboose use a ladder that kind of folds over the top of the roof in a slightly different fashion from the earlier ones.
When putting the roof(s) back on, put one side on and then use the plastic tool to gently work the roof back onto the other side of the car, working from one end and sliding to the other. This prevents the metal on metal scraping and paint damage.
I would probably just rewire the caboose while your in there, which is really easy. I believe the only soldier joint is at the roller. More importantly, while it's open, install a new light bulb. I like 18v or even LED for the caboose so they last longer.
The roller is mounted to a fiberboard, that is mounted to a steel bracket. This piece is actually independent from the truck and is riveted to the car floor. The roller itself can be removed by gently spreading the tabs that hold it with a flat blade screwdriver or needle nose pliers. clean the roller and all the gunk around the bracket that holds it with Q-tips and rubbing alcohol. Replace roller if necessary. When reinserting, adjust the bracket tabs as you bend them back into place to properly hold the roller loosely (sometimes they get cocked funny and cause binding). Lightly oil the bearings where the roller edges spin in the bracket holes. The entire large steel bracket mounted to the car floor that holds the roller pickup assembly may need to be adjusted on your caboose. This can be done by carefully (don't break the steel bracket) making tiny bending adjustments with your hands or pliers. I usually start by adjusting the angle of the fiber board up or down as necessary. If it's severely out of alignment (not allowing the weight of the caboose to sit on the rear truck) you will have to adjust the angle of the bracket to the body first, then the pitch angle of the fiberboard. I've noticed that the steel brackets were sometimes installed somewhat carelessly by the AF employees, or have been bent/moved over the years from use and people messing with them. Also, the fiber boards can warp a bit as they age, affecting the alignment. The point is that there is no reason you shouldn't be able to tweak it to work perfectly.
*Since you mention it is only getting stuck in one spot, I suggest you first inspect your track/joint for issues.*
Sorry this was so long winded. If you come through STL anytime soon, I can give you one of the scalpels if you want.
).