Lionel PRR General Set - Pulling issues

Mine was the same way when I first tried it. Lube the cars well, and give it a push for the first start. After that, it's been able to pull the coaches and the two add on cars. 

Add weight, the locomotive is way too light!  That's why most steamers have a diecast shell.  This should give you and idea of some useful weights, they were lousy in accuracy for their intended purpose.

Neal, is the loco spinning its wheels while trying to pull?  Or is it just acting lathargic?

Might be time for a lube and clean and also make sure the 2 screws holding the motor in place aren't loose, or fallen out, causing the screw mechanism to bind or cease.

PRRMiddleDivision posted:

I purchased this Lionel PRR General set a few years ago.  It's not the usual hi-rail sort of thing that I buy, but because it was unique as well as PRR I got one.  Unfortunately, the engine cannot pull the three passenger cars that come with the set, let alone the add on vat car.  Is this just a problem with my particular unit, or are they all like this?  The obvious fix is to add some weight...has anyone tried this?  If it plagues them all, you would have thought Lionel would have caught this before they released the set.  It's unusual, since nowadays, I find their trains to be of very high quality.

Hello........

If this was me, I would sell the lionel engine and purchase the MTH "railking" 4-4-0 or 4-6-0 type engine as they already have die-cast locomotive body and tender body and upgrade the passenger cars with die-cast trucks then you can add another 6 coaches or so to the train.  You would have the very good train that would last.  The lionel 4-4-0 type engines are almost all plastic with a small can motor even the postwar ones were plastic too but with the pullmore motor.  If that was my train.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. Also love your neighbor the same as you love yourself " Luke 10:27 ERV (Easy to Read Version)   You can do that by KEEPING the 10 commandments !! Exodus 20:1-17

Tiffany

Thanks for the feedback.  Honestly bought the thing as more of a shelf queen, so I'm not real troubled by it.  The thing is brand new, so its not a matter of cleaning the wheels.  I'll try the lubrication suggestion first. I'm sure additional weight would work as I alluded to in the initial post...the issue is where do you squeeze it in that tiny engine?

Dr.,

Try adding the weight on top of the frame between the drive wheels I use to do this on the MPC Generals.

There's always a place to add weight, sometimes you have to get a little creative.  One weight trick I've seen is using lead shot and just filling a void and then gluing it into place.  You can fill almost any irregular space with that technique.

GRJ, 

Was that a "Bullet" train that you were repairing?  Looks like a high caliber job.  

Da dum dum.

FrankfordJunction posted:

GRJ, 

Was that a "Bullet" train that you were repairing?  Looks like a high caliber job.  

Da dum dum.

It's a bullet train now, .45CAL.

I bought one of these 2 or 3 years ago (current production, at the time); did a re-lettering (it's as accurate for the Mobile &Ohio as it was for the PRR) and toning-down of the fancy-schmancy trim. It runs and pulls well. Short train - 3 - 4 cars - but one or two of the cars were Pre-War steel with Post-War trucks - not super free-rolling. No slipping; no need for extra weight. Off it goes; it will even run reasonably slowly, once it was run in a bit.

Odd.

====

Mine, on a club layout:

It was easily pulling a short train of modern cars and this Pre-War/Post-War hybrid type:

Neal........I've had issues with the traction tires. I have the Christmas Nutcracker version. I run it in November and December only. Twice I have had to replace the traction tires.......they seem to have "overstretched" and become loose. Once I do this......no problem.

Peter

I have the set plus 2 extra coaches, I'm going to get the MTH version when it comes out hopefully this year.

I have the LCCA Halloween General set --- runs great although the engine seems a little light

Has anyone tried to add postwar General weight-ballast part number 1862-64 available from most parts dealers ???

Thx 

Joe S

dorfj2 posted:

Has anyone tried to add postwar General weight-ballast part number 1862-64 available from most parts dealers ???

You can add that weight if you're willing to give up smoke. It occupies the plunger area.

I have the MPC RI&P chrome engine & cars and an extra engine I modded for double heading.

Either will pull the three passenger cars (two & baggage) plus a 50s gunfighter car, a wood kit boxcar on 50s trucks,plus a flat car with a load of brass pipe and bushings, and a rather heavy lighted bobber caboose. The wheels will slip and catch on occasion though. That's why I got the extra one. Together they pull a bakers dozen. Plain wheels, no magnetraction, no traction tires, no problem.

With a can motor, you might have room for weight in the fat part of the boiler where the mechanical e unit was. If there is a board there, you might be able to move that to the cab, or settle for forward only by using a bridge rectifier. I'm not sure where the motor sits on the later ones, but I thought it was horizontal in the frame vs vertical in the cab.

You'd be surprised where you can add weight.  I've added a lot of weight to the RMT BEEP locomotives, I just stuff the weights in any place there's a void.