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Well folks, it appears Lionel’s redesign of the coupler is a systematic failure. I just placed my new Ford 60’ box car on my layout and it looks as if the same problem exists as on the milk car. Won’t couple, and when it is, no play between the mating couplers. I know I can dremel and file my way into satisfaction, but I understand not everyone wants to do that and what does that do for fixing the problem? I don’t want this to launch into a “let’s bash Lionel” post so I’m clearly stating my intention of offering this post as an FYI so:

A - Lionel sees how widespread the problem is becoming!

B - People can make an informed decision about purchasing these.

I’ll wait a week or two and see if we get a formal response beyond what was stated in the club milk car post. After that I’ll fire up my dremel  and close my wallet!

Last edited by NYC Z-MAN
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This is what I posted on the "Continuing Saga" thread,  I would encourage everyone to write a snail mail to Howard Hitchcock,



Fortunately I don't have any Lionel cars with this problem,..   Unfortunately there are a number of Lionel cars I intended on purchasing,.. but now will pass.     I'll skip and pursue MTH and Atlas cars.    And since Lionel has not been very forthcoming with information on this truck/coupler issue I wrote a snail mail letter to the president/CEO explaining why from now on I won't be purchasing ANY Lionel cars until the issue is resolved.



Lionel LLC
Attn: Howard Hitchcock
6301 Performance Drive
Concord, NC 28027

I tried a few different cars. It does couple to newer cars. It will not couple to any locomotive with coil couplers without extra effort and some are so tight you have to separate by lifting them up. Forget about older cars with the articulating couplers and older style die cast sprung trucks. I routinely switch 15-20 different cars in and out of the Ford plant of all different eras from the last 15 years with no issues. This includes newer cars since things changed in 2016. Like my favorite scene in Planes, Trains, & Automobiles, “they’re going the wrong way “!

I was up until 2:30 last night playing around with this car and a couple of other things. I worked a little graphite into the coupler workings and tested it on 20 or so cars. The results were better but not on par with all the other cars. I found that if it couples fine on one pair of couplers, turn either car around and not so. I also pulled 9 21” passenger cars behind it on 063 curves and it didn’t derail or uncouple. It will only couple to my switchers 10% of the time and the coulplers bind pretty tight. I shot a video of my SD70 coupling to my passenger cars as the standard that I would expect for coupling with a small amount of resistance from the car. I know I violated the video portrait/landscape rule but I beg for forgiveness!

Gweedo-Could be a Ford/Chevy thing!

Attachments

Videos (1)
trim.2B78BAFA-9A96-458D-9E6C-E42EF43797CC

Yea when I looked at the trucks thought oh boy here we go again. Seen the coupler was longer than on other new problem cars thought maybe it will couple. Was shocked it coupled to other cars. Then it started derailing on a 072 curve. Someone mentioned the trucks were a little tight. They really tighten them trucks to the body. Backed the screw off a little bit and no more derailing.

@Gweedo posted:

Yea when I looked at the trucks thought oh boy here we go again. Seen the coupler was longer than on other new problem cars thought maybe it will couple. Was shocked it coupled to other cars. Then it started derailing on a 072 curve. Someone mentioned the trucks were a little tight. They really tighten them trucks to the body. Backed the screw off a little bit and no more derailing.

I solved mine that same way.  It was just one truck that was tight.  Couplings are still a bit tight but no derailing or points picking.

Brendan

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