Has anyone else had issues with O Gauge Tinplate wheels riding properly over MTH ScaleTrax Switches? Just received the new MTH Pink Girl's Train 11-6037-1. Hasn't made it around the track once without derailing on MTH ScaleTrax switch.
Update: There are 2 black 1/2in plastic pieces underneath each car near each truck. It has a small screw in the middle and float up and down. What are these for? They appear to be getting caught on the ScaleTrax switches.
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The flanges on tinplate are deep for the old style tube track. The frogs on the switches can cause the cars to bounce around and possibly off the track. If you have some older, higher profile track and switches to test the set on, you should see a difference. My tinplate still rattles through postwar Lionel switches, but is relatively smooth going through prewar style.
The flanges on tinplate are deep for the old style tube track. The frogs on the switches can cause the cars to bounce around and possibly off the track. If you have some older, higher profile track and switches to test the set on, you should see a difference. My tinplate still rattles through postwar Lionel switches, but is relatively smooth going through prewar style.
Can I just remove them since I am using MTH ScaleTrax?
The flanges on tinplate are deep for the old style tube track. The frogs on the switches can cause the cars to bounce around and possibly off the track. If you have some older, higher profile track and switches to test the set on, you should see a difference. My tinplate still rattles through postwar Lionel switches, but is relatively smooth going through prewar style.
Appreciate the reply but I realize the flanges are deep. But what are the 1/2 inch black things that have the tiny screw in the middle? What are their purpose?
The same thing happened to me when I tried to run my Blue Comet set on my friends layout with tubular track at the switches. Your girls set is the same engine but I don't know what a fix would be. I run Fastrack and never had a problem.
They are slide shoes to activate the couplers using a 5 rail uncoupling track. The slide shoes do not like most modern switches. The slide shoes can be removed if you do not wish to uncouple remotely. The resulting wire must be insulated to prevent unwanted coupler activation.
You may still have issues arising from flange depth even with the shoes removed. Ideally you should use tubular track with no switches (or compatible switches)
Thanks Oberstationmeister, appreciate the explaination. Since I have over 1500 feet of MTH ScaleTrax I really want the Girl's Tinplate, granddaughter's train set, to run properly. I can live without being able to remotely uncouple. But I can't live with the train having problems going over the switches. I have 79 switches and all track are interconnect. I removed the shoes from one car that was derailing everytime and that allowed the Train run properly. However, I probably will remove the rest of the shoes from all of the cars.
I think you may have answered another question. I also have the O Gauge Tinplate Christmas Train, same wheels, and was having problems with the cars de-coupling when they went over switches. Not sure but I think at least one of the cars had a shoe broken off. That may have been causing the auto- de-coupling. I did notice the piece of thin metal under the shoe. What do I need to do to insulate these, especially if I take all of the shoes off?
Again thanks for your reply, appreciate it very much.
Hi Gary. Saw your post and just wanted to say hi. I have several new Lionel engines that are having issues, but not the same as you. Anyhow, hope you solve your problems, hope to see you at York in October.
jim r
Rather than taking off the shoes, it occurred to me that you could remove the whole "uncoupling unit" (slide shoe, coil, plunger) from the trucks by bending the tabs holding the "uncoupling unit" to the axles. The couplers are attached to the body, so they would be unaffected by the removal of these "uncoupling units". This is relatively easy to undo later on if desired.
Beyond this, it is probably easiest to insulate the remaining thin metal contact with electrical tape on any cars with removed shoes. You could also remove the slide shoes and cut the wire going to the slide shoe as close to the coil as possible, but this is harder to undo later.
Great information and I really appreciate it. Will remove the whole "uncoupling unit". Thanks Again for your replies.
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