Problems with my Lone Ranger set

Hmm, dont have the LR set, however I've got the MPC General set. Can you post a pic of the drawbar between the engine and tender? I'm wondering if it's a different set up than the original style drawbar for the engine/ tender.

Is the grade smooth, and the transition from level to incline gradual? If there are any dips in the track, the engine drawbar may slip out of the tender.

The General type locomotives are usually a little light in the traction department, and could use some weights internally to help them.

Larry

Can you get your eyes down to track level and look at the loco/tender drawbar and see what is happening? It probably happens at the start of the grade. Probably the loco drawbar is bent so that it is not shaped properly.

Your grade begins too quickly is another description.

 The Generals aren't great grade engines, is the grade part of the set?

 The Generals have a stepped drawbar, slightly shorter length on the vertical portion of the draw bar, and the tip is bent at another 90º fwd, forming a tab that keeps it in the slot.

Tweaking the tabs angles should help, but this can effectively shorten the fwd tab vertical travel, then you will have binding issues on the apexes at the hill tops.

 Adding a longer vertical isn't done because it would strike the center rail on bad track. 

 Annealing and bending the tab backwards has been done on older ones. But I'm not sure of the steel type used on the newer versions.

 The "action" necessary to uncouple the tender by hand, is exactly the same action happening when your grade rises. Too fast it will uncouple.

Rubber band, tweak, or re-bend. I just use brass stock from a hobby shop if the new thinner drawbars(many) break.   

Thanks Fellas! will try this!

Mike Maurice

Hey Mike, I was thinking more about operations because I normally lock Generals in forward (Gramps did too) So I forgot about reversing. Tweaking the vertical tab back towards the tender, then bending the tip up to create a harder angled Z might be better for you.

 As it pulls, it should lock into the upper part of the Z —› Z←  In reverse it would catch down low, Backing, the reversed hook could be prone to pop out. Slack and gravity should let a Z rise/ fall ok changing direction

  As long as the "vertical" sections swept back angle is greater than the grade change angles, the forces created should want to pull the tender draw bar deeper into the wedge.