I was wondering why my couplers were pitching upward on my Broadway Limited Kitchen Car that I detailed. They are touching the Diaphragms and will rip the diaphragms off the cars like the coupler knuckles did on my Amtrak Dining Car.
The Lionel factory changed the design and/or forgot to assemble the Kinematic Couplers properly.
1. The Outrigger wings that were on the first run cars have been "Whacked Off" the sliding Kinematic plate. There is only a stub on a very small Kinematic Plate. The outrigger arms helped keep the kinematic plate from rocking/tilting.
2. The support washer that was on the top of the coupler post is missing. It provides downward force as the coupler arm swings side to side. This force is necessary to keep the coupler from raising up and rubbing the Diaphragms. The washer rubs the floor of the car, keeping the coupler arm horizontal. My Amtrak car has had its diaphragm torn loose by its knuckle coupler.
The top Washer Glide is absolutely necessary to keep the couplers from raising upward when they are under a load. (I turned the coupler arm over in picture #2 so you could see the post that is missing its spacer washer.)
Lionel will have to supply these parts for all of the Broadway Limited cars. There are too many of us buyers to be denied the parts we should have received with our new cars. Check your Broadway Limited Cars. Please post to this thread if you have what I have on my cars. It is time for Lionel to act on these new passenger cars and make things right.
Sincerely, John Rowlen