LGB Toytrain freight car question

[Madman]

I like the look and size of LGB's toy train series freight cars. There has been discussion, in the past, about their tracking capabilities. As we all know, both trucks or bogies swivel. For the most part this works well. However when turnouts are thrown in the mix, there can be some derailment issues. Particularly when switching or shunting operations want to be performed. Metal wheels and some additional weight is a must for me as I have some sprung turnouts.

What are your thoughts on other modifications to these cars.

 

[David1226]

Dan

My use of LGB Toytrain wagons as the basis of the Claptowte Railway freight stock is well documented on this Forum. I would refer you to the Scratch built and Kit bash section of the Forum for how individual models were created. A flavour cab be found in Media under Claptowte Railway Freight Stock
https://www.gscalecentral.net/media/albums/the-claptowte-railway-freight-stock.47/

I use Al Kramer Roll-eeze wheels on all my stock, cheaper for you on your side of the pond than for me to import over here. Shunting can be a problem with Radius 1 turnouts bur above that I have not experienced any issues.





David

 

[Madman]

Thanks David. I recall reading your posts on the fine detailing work you did on those cars. Fortunately I have no R1 turnouts. Mine are all R3. I did receive two Toytrain gondolas today and have done some testing, shunting through turnouts and such with excellent results. My next task will be to do some weathering, but that will have to wait until I get a few more wagons and then I can do them all at one time.

 

[Henri]

What is a turnout? I have a couple of these freight cars and many R1's...

 

[David1226]

What is a turnout? I have a couple of these freight cars and many R1's...

Henri

A turnout is the same as a point (UK) or a switch (US)

David

 

[stockers]

Generally, I find the toy train wagons do not run quite as well as the standard, slightly longer, versions. Metal wheels certainly help a bit but in general I tend not to run them that much as i do find the occasional unexplained derailments.

 

[dunnyrail]

I used Toytrain Wagons extensively on my Line in Hemel Hempstead and to a lesser extent on my current line in St.Neots. All were converted to Metal Wheels both LGB or Bachman. I never had any appreciable running problems on either line which both had/have LGB and Peco Points.
JonD

 

[Madman]

LGB and some toy train manufacturers, I think Eztec, make freight cars with swiveling bogies. Aristocraft and Bachmann have short freight cars with non-sailing bogies. I should mention that I am speaking of four wheel ( two axle ) cars. I don't have any experience with the Aristocraft cars but the Bachmann cars seem to ride well.

When I started with LGB trains in the early '90s, I had asked about the swiveling bogies. It just seemed to me that they would cause problems when backing a string of cars into a siding. The shop owner, who was also an LGB operator, told me that the designers at LGB had it all worked out and that the two axle cars tracked well.

A few years ago, it may have been a posting on g Scale Mad, someone linked the bogies together with a piece of rigid wire. The idea is that when the front bogie swivels it puts the rear one in the correct position.

 

[trammayo]

And there's nothing new in pivoting trucks;-

http://www.sct61.org.uk/ld133

With new track and new trucks they worked well. When worn, they didn't return to the "straight and narrow"! They were cross linked to help them line up correctly too.

 

[Henri]

Ah, as a complete NOOB I just discovered that I have quite a few 'toy train' wagons. Indeed, they tend to derail a bit in switches, especially when the tongue is not completely positioned.

When entering a switch from the single side, and forced to take the 'turn out', this is quite often a problem. I thought it was due to the state of my very, very old R1 switches and the ballast. But when I read all of the above...

 

[dunnyrail]

What is not being said about the poor running is whether the Wheels have been changed for Metal as I did said in Post#7, or still have the original Plastic Wheels. Thinking back the running was erratic with original LGB Plastic Wheels. Think the Metal ones just Track better and give more weight where it is required down below as it were. Mine have been all Metal Wheels for so long now that I forgot all of that.
JonD

 

[dutchelm]

All the wagons on my shunting layout are toy train. The only modifications I have made are to add a big lump of lead underneath & jamb up the bogies with blue tack to prevent them turning. I still use the plastic wheels. I have used these at exhibitions for years, shunting on R1 points & curves without any problems.

 

[Madman]

I have metal wheels on all of my rolling stock. Plus added weight to help when running through sprung points, turnouts, switch tracks, take your pick.....LOL

Mike mentioned fixing the bogies into a fixed straight position. I would like to know more about thoughts on doing this. Not so much how to do it, but the reasons and engineering principles behind such a fix. As I mentioned in an earlier post, some manufacturers use swiveling bogies, while others, Aristo and Bachmann, two that I know of, use fixed wheel positions.

 

[Deleted member 3553]

Always some item of interest.....for what its worth, all my derailments initially were caused by two hooks tangling (short wheel base items and all R1 curves) not enough room in the eye.....now only one hook each carriage....problem solved ????? to a certain degree ...the eye needs increasing in length and would probably improve performance....4 units have home made eyes 1/4"wider than standard and give no trouble.......

 

[Henri]

Im also interested in the theory for fixing the boogies.

Plastic wheels here...

 

[David1226]

It occurs to me that rather than permanently fixing the 'bogies', a screw/nail/post in the inboard rim of each one, connected by an elastic band, would automatically return the couplings to dead centre after negotiating a curve/turnout. I think I shall explore that possibility myself as it appears to offer the best of all worlds.

David

 

[a98087]

For fixing the bogies, I know of a friend who just uses small screws screwed I the chassis from underneath , attached to the chassis, that prevent the bogie from turning

It's cheap, easy and removable, with minimal damage

Dan

 

[Madman]

It occurs to me that rather than permanently fixing the 'bogies', a screw/nail/post in the inboard rim of each one, connected by an elastic band, would automatically return the couplings to dead centre after negotiating a curve/turnout. I think I shall explore that possibility myself as it appears to offer the best of all worlds.

David

That sounds like an excellent idea, and a simple one at that. I like simple.

 

[D J Mason]

Hi

I have found that the chepest option is to lock the swivels solid !

The go round R1 curves ok provided that there is a straight bit of track beteen reverse curves. (about one and a half inches minimum)

Yes the flanges to bind so your loco will not pull so many but they stay on the track.

Enlaging the axel holes to an obling DOWNWARDS allows the wheels to move downwds efectively acting as axel springs.

Regards dj

 

[stevedenver]

i have found that the toy train stock runs best with metal wheels, which seem to reduce drag despite less-than-optimal bogie swivel, and, slow speeds as some are top heavy, and light. Metal wheels help on both accounts, as can simple moderate weight.