Mckinley Explorer coupling

[chartsmalm]

I have an HO McKinley Explorer train set. I cannot keep the cars coupled.  The diesel will not couple to any one of the cars.  I've tried both ends of all 4 cars.  The cars usually will not automatically couple to one another. I have to hand thread them together, as well as the diesel.  What a pain in the #$&*^& that is!

Is there any suggested solution other than spending more money on changing couplers - I'd probably opt to change the trucks at the same time.  When these puppies derail it's usually because one of the wheel sets has dislodged and either derails the same car or the one trailing.

Before you say it is probably the track, A 1947 Varney Lil' Joe Dockside 0-4-0 pulls a string of 5 or 6 cars around on the same track with no problem.  This consist is mixed freight.  Some are Bachmann cars.

This is not a used set from eBay.  I bought it NIB from Holland American while riding on the McKinley Explorer from Denali to Anchorage.

Suggestions welcome!

[Nigel]

One possibility is that you are trying to run it on far too tight a radius track.

An 0-4-0 will easily get around 15" radius track, as will 40' frieght cars, the McKinley cars might be okay on 24" radius, but really like more than 30" radius.

[Jim Banner]

Before replacing your trucks, check the wheel gauge with an NMRA wheel and track gauge.  If they are out of gauge and you cannot fix them, consider changing just the wheels and axles.  If the axles are falling out, then squeeze the ends of the truck together a bit before putting the axles back in.  Sometimes plastic warps after it leaves the factory, particularly if it has been stored for too long in an overly warm place.

As for couplers, sorry to say that you might have got some of the older style couplers with the plastic springs.  These are also sensitive to heat.  If that is what you have, may I suggest replacing them with Kadee couplers.  Nobody has yet matched Kadee in performance and reliability.