Again, there is a Train Show here in Largo this weekend.  Plan on buying about 160 metal wheels (4 per car) and about 80 Kadee whisker couplers from there, some in-line, some offset high and some offset low and replace all of them.

http://www.suncoastmrrc.com/pdfs/Show_Flyer.pdf .

Bachmann - please do not take my post as Bachmann-bashing, instead I hope you take it as constructive input from the users.  Seems the coupler is probably the most stressed component in the entire rolling stock community, and it also seems there is a wide opinion that plastic just doesn't cut it.  Bachmann has indicated they desire to move towards higher quality trains, and this seems to be an area needing improvement, especially on their higher end rolling stock.

My hope is that you either start making them or buying them, but either way, definitely start installing them.

Well, I think I just joined the "US" club!

New turn of events, partially due to the couplers, and partially due to my screw-up!

I disassembled one of the couplers to see what type they were, and they are Bachmann whisker type couplers.  I also notice a lot of slop in the coupler box.  Reassembled and planned on getting some Kaydee shims to tighten up the slop.

Was trying out different combinations of passenter car-engine combinations last night.  I was pulling 4 cars with two engines and 1/3 the way up a grade two of the cars uncoupled and coasted down the grade to a stop.

Figured I would just continue driving the train around and pick them up with the front of the engine and push them around to where I was.  Should have just gone over to where they were and got them.

90% up the grade, the now rear passenger car also uncoupled and coasted down the grade.  It hit the two cars stopped at the bottom, derailed, and flipped over.  When I picked up the car to put it back on the tracks, there was no damage or scratches on the car, but I noticed the coupler had snapped in half.

Guess that answers whether they are steel or plastic!

There is a Train Show here in Largo this weekend.  Plan on trying to get a LOT of Kaydee whisker couplers from there, some inline, some offset high and some offset low and replace all of them.

http://www.suncoastmrrc.com/pdfs/Show_Flyer.pdf

They say every day you learn something.  That was sure my lesson for Wednesaday, Sept 12th!

Not sure what Pickup Shoes are, but the easiest method for me is the powered frogs!

Thank you for the info.  These cars are brand new, never been used yet and as I indicated, I already have a coupler height gauge which I used to determine they were out of spec.  

I also have the Kaydee trip pin bending tool, for which I adjusted the trip pins so they were nothitting anything.

The couplers are Bachmann knuckle couplers which really looked like they were metal.  Not sure if they make a metal or plastic knuckle coupler.  Either way, metal or plastic they should not be displaying ANY sign of age yet, as they have only been pulled by an engine for 30 minutes.  If they are showing signs of fatique after only 30 minutes, Bachmann really needs to look into this.

If they cannot be aligned and need replaced, Kaydee couplers will go in their place.

I am looking at that, but the problems are many.  First, this is not an electric trolley car, it is a very small San Fransisco style Cable Car, which is only about 5" long total with about 3" of inside working space.  Second, the non-powered  truck is very small and in a really confined area.  The powered truck and motor are all one unit, about 1.1/4" in total length.  The motor is only about 1/2" in diameter and 1/2" long, too small for a flywheel.  The output shaft on the motor has a worm gear on it instead of a drive shaft, and this gear fits directly into a cluster of other gears to drive the same wheels that are picking up the power from the tracks.  There isn't enough room for a U-joint let alone a flywheel!

Also, now that it is all back together, I really don't prefer to take it back apart again! Pain in the rectum to reassemble.

The track it will be running on only has 2 switches for a passing siding at the station to deal with, and the powered frogs look like they will solve the problem.  If not, the track will probably get modified instead of the Cable Car!

I'll try and post some photos this evening if I get time.

I have 5 McKinley Explorer passenger cars.  I recently had horrible trouble with the Dynamis controller, the Pro-Box and the booster, which resulted in my scrapping the Dynamis and Pro-Box and going with an NCE unit and NCE 5 amp booster on my main layout and the Bachmann EZ Controller with the Bachmann 5 amp booster on our Christmas layout.  Just recently received all the components to power up the layouts.

Very impressed with the Bachmann setup.  I successfully ran FOUR DCC engines, with lights on, 2 of the engines equipped with Tsunami sound cards and 3 of the 5 McKinley Explorer passenger cars with lights on from the 1 amp EZ controller!  WOW, I didn't expect that.  Can't wait to see the performance with the booster on line.

However, the reason for the post, for the first time, I ran the McKinley cars with engines, and had a lot of trouble with the couplers.  They randomly misaligned with each other to the extent they frequently uncouple.  One, and only one combination works OK, but others are terrible.  Only 1 car will stay coupled with the engines.  All the rest uncouple from each other and from all 4 of the engines.  Two engines are Bowser and two are Bachmann.  All the engines couplers align perfectly.

Without power to my layouts, I could not test the cars well before, as I had another problem of the uncoupling wand (or what ever you call it) hitting the re-railer and in some cases the rails themselves on turns and de-railing the car.  Thought all I needed to do was get the Kaydee tool to adjust the height of the wand, as it looked like it was riding too low.  I have done that, and now I find the problem was never with the wand, but with the coupler height itself.

I ran a 15 car freight train with the engines and had no problems.  This evening, I tested the couplers with my coupler height gauge and they are almost all very low out of spec, and actually seem to be pointing downward.  Really surprised at this since they are about a $60.00 list car!  Guess I expected better quality control.

My question, are these couplers height adjustable or do I need to look for some Kaydee offset couplers and replace them?

Based on the dozens or hundreds of problems regarding getting the Dynamis, Pro Box and 5 Amp Booster all to play well with each other (see the MANY posts in the General Discussion area), I elected to scrap the Dynamis-Pro Box-Booster combo and go over to running an NCE system with their 5 amp booster on my permanent layout and shift to using the Bachmann EZ Command controller and the Bachmann 5 amp booster for the Christmas layout.  Selling the newly received unopened replacement Dynamis and the unopened Pro Box.

Now that my new equipment has arrived and the whole thing is again working properly, I tested the Cable Car with it's newly installed DCC decoder.  Works Great.  Runs like a little banshee!  Only problem is going over turnouts without powered frogs.  Since it only has one power truck and it's not that long, loosing power to one wheel of the truck kills it.  Works fine over a powered frog, but a plastic frog, forget it.  Even at warp speed, it can't jump the frog.

Paul,

Nothing like making your own parts.  Remember, follow the rules of custom craftsmen:

Measure it with a micrometer,

Mark it with a piece of chalk,

Cut it with a hack saw!

Can't go wrong.

Let me know how it works for you!!!   

Quote from: beampaul7 on September 10, 2012, 10:29:18 AM
PS I'm really not a rivet counter.  I take some libertys you wouldn't believe.  It all depends on the mood I'm in.   

WHAT...Wait a minute... Running an 89 foot passenger car on 13" radius track is one thing, but to accept a car that is missing the correct number of rivets is totally different and completely unacceptable!  (Just Kidding,  LOL).

steveeusd,

I'd like to share my opinion with you, and it may apply to many others.  It is not directed any any one person in any way.

I like the McKinley Explorer train set very much, as does my wife, mostly because it is an awesome looking train and my wife's late parents actually rode this very train in Alaska.

To me, this is a hobby, not an experiment on how closely I can duplicate reality. If you like a train, and it will work on your tracks, by all means, run it.  

In the real world, railroads have the entire planet to make large curves. Most model railroaders do not have that luxury, and I would hope to discourage anyone from criticizing someone for wanting to have a certain train on less than perfect duplication of the prototype, as this removes much of the fun from the hobby.  I myself do not have another 2-3 feet to make my railroad wider for these kinds of turns.

No one who has ever seen my railroad running the Explorer has ever said it looked weird because I had 22" curves instead of 28" curves. Only the purest would even notice this.  I am not discounting the purest, who strives to duplicate every detail, actually I applaud them if they can do this.  I also will not encourage someone not to do something simply because it does not match the real conditions of a railroad.

If you like it, and it works for you, by all means, do it.

Again, not directed at anyone, just a generic comment.

We have 2 Alaska diesels and all 4 of the lighted McKinley Explorer cars.  I even converted one of the Chena cars to lighted.  I run all 5 of these cars on 22" track just fine in either direction, including the 3 degree inclines and it really doesn't look that bad with scenery.  The train actually runs fine on our 18" track at slower speeds as well, but it needs a city block of clearance on the inside because of the overhang.  Really looks funky.  Don't even think of negotiating an "S" curve on the 18" track.  "S" curve will work on the 22".

My new Dynamis from Bachmann to replace the defective one came today.  I have decided on what to do.

I have 2 layouts, one will be permanent and one will be up for Christmas only.  I will be using the NCE Supercab and it's 5 amp booster on the permanent layout.  I can do all of my engine configuring/programming there.

For the Christmas layout, I need something extremely simple for others to use, a total no-brainer.  Visiting family and friends and their children will want to run the train, and if I am not here, they (and my wife) could not even begin to turn the layout on with either the Dynamis or the Supercab.  They are both easy for me or you to use, but you need to know what all the buttons and things do, and that is not so simple to just pick up and figure out if you are not familiar with the layout of the controller first.

I am going to purchase the Bachmann E-Z Command Controller for the Christmas layout.  It's probably the easiest controller to run a train with.  Press 2 buttons and turn a dial.  The only problem is that it only produces 1 amp and I need more.  So I will pair it up with the Bachmann 5 amp booster I already have and have the Bachmann equipment on the Christmas layout and the NCE equipment on the permanent layout.  Both of these combinations have a good track record of the controller and booster playing well with each other.

As for programming, I can do all of that on the permanent layout with the NCE equipment and move the engines to the Christmas layout during the Christmas period.  Most important, for the Christmas layout, I can program each engine with a maximum speed, to protect things against an overzellous child (or adult!).  In fact, I do not even need to install a programming track section on the Christmas layout.

So now I have a brand new, unopened combination of a Dynamis and Probox which will be going up for sale on eBay shortly.  If anyone on this forum would like them before that, I will offer the combination to anyone on this forum for a very good price, about $75.00 lower than the asking price I will put on eBay.  All you pay above that is the actual shipping charges, no handling or markup or sales tax.  Send me a PM if you want it or email me at rbryce2@tampabay.rr.com.  I also hope this offer does not violate the no sales requirement for the Forum rules, as I am only trying to make the members here aware of it first.

Quote from: NarrowMinded on August 21, 2012, 09:34:40 PM
If your using the probox you can't connect the booster to the dynamis Jack you have to put it between the probox and the track...

has anybody done this yet??

Yes.  See Captain1313's post of August 18th.  He said he tried it and indicated it would not work.

I looked into this and we are both correct.  The Powercab does program on the main as well as the service track.  The booster, however,  removes the programming data signal, just like all the other manufacturer's cabs as well, Bachmann, Digitrax, etc.  However, by plugging the Powercab into a programming or isolated section of track that is not powered by the booster, you do have programming capability.  I believe this is done with the Bachmann by the programming track coming from the Base unit and the main track power coming from the Pro box.  

Track programming was never my big issue with the Dynamis equipment, it was the inability for you to successfully attach the 5 amp booster to the Dynamis and have it all work.  I do not know if it actually can be done, but so far it seems that no one has been able to do it and have the trains work, the latest attempt being a few previous posts to these.  That was my main reason for switching control systems.  To me, programming is something I will be doing very infrequently, and would probably feel more comfortable doing it on an isolated section of track not even physically attached to the main line.  Guess I am a woose!  But, I did want the Dynamis to work with 5 amps and so far it wouldn't.

My luck will be that tomorrow some monk will come out of his cave in Mongolia and have the answer that makes it all work.  If that is the case, it would be great for Bachmann but to late for me, because I have already made the switch.