Most Boxes now come with an instruction sheet on how to remove the Loco or rolling stock from the box without causing any damage. This clinic is intended to fill the gap between taking the item out of the box and getting it to run - reliably.
I use a length of Peco code 75 track mounted on a board as a test track. I also use a small piece of 2" x 1" under one end to test roll ability.
Many years ago the NMRA set some Standards and Recommended Practices for track and wheels. As long as you follow them you can save yourself a lot of stress and frustration in the future. FIG 1 shows an assortment of wheels. Left to right they are: Reboxx, P2K (Proto 2000), KD, Walthers,Athearn, and Lima. FIG 2, FIG 3. shows the actual difference in the flange size, the P2K is 27 thou. while the Lima is 42 thou.
Tests have been done in the USA on the roll ability of different wheel sets. Number 1 is Intermountain brass wheels, 2 is Reboxx, 3 is P2K and 4 is KD. The added bonus of the Reboxx is that they come in different lengths of axle to suit the brand and type of trucks used. Value for money, in Australia, would have to be the P2K wheel sets.
Plastic wheels can become chipped and damaged very easily and can pick up foreign bodies on the tread which affect the roll ability. Few of the plastic wheelsets I have seen have correct wheel profile (NMRA RP25) which can also effect the rolling of the car. For these reasons I have gone to only metal wheels on my rolling stock.
Yes, I can hear the N scalers out there. Most of them swear by the Kadee wheel sets (now called Micro Trains) There are two types of MT wheels the original and the low profile. I have used both on my HOn30 rolling stock and the low profile ones roll MUCH better than the original. The MT wheels are made from Delrin not "plastic" as are many of the HO wheels.
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The most
common piece of rolling stock (in HO) is the Athearn freight car. They
are simple to put
together but require a few small adjustments before they go to the
track. FIG
4 shows a reefer that has had a washer added between
the bolster and the truck to set
the correct height for the coupling. You will also see that the wheels
have been replaced for RP25 metal wheels. These are Proto 2000 (P2K)
33" wheels which are readily available from many hobby shops. FIG 5 shows correctly set couplings both KD
#5, the trip pins are clear of the track to avoid digging in when
passing over turnouts. FIG 6 shows
the common
mismatch between couplings. Fitting a 3mm washer (50 in a packet at
Dick Smith) between the truck and bolster will normally fix this. FIG 7 shows a KD #58 being checked against
the KD gauge for correct height and for trip pin clearance.
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All modelers reading this should have an NMRA track gauge for their scale FIG 8. Not many would have the tool shown in FIG 9. This is called an EXXACT TOOL made by Reboxx (available from Micro Mark), it is used to shape the inside of the axle socket on nylon trucks to the correct profile. It also removes the burrs from the casting proccess.As an example, my P2K 2-8-8-2 would only pull 6 of the Walthers Ore cars up a 2% grade. After using the tool and replacing the wheels with P2K wheelsets it will now pull 20 up the same grade.
FIG 10
shows a wheelset being checked for gauge. Notice the top wheel - there is light around the wheel. this means that it is right in the middle of the tolerence for wheel gauge. It should not be a press fit in the gauge, you should be able to rock the wheelset in the gauge. Do NOT assume that because the wheels are brand X that they will be in gauge, check ALL wheelsets.
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Most locos these days are well manufactured but you must check gauge all wheelsets especially the pony trucks on steam locos>
The Genesis 2-8-2 would have to be one of the best mechanisms around today, but they have trouble pulling the skin off a rice pudding! You can double the pulling power by removing the spring above the trailing truck. You can get even more power by adding 1 oz of weight the the front of the boiler.
The next best mech, in my humble opinion, is the P2K 0-8-0 but, the tender was designed to have all wheel pickup but they were never fitted in production. You can fit your own as shown at PICK-UPS or you can buy the spare tender for the P2K 0-6-0, they are identical, the new tender has the pickups fitted.
Some of the early Athearn locos had a metal bar rubbing against the top of the truck frame. Replace this with some flexible wire to allow more flexibility of the truck and reliable contact instead of just to bits of metal rubbing together. FIG 11
Rivorossi locos are well made to a poor design. They
only pick up power from 2 driving wheels on one side and from the
otherside of the tender. The articulateds pick up from 2 drivers on one
side of one chassis and 2 drivers
from the other side of the other chassis. The pick up is in the form of
2 spring loaded plungers rubbing the back of the drivers, BUT, the
wheels are way under gauge. When the wheels are regauged the plungers
only touch the
driver on the 5 sunday of the month. FIG 12
shows how to get around this problem. FIG 13a
shows the washer fitted between the back of the wheel and
the shoulder of the axle to regauge the trailing truck wheelsets.
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A little effort at the beginning will save a lot of frustration later. All the relative standards and recommended practices can be found on the US NMRA web site, take the time to have a look.