Rolling

Powered graphite works wonders, even on old Athearn rolling stock with plastic side frames.

Ray

Allen, Mi

good bearings

NARC cars also have superlative rolling characteristics.  It has mostly to do with making sure the needle bearing is sharp and free of burrs and fits the truck frame exactly.  One of our members talked with Dan at Pacific Western about their NARC wheels and he said it just costs a little more to make sure the bearings are good, something most manufacturers aren't willing to spend a few extra cents on.

We're actually a little concerned that our NARC cars will roll away on track that others will stay put on, since it takes only the slightest grade for one of their cars to start to take off on you.  It's great for people trying to run big trains, though, since it probably takes half as much engine power to keep one of their cars moving compared to other makes.  So far most of ours are for unit grain trains, so they won't be sitting around without units coupled to them, but when their 40 foot NSC boxcars come out, we may have to cripple those a little so they stay put on sidings.

It's called "precision"

It's called "precision". Same holds true with their N scale rolling stock - it's the free-est rolling stuff I have.

For my N scale Walthers 5 unit cars, I replaced the trucks with MicroTrains sets... and still wasn't happy. Then I replaced the engineering plastic MT wheelsets with Atlas metal wheelsets, and now I can pull a container-loaded 12 unit train (60 wells) with a single SD 50.

Precision and axle lengths

Kato's engineering is the best out there

Folks may argue about fine-ness of details or whether Kato's models are 100% accurately detailed per prototype roadname but few can effectively argue that Kato's engineering is beat elsewhere. There really is no comparison between this Japanese product and those sourced in mainland China from a precision standpoint IMO.

"cripple" or "strategic drag"?

Dear Jurgen,

"Cripple" or "strategic drag"?

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/16879#comment-134925

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/4148#comment-32838

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

"cripple" or "strategic drag"?

Same thing, really.  I could say sabotage as well, considering the effort they go to in order to make them roll so well.  We will have to see how big a problem it is.  I expect we will end up needing 50 or more of those boxcars at the club, and it would be significant work modifying all those cars.

Put a wheel chock on the track

I would suggest putting a wheel chock or a series of them near the respective industries and leave the wheel sets alone. You are likely already uncoupling by hand and it should not take much to have a bright yellow chock with a handle for crewmen to use near the siding.

If you have 30 spots to employ these devices that is still fewer than 50 cars and you have the advantage of a bit of prototype realism to add to your model railroad. You also get to use fine running rolling stock on your layout. I have spent a lot of time on lots of my freight cars to get them to roll better than everything else on the layout and would not recommend sabotaging what maybe the best ready to run stuff out there. One of the things that has happened from this is many of the members of my club are asking what I have done to specific models to make them run well. Others are comments like no wonder you can pull so many cars, it takes nothing to move them.

3 atlas ho diesels were easily able to pull a 167 car train on our layout up curving grades in excess of 2 % the load on the train indicated they could have pulled more.

Since you have the option of enjoying excellent rolling stock I would not be looking for ways to cripple excellence but would expend the effort to attain it in other areas.

Rob in Texas