Batch-building freight cars - 10
bench to diagnose and fix the problems. Then put the car back
on the layout and continue the test.
Most often, wobbly cars are the result of a couple of easily fix-
able problems such as out-of-true trucks/wheels and out-of-
adjustment truck screws.
If a car moves in a
seesaw motion or
up-and-down in a
regular pattern it
is usually an indi-
cation of an out-
of-true wheelset.
Turn the car over
and spin each set
of wheels to find
the culprit. Watch
the edges of the
wheels as they
spin, and replace
any wheelsets
that are wobbling
or oscillating. In
rare instances, the
truck may be out
of square and must
be replaced.
The screws that
attach the trucks to
the car body can also cause running problems. Check to make
sure that the trucks swivel freely on the screw. There should be
a little vertical play as well. Often the problem is a truck screw
that is slightly too tight, or binding because the hole in the
truck frame is too small or obstructed. Watch for parts of the
underbody detail (such as brake rigging) that prevent the truck
from swiveling freely. You may have to trim some parts.
There are, of course, other reasons why cars may run wobbly or
derail in certain conditions. Some of the problems will call for
more ingenious fixes on your part. There will be cars that test
your resolve. If you get stuck, park the car on a display siding,
and don’t run it in regular service until the problem is fixed.
17: This boxcar has a typical weathering job applied
with an airbrush using solvent-based paints. Light mud
and gray were sprayed on the bottom edge of the body
and on the trucks. Using an airbrush offers precise
control over the amount of paint on the model, and
makes it easy to apply a very light mist of paint that
mimics dust and dirt blown up from the roadbed. Car
modeling and weathering by Dick Truesdale.
17
16: This boxcar, shown rolling
through Briceburg, has been
weathered with an airbrush. Car
modeling and weathering by Dick
Truesdale.
16
MRH-Mar 2014
