Batch-building freight cars - 1
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
16: This boxcar, shown rolling
through Briceburg, has been
weathered with an airbrush. Car
modeling and weathering by Dick
Truesdale.
16
MRH-Mar 2013
