After many years I finally have my trains up and running. I am test running all of my locomotives for clearance before installing scenery and discovered a strange problem:

All of my track is Atlas O from O-36 to O-72.
I just took my K-line Shay out of the box, and each time it hits an O-36 curve, the cars behind it are pulled off the track.
I checked the coupler, and it hits the side of the locomotive - there is not enough clearance to move side-to-side for an O-36 track. I just checked my K-line catalogs and they clearly say that it operates on O-31. Any suggestions?

Also, I have a K-line Hudson that in two very specific places [one a very slight incline, one more substantial (3%)] it starts spinning its wheels with little progress. I have tried to clean the track. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Sandy

I have a k-line shay love it. Never ran it on anything less then O-72 tho. Got kadees installed on it too.

So... tongue in cheek.... The shay runs just fine on O-31. The cars behind it are the problem! Call K-Line and complain! DOH!

quote:

Originally posted by sandysimon:

Also, I have a K-line Hudson that in two very specific places [one a very slight incline, one more substantial (3%)] it starts spinning its wheels with little progress. I have tried to clean the track. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Sandy

Make sure smoke fluid is not dripping onto the wheel... this is sometimes a problem.

Alex

Sandy,
I have a K-Line Shay and it runs great on 031. I had the same problem with the first car behind loco derailing. You will need to put a car with an articulated coupler first in line behind the Shay and then hook anything you want behind that.
Ken..

Thanks! COuld you give me an example of a car with an articulated coupler? Right now I have seven of the K-line coal hoppers behind it.
Thanks,
Sandy

K-line included an additional coupler bracket that was installed on the tender to allow it to operate on 031. The procedure is explained in the instruction manual.

I am using MTH coal hoppers w/load and Lionel milk cars (don't know stk. no's for these). I think most of the Atlas cars also hace articulated couplers, but I'm not sure.
Ken..