04-17-2009, 04:32 PM
When ever you push a car through a curve (like the diverging route through a switch), you introduce side forces that will make the car want to derail. Body mounted couplers are less prone to this problem than talgo mounted couplers. I think the best way to find out is to build your rolling stock so that you can add weight if needed, and then see how they perform. If the cars are too light, they will derail when you try to use them. Of course, the cause for derailing may be any number of other problems like wheels out of gauge, trucks bent or too tight, tracks out of gauge, or even too tight of a radius for the equipment you are using.
I have found that even though they are a little bit light compared to NMRA recommendations, Athearn blue box kits will work pretty well. On the other hand the early Intermountain 89 foot flats were notoriously light and without a load to add weight, they would derail very easily.
I have found that even though they are a little bit light compared to NMRA recommendations, Athearn blue box kits will work pretty well. On the other hand the early Intermountain 89 foot flats were notoriously light and without a load to add weight, they would derail very easily.