Wondering if anybody is experiencing problems with the Lionel Polar Express Disappearing Hobo Car clearing tunnels, bridges, etc.? I have encountered clearance problems with this car on both the Lionel tunnel portals and the Lionel truss bridge with flashers. Why would Lionel come out with an add-on car that does not have the clearance needed to operate with their own accessories?? Of course if you make the hobo “disappear”, then it’s not an issue.
Sorry mate - wrong place to ask that question.
Check out the “layout” for the forums 'n you’ll find a discussion area for EACH of Kalmbach’s magaines. You reached the Classic Trains forum - which is for REAL trains.
Check out the Classic TOY Trains forum where you’‘’ get the responses you’re looking for!
Lars 
DAH!!
3 Rail you are in the right place. I have seen other cars over the years that would not clear tunnels, so it doesn’t surprise me that the PE Hobo would not. Raise the roof, lower the track, notch the tunnel or daylight the tunnel. The real railroads have the same problem with double stacks and farm machinery.
Thanks Buckeye. I figured it would come down to raising the tunnels so it clears. Not sure about the overhead bridge trusses. Since the bridge has a base, you really can’t lower the track. I might be able to notch out some trusses or just avoid that track with this car. I was starting to wonder how I posted this in the wrong forum. Thanks for helping me out there.
[:O]Sounds like some people are a little edgy over there on the classic trains forums.
lol…[(-D]
[:O][#oops][:I][banghead]
Maybe in the future Lars will be a bit more understanding of the poor folks who mistakenly post in the wrong forum, it’s easier to do than one might think! eh Lars?
Roland
Lars seemed perfectly civil to me. Disoriented, but civil.
3 Rail Fan, unfortunatley this is nothing new and Lionel has done this a good many times in the past, so I wouldn’t hold it against them.And not only have truss bridges and tunnel portals been a problem, but so hasn’t the clearnace height of the elevated trestle sets… some cars will not clear these.
Adding to the problems, is the new trend towards scale sized cars. I’m sure some of the companies like Atlas 0, make their accessories like these, more full scale to accomodate their larger cars. Remember, most older postwar/MPC Lionel cars are undersized in precise scale height and width.
From personal experience, I found a similar case with the Lionel Flat Car with Derrick Crane. I was remaking one into a Conrail MOW car with other added features and details. Before I starter the process, I found the derrick crane, when the support part was left fully engaged in an upright position, would not clear my Lionel snap-together truss bridge. So I cut the molded simulated wheel part off the top of the derrick support, chopped some length off the support and then glued on the very top simulated wheel part that I had cut off. Then I repainted the whole thing. It clears everything on my layout just fine now.
The other possibility (and an advantage of the snap-together truss bridge) is to make a new base for it out of basswood, with raised sides to heighten the clearance of the whole bridge.
3 rail fan…
I had the same problem with my Bobbing Reindeer car a couple years back. What I did was make a wooden version of the side rail that causes the ‘Head’ to duck, and place these whereever I needed the ‘Head’ to duck. Makes sense too since the ‘Head’ would only need to duck in spots where there was a low clearance.
I secured these wooden rails with screws.
I am not that familiar with the disappearing hobo car…does it operate off of track trips akin to the 3424 wabash brakeman car of the postwar era? If it does, add trips as needed to clear the offending structures.
Whan I had a permanent layout in NY, I had a problem with running my MPC era Virginian Rectifier under the truss bridge…Loco went back in the box and sat for years
Ed
The hobo does not “operate”. It is manually flipped upside-down to “disappear”, or rightside-up to “appear”.
I can’t have mine running with my consist ether, as I have a postwar #317 trestle bridge with inadequate clearance. [:(!]
Wow, that’s good to know, I just assumed it operated like that. We’re thinking about getting for this Christmas, but maybe I’ll get the Hot Chocolate instead.