Problems with Athearn Blue Box 86' Hi-cube boxcars

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I’m having problems with me Athearn 86’ Highcube Box cars. The tend to always uncouple from up and down movement. My grades are all very light an’d they have kd #5 couplers at the right height. I can’t get them to make a whole trip through my layout. I’m so frustrated. I’m running them as a auto parts trains so all four of them are together on the same train. I’ve tried everything. Please Help
Andrew

2

Andrew, it’s the verticle transitions combined with the car’s wheelbase. The length tends to magnify the problem. Can you smooth out the beginning and ends of the grades? Also, on general principles check all coupler heights with a Kadee gauge.

3

Also, check the wheelsets. A bluebox husky stack I got today bobs up and down a bit from misaligned wheelsets. If so, try replacing them…

4

I doubt.your problem is the h Athearn’s 86’ hicube Cars (plural). Do you have any other 86’ cars? - Trailer train’s, Walthers Auto cars, doing this??

With grades, the transition causes couplers to mismate - one car is level and the other inclines - and get’s worse , the longer the car.
1. Double check your coupler heights with a KD #205
2. Build a ‘Transition’ onto the grade
3. Don’t have a track gap where the grade transitions are.

I’m with Big Boy on this .

5

Andrew you could try using Kadee #118 couplers, they have top and bottom shelfs on the coupler to prevent the couplers from uncoupling from up and down movement.

Frank

6

ANDY (80SF5)

The reason couplers are open at the top and bottom is so they will slide on track undulations - up and down variations. if you lift one of your cars up at the end, notice what happens to the other end’s coupler. It drops.

Putting a ‘Shelf type’ coupler on cars or restricting them may in-turn cause derailments.
Glad your interested.

7

I’d have to agree with BigBoy on this one . I had a problem with the ones I have wobbling back and forth till I added a lot more weight over the wheel trucks. Less wobble and up and down movement then and no uncoupling during movement.

8

Hey Andrew,

I would highly recommend installing Walthers Hi-Cube/AutoRack/86’ Flat Car replacement coupler pockets. I bought two pair and installed them on two Athearn 86’s Hi Cubes. They are awesome! I then ordered enough to replace the coupler pockets on my hi cube fleet. Take your time installing the first one and you will see how they go together. The rest are easy after that.

9

Andrew, Besides excessive coupler overhang creating the problems metioned earlier, check the up and down movement of the coupler itself (don’t remember if they use the truck swing plates on them). Many times this could be the culprit. The help from this forum should have those auto parts back on track in no time.
Bob K.