So Corey and I were playing with the trains tonight, and he accidentally knocked a couple of cars off the track. Happens all the time. Except, this time the wheel assembly on my cable reel car totally broke apart. Here’s a picture of the pieces:
Anyone ever see this happen? How do I replace this?
seen that befor some of the earlier postwar cars where made of another material and like a mix of whitemetal and ash I think I have heard and they will do that the material I stated probably incorrect but I have heard and seen that before
Since that’s a rather new truck with sprung sideframes and fast-angle wheels, I think it pretty unlikely that this failure was caused by the dreaded Zinc Rot. My long-distance guess would be that it was just a faulty casting that just happened to get the right stresses and strains to finally break apart. I’d just order new parts from Lionel.
DJ, what is the car’s number? you may be able to get one from Jeff or Dean maybe even Lionel.
Looks like plastic modern car truck assembly to me.
Let me know the number and i will look for one for you.
he didn’t say if it was postwar or remake I was thinking postwar . I can’t see pics here at work
Sorry, it’s a new car, just a couple of years old.
Found it:
#6561 Lionel Lines Cable Reel Car
According to the web site,and from my own view, it has “Die-cast metal sprung trucks and operating couplers”. From looking closely at it, it’s very, very cheap metal.
How do I replace that though if I get a replacement truck? I’ve never done something like this, which is why I’m asking.
DJ it should not be too hard to change out but I am not sure because I don’t have any cars that new with that style of truck.
RT I agree with you I have seen it on old and new, On my6-18207 Dash 8 40C the side truck fell off and crumbled into little bits and it never even hit the floor. I rebuilt it with Metal epoxy but it sure is crummy stuff.
looks like it could be part # 6109950050 for $12.50
Lionel used to sell sets of 2 of those die-cast sprung trucks, they were in the back of the catalogs but I’m not sure if they are anymore. I would check for you but my new catalog hasn’t come yet
Trevor
Spank,
Could you post a picture of the truck that is intact? I think I can help you, but I’d like to be sure what I’ve got is correct.
You are correct
Part numbers are 6-14078 qty 2 $19.99
6-14251 qty 2 $20.49 with rotating bearing caps
I’ve got some pictures I’ll try to post from home tonight.
Here’s a picture of where the wheel assembly came off of - from looking closely at it, looks like there are two small phillips screws which you take off to slip that out and change the coupler assembly.
And here’s a picture of the matching assembly on the other side of the car:
Sorry about the quality of the pictures, but I took them with my flip phone.
I’m sure it’s zinc pest; and it can easily happen in a couple of years. I’ve had pieces crumble that I bought new from MTH and K-Line, but not Lionel, including several K-Line trucks.
Spank,
I’ll check to see if what I have will work.
I had the same type of thing happen to one of the trucks under a k-line Temkin rollerbearing orange and whire box car, except the thing failed while the train was under way at speed. Untill these posts, I had never seen anything like it… The bits of truck shorted across the track so the train came to a quick stop and there were no other losses of equipment.
I think of the car as almost new but I just don’t realize how long it has been that K-Line went out of business.
Spank,
Here is what I have:
Is this the type that you need?