I have about 15 Atlas coal cars 32735 90 ton. Most roll very free, I have a couple when you roll the wheels with your finger they seem to roll fine. When you put them on the track it seems like the wheels are dragging. The wheels are in the truck sides where they belong. Any ideas on what makes them drag on the rails?? Thanks Don
They are Atlas trucks, I found out the problem. The wheels are rubbing on the body. I found some M/T Train washers, put then between the trucks and body. Don
I had the same problem with MT high profile flange wheels. Switching to their lower profile wheelsets solved it. Atlas has been making this same car since at least the late 1970's. Never knew they had a problem. Might it be something inherent in the new tooling?
I'm guessing the truck had the wrong axles in it. I've run across this before buying these used at shows. They were probably switched back to Atlas trucks from Microtrains before selling them is the only reason I can think of that this would happen. I've never had a NIB hopper have this issue. And I have purchased a good many of these.
They are all new hoppers, out of 15 one had the wheels rub the body. I'm thinking that the pin on the body that the trucks mount to was made a little short. Don
If, as you say, that adding a MT washer fixed the problem then I doubt if the issue was a short kingpin. The cars sits on the truck regardless of the length of the kingpin. Using the washer raises the body off the truck creating enough of a gap between the body and the flange to allow the wheelset to roll freely.
Sounds like the problem might be wheel diameter. Atlas makes at least 2-33" and 36". Did you compare the wheels on the problem car to the others? I wonder if the factory might have accidentally put the wrong wheels in a few...?
