Whats the deal with my couplers?

[who_dat73]

Ok I got myself a Life Like GP 38 HI nose with dummy engine and put it on the layout relized that it is derailing my rolling stock on the curves. I tryed to loosen up my curves and see if that helped but no good I evin shaved down the plastic that the coupler spring pushes on to give it a lil more room because I am pretty sure that it is running short on room to make the turnso it just pulls them off the side. Now the question for all my guage friends out there is what do I try next?? dont know if anybody has had this problem but any help will be looked into and tried. I llove the look of this set and hate to put it on a shelf cuz it wont run the track:cry:
Thanks yall
Mike

 

[Russ Bellinis]

I suspect your Lifelike gp38 is a p2k model which has body mounted couplers. If you are trying to pull train set cars with talgo trucks (couplers are mounted to the trucks and swivel with the trucks), you have a compatibility problem. Cut the couplers off of the trucks and body mount them on the cars and your problem should be solved. If your cars have body mounted couplers, but the locomotives have talgo mounts, you will have the same problem. It is sometimes more dificult to body mount couplers to a locomotive, but you need to get rid of all talgo couplers for good operation.

 

[who_dat73]

Hmm thanks

that sounds like a logical explanation I will give it a try

 

[who_dat73]

Ok tride it but

Ok time for another question for ya? I see what you meen by the mounting to the stock but most of the cars dont have a area to mount the coupler to so do I kit bash this or do I have to purchase new cars that have the couplers already mounted??
Thanks for the help
Mike

 

[Russ Bellinis]

I use styrene shims glued to the underside of the car floor to make it even with end of the car. I then paint the shims black, and if I'm using Kaddees, I cut the ears off of the coupler boxes and mount them with a screw through the center.