Con-Cor N Gauge 5 Car Set N&W Smooth Sides W/MT Couplers

[billincarmel]

Just received this set today. They came with metal low profile wheel sets and something that looks like MTcouplers. The wheel sets fall out of the side frames easily, the cars are hard to couple and they do not stay coupled when running. I replaced the wheel sets with standard pizza cutters in the hope they would track better. My trackwork is not friendly to low profile and I am not going to change. Anyway, the standard MT wheel sets also fall out of the side frames easily--like always! I really don't know what I have and I have not contacted Con-Cor to find out. I thought someone would have some ideas. These were ordered directly from Con-Cor in Tucson.

[bigford]

bill
 remove the wheels and gently squeeze the side frames into each other
then try fitting the wheels.. my older con-crap NYC smoothside
had the same problem.. (i bought the kato NYC smoothside as upgrades)

[Cameron_Talley]

Are these the new "rigid" couplers? Basically a solid piece? 

[billincarmel]

I have squeezed the frame halves together and this has helped a little. The couplers are almost Z scale size. I have sent MT an email explaining the problems and will wait for their answer before contacting Con-Cor. I find this to be a little strange.

[bigford]

are the M/T wheels made for a concor truck? just asking

[billincarmel]

The supplied truck axels measure about .577" and the MT's go about .533". I don't know whose trucks are being used because the MT couplers are integral to the truck. Would MT furnish something like this?

[CBQ Fan]

I would replace the truck and all with the MT passenger trucks.  Made my bi-levels livable.

[havingfuntoo]

Are these cars fitted with those new trucks and couplers that Con Cor are flogging?

[inkaneer]

I got the old Concor cars [the ones with the Rapido coupler]  The trucks/wheelsets rolled horribly.  I did not want to go to the expense of adding MTL trucks so I did what then recommended and that was to use IM 36 inch plastic wheelsets in the Concor truck.  The couplers I changed out to Kato 11-702's which are now discontinued.   The result were that the cars rolled very well with the new wheelsets and it was far cheaper than using MT trucks.

[Mark5]

I'm guessing this is the new concor truck with MTL couplers in it. IIRC they tooled or re-tooled their trucks so that the coupler pocket would accept either Concor's "rigid" knuckle or MTLs.

[billincarmel]

Good Analogy,From what I can see, the couplers appear to be MT's but the axle length isn't! I will contact Con-Cor and ask them what the heck they sent me.

[billincarmel]

OK, I ordered new MT 4 wheel passenger trucks today and also Emailed Con-Cor and told them what has transpired. I am not angry with Con-Cor only disappointed. I expected these cars to run very well from the gitgo and they failed badly. Wheel sets fall out of side frames, derails through Peco turnouts, have to almost slam the cars together to make them couple, do not stay coupled when running. I think changing to MT trucks will solve my problem.

[GaryHinshaw]

Are these cars fitted with those new trucks and couplers that Con Cor are flogging?

There's your problem Bill - those trucks have been flogged within an inch of their lives!   ;D

Kidding aside, I'd be curious to hear CC's response.

[FloridaBoy]

Wow, never seemed to have those problems with my ConCor passenger car trucks, and I have quite a few.  My problems with these cars are with those @#$#@$#@ truck pins, you know, those oversized split ones with the little clips which snap into the oversized holes, which to me are their flaw, sloppy and floppy.  When you are installing MT couplers the alternate hole adaptation is to me non-fitting and rarely level.

So, I drill out the MT truck hole to accommodate the ConCor truck pin and adjust accordingly and it just kills me to see how they twirl and swirl around when you are trying to rail them manually. 

If ConCor would ever improve those old truck pin and frame mounts, I would shout praise and buy more and more until it hurts!!!!!  Not that I hate Kato passenger cars at all, I don't, but down here they are quite rare in Northeastern roadnames.

Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

[billincarmel]

I have reported my problems and concerns to Patrick Conway at Con-Cor and am waiting for a reply. While I am not unhappy with the cars, I am disappointed with the trucks and wheel sets. New MT 4 wheel passenger trucks will solve my problem and after all....it is only money. Hope the social security check will cover!