Model Railroading > keeping ho scale trailers on TTX 89' flat cars

What is the best way of keeping the new athearn 40' trailers on the Athearn genesis TTX Flats? I do not want to glue them on.

Any suggestions?

Thank You

Sincerely

John Ruehle

I've used clear silicon caulk with success! It works the same as glue but is not permanent. A small dab on the wheels and hitch plate would work quite well....

There's also a low-tech adhesive in the office stationary section of the LHS. It's in a roll-on kinda package, just a dab should work, should remain flexible and easy to remove. But I haven't had any trouble with trailers falling off flatcars.

I second CSX_ENG suggestion.  Just a very small dab of silicone on one wheel should do the trick.  I don't even use it on the fifth wheel plate, just one tire on the trailer should do the trick.

Ron Evans
Golden Valley, AZ

I use the woodland scenics detail placement tacky glue. Just a spot works great.And it cleans up.

                                    Dave Dane

                             

I third the use of clear silcone caulk. If you have to remove a trailer, the caulk just peals off with your finger.  I have used the gravity approach, but Murphy's law always arrives at your door with a shifted load and a wreck.

Bruce

sandmanre Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I second CSX_ENG suggestion.  Just a very small
> dab of silicone on one wheel should do the
> trick.  I don't even use it on the fifth wheel
> plate, just one tire on the trailer should do the
> trick.

My idea is a little different than just gluing them down.  I drill a small hole in the flat deck and put in a very fine piece of Details Associates wire.  This is placed right under where the tires go but is between on the inside.  This keeps your trailer end from moving sideways.  It only needs to be a millimetre or two high enough to just catch the edge of the tire.  The wire will get lost in the weathering if you ever want to run empty though I do not care for an empty pig train so it is just my thing.

Rick

If possible, I pry off the trailer floor and add 1/2 to 3/4 oz of self stick-tire weights or used tire weights with double sided sticky foam tape to the trailer floor in one of two spots: directly over the tires, or over the trailer hitch pin. The added weight "usually" keeps the trailer in place. In addition, I make sure the trailer is centered/balanced on the flat car. I also insure that the flat car itself does not lean to one side or the other on the trucks.  Many of my Z flats are Athearn  plastic so the added trailer weight helps overall car rolling characteristics.
I then test run.  If there is any lean or sway, I use a little of the blue TickyTack wall stickum stuff under one or both of the trailer dualies tires (you could easily add it between trailer and hitch plate). I use the TickyTack because I can get it free through my wife and that it does the trick without alot of application hassle.  It may not hold as tight as what others on this thread have suggested, but my main point is having the trailer weighted and balanced along with the flat car.  I can then MIX n MATCH any trailer to any flat car in my Z fleet with a mimimum of trouble.

I use the Woodland Scenics glue that allows figures to be repositioned. Works pretty well and is easily removeable.

Bob

Don't these 89' flats all have rub rails either on the inside or outside of the deck to keep trailer wheels from shifting around?    I'm trying to picture what's going on here, but it's not hitting me.

I'm puzzled too. We have a mishmash of flats and trailers, and once the hitch holes and trailer pins are correctly matched up, they run around without any additional work. We're running on a 30-inch minimum radius in HO, and generally at less than full throttle.