IHC Passenger Cars

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kf4jqd

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Jan 13, 2001
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Hi Everyone and Happy Holiday's:

I haven't been on lately. I started a Ham Radio Group and has taken alot of my spare time. :eek: (My other hobby!)

I am going to give my opinion about International Hobby Corp's passenger cars. It is, buy from another manufacturer like Walthers or Athearn!

There is a major flaw I have found in them. Others may have too, but never posted it here. The flaw is, weight! There's NOT enough! :eek: Mine likes to derail. Here is a solution I first did.

First time I taped nuts inside the cars. I taped them because I knew in the future I wanted to add the "guts" and lighting.

Then I experimented on the coach car. The nuts had to be removed. It derailed because of lack of weight! :mad: I added a Walther's interior light. That pretty much solved the problem, but modifications to the trucks. Prevented me to use it.

Finally, I added some old weights from old Tyco trains. After I add them and the "guts", I couldn't put the roof back on! :mad: The "glass" for the windows is attatched to the roof.

For those who like super detailing. You will be spending ALOT of time detailing it yourself! :eek:

My advice is: These are excellent projects for the moderate or expert modeler. As for the beginner or lazy modeler (like myself:p ) I would go with Walther's, Athearn, or some else.

I do have two sets. I wont be getting rid of them. I do use them, but in the future I will buy Athearn or Walthers. What will I do with the IHC? They can set on a side tack at a station for passengers to be boarded.:)

I would like to hear from those who have IHC. What have you done to solve the problem?

Yes Rock Island Fans, Walthers and Athearn does make passenger cars for The Rock!:p

Andy
 
J

justind

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Jul 8, 2001
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Not too bad

I purchased a full 8-pack package of Heavyweight UP Overland on sale for $60, so for less than $10 per car I wasn't expecting them to be great, and I feel I got about what I paid for. However, my standards are not incredibly high.

The Cons: I agree, the cars are far too light for their size, but my major beef is the fact that the cars are prone to wobble horribly.

The Pros: Mine track well with no derailments except over poor switches with loose points. I can run all 8 all day (even on 18" curves) with no derailments on "GOOD" track. Also, I couldn't beat the price.

Now IHC promised me about a year ago they were sending out some washer kits that I could put on the trucks to reduce the wobble, but I've checked back with them twice and they have yet to send them...thanks for the reminder, I think I will email them right now.

Sorry yours aren't working out for you Andy, I hope you bought them at the sale price. Good luck.
 
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eightyeightfan1

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Jun 18, 2002
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I have IHC New Haven "Patriot " scheme heavyweights. Just taking them out of the box you can tell they're real light.
What I did was buy the interior kits, and super glued pennies to the floor of the car. Except for one car, this also seemed to stop the wobble.
The one car that wobbles, I trimmed, sanded, leveled the bolsters, but it still wobbles.
Here's a picture before the interior was installed.
 

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M

McFortner

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Sep 9, 2002
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And up to now, I thought I was the only one to use them as weights! When I was wargaming, I used them as bases for minatures too ($0.01 each was very cheap!).

Half of my son's cars have pennies in them to add weight. I joked with the guy at the train store where I got them that every used car I bought has already increased in value! ;) :D :D :rolleyes:

Michael

edited to fix tense agreement!
 
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Vic

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Feb 1, 2002
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Hi Andy, Sorry that your passenger cars aren't doing the job. Its been years and years since I had any of those (went to narrow gauge) They're the same Rivarossi cars that were sold for years and years under the AHM brand name.

Back when I had them they came with metal wheel sets for adding a lighting option. At the last trainshow I went to I noticed some packaged under the IHC label and they had some plastic wheelsets that didn't look too spiffy to me.

The "old ones" tracked great right out the box. Their biggest drawback was that talgo style horn hook coupler arrangement that would bind up and cause a derailment. Replacing it with the Kadee modification for it solved that. You might try a couple of cars with that to see if it works for you.

Also the "old ones" had European flanges on the wheels which of course were oversized. They would only run on code 100 rail. You might try changing out the wheelsets to something better and see if that helps.

73, K4VIC
 
K

kf4jqd

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Jan 13, 2001
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Metal wheels!

Trainworm:

That's right! The coach that I added interior lights has insulatied metal wheels! I will have to replace a couple of cars to see if that would work! :p

It's not all IHC fault either! :eek: :mad: :eek: I did use 18" radius in an area and I can't fix it! :( It's part of my fault too.

This is my first major layout and boy did I learn what to do and NOT to do! Next time!

Thanks again,
Andy
 
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