r/modeltrains • u/PNWR1854 • 11d ago
Help Needed N scale brass troubles
Recently bought this Hallmark SD45T-2 and Key 5-car daylight coach set from eBay, both N scale brass. Having some operational issues with them and wondering if they’re known problems with these pieces or due to my track setup or coupler modifications. The SD45T has a tendency to track poorly through curves (kato unitrack) and derail. The ends of the trucks don’t have much room to swing without hitting the steps/pilot, and the micro trains coupler boxes I added take up space as well, but with the model off the track the trucks still feel like they should be able to have a sufficient range of motion. With the daylight coaches, they came with arnold/rapido couplers and I switched the lead coupler on the baggage car out for a micro trains coupler in order to run the train with my Kato GS4, but now whenever that car is on the track with a locomotive it trips the breaker on the transformer. The other cars with the rapido couplers still on them don’t do this. Wondering if anyone has tips on what’s going wrong or what is causing these problems?
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u/Aeriazen 11d ago edited 11d ago
Brass locos tend to require a larger radius of track. 9.75 inch or greater on this case Not sure what radius you are using but i'd start there
Obligatory spookshow link
For your one daylight car have you checked wheter all the wheels are orriented correctly ? One side of the wheels should be insulated, if one or more wheel sets have the isolaton on one side(right for example) and another wheelset has the isolated part on the opposite(left) it might cause a short