I have noticed that most of my MT boxcars with operating doors, on long trains, keep opening while running on my layout. The R.R. Police have not found that anybody has been hopping a free ride so I guess I can surmise that the doors vibrate open....by themselves? I've never seen any other posting of this happening. I really am not interested in gluing the doors shut as that kind of defeats the purpose. My layout has no grades, no derailment problems, I use metal wheels on everything and I run 40-50 car trains. I thought about not posting this as it really is strange, to me. No sooner than I close all the doors and 8-10 minutes later, on the next pass around, the damn doors are open again. I guess I could follow the train and stare at the boxcars as they go around the layout...... Brian
One thing that pops to mind is clay that doesn't dry out, as sold at Hobby Lobby, Wal-Mart and elsewhere. You could add a tiny lump of it inside the carbody along each door rail. I also wonder if you might try lightly bending the part of the door that fits in the door rail so that it applies extra pressure. That'd make it more resistant to sliding.
There are micro vibrations even if you are using metal wheels. There are track joints. You train stops and goes and changes speed and couples (remember Newton? ). Unless you physically restrain them like Hardcoaler said (Blue Tack or Fun Tack), they will eventually move.
Some of mine do that, too. Tooling tolerances. I just say they WERE closed when the car was loaded and now are open after they have been unloaded. But seriously, doing the things Hardcoaler suggested will work. You could even paint the guides with clear flat paint to add friction. Funny, I never noticed it as much on my real old MT cars. Doug
When running a freight on an NTRAK layout it seems that every Microtrain car with opening doors will have them all open by the time the train makes one circuit. Happens to everyone. I have been meaning to take a toothpick and put a tiny dab of rubber cement in the tracks of the doors where it will not show. If I ever want to open the door, the blob could just roll up like a booger. But alas, I never get around to it. Too many box cars to put hobos in all of them.
MT sells small springs that add rolling resistance that will prevent . . . Oh wait, wrong problem. Never mind. Russ, have you tried turning the cars around and opening the doors? Maybe that will close them.
I'm glad you took the time to post this. I've never paid attention to that so will have to see if that happens for me. Hardcoaler suggestions of those soft calys to hold them is a good one. MK has a point that even the smallest vibration from a track joint can have an affect. Inkaneer is actually on to something here. It's one of those things that I hardly ever notice and never bothers me but it does others, the infamous M/T slinky effect. Since it does cause the cars to bob forward and back, it could very well be what is causing the doors to move. Just me thoughts on it
So folks want more detail so MT gives them working boxcar doors. They even give a wood floor in the area of the doors so even more detail. Now folks are fussing about the doors opening. In my many years since I started buying the MT cars just for that reason I have not had the issue described.
There are two rather common causes to the doors seemingly opening on their own. Door fairies and/or the air pressure difference between wherever you are and Talent OR. That factory air is always trying to escape...
On my MT boxcars I press a little blob of blue sticky-tack (the stuff they sell for sticking posters to walls) onto each door rail inside the shell. That holds the door in place, but not so firmly that you can't still open it manually.
That, or you been drag racing your trains! Those aren't starting signals there, next to the tracks...
I always figure they just left the doors open to air out whatever smelly commodity that was last shipped in the cars.
I really do love all the replies. Apparently this has been a well kept and known "feature"! Now I know the remedies or I can pretend like I never noticed this in the last 30+ years....... Thanks, Brian
You can put a load in the car so it's more interesting if the doors slide open. I did this in O gauge. No reason it couldn't be done in N scale.
Hey BKLOSS ..... you are not alone. I was at our club on Thursday and one of the topics of discussion was how my MT boxcar doors keep opening up. We never had a derailment all day so the track is pretty well laid. There are some gaps in rail joints and a lot of points so it must be the vibration from that. Next week I'll intentionally close all the doors and see how long it takes for them to open.
