Anyone that has the Con Cor Aerotrain and has been disappointed in it's performance but have kept it as a display, I believe I have the solution to get it up and running. I have the 10 car set and worked on the problems and now mine runs beautifully. 1[SUP]st[/SUP] Paint all diaphrams and bogies silver ( this doesn't help running but makes it more prototypical) 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] Remove all circuit boards except the engine,first car behind the engine and the Observation car (yes you lose the lights but it is worth it) 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] Add weights to all coaches and the observationcar. I used the NMRA standards plus ¼ to ½ more 4[SUP]th[/SUP] Regauge all wheels 5[SUP]th[/SUP] Lock down all bogies, they pivot, I believe this is one of the major causes of derailments. To lock down a bogie I use 1/32”x1/32”x1/2” strip styrene, you'll need 2 per car, no need to lock down the engines bogie. Wedge the styrene strip on one side of the bogie only, this will align it and keep it from pivoting. I used Aileens tacky glue to hold it in place (in case I need to remove it at a future date it will be easy) you may need to use an xacto knife to lightly shave the bogie if it's to tight to wedge in. See pic of white styrene strip in place. Hope this helps
You mean to say Concor finaly made something that was prototypical right down to the disappointing performance?
Bob, Nice to see you got the Error Train I mean Arrow Train operating reliably.:teeth: Here is a picture of it rolling through Citrus and Ontario at the open house. Phillip
No fun. Do you have a smart phone? Nice shot Philip. The blur indicates the train was moving too.:startled:
I can agree with all the modifications, but I do have a couple of questions. I absolutely LOVE the lighting on this thing and would hate to give that up. What is the reason for removing the circuit boards ??? I'm guessing it's because of the wires between each car. Also, how would locking the bogies affect turning ??? Seems it would take 3 acres to turn the train, and turnouts would be a big "no-no" !!! I think proper weight and locking the bogies would solve my problems, but I really don't wanna' lose those lights. THANKS for your research and info !!!
Well to each his own....I love the model's prototypical appearance but I always thought the inside lights look goofy, not like any train I've ever seen. And the cab lights? I mean, are they arc welding in there? The crew couldn't see out day or night, they'd be blind. I'd kill the lights even if it didn't help tracking... But hey, that's just me... :question: Otto K.
The bogies are single axle just like the old European equipment and those were solid, they didn't pivot and never had any trouble with curves or turn outs (also being short wheel based helps too) I've run the train thru turn outs and thru passing sidings and no problems. As far as removing the circuit boards I first tried folding the plugs over to tuck in under the roof but they seemed to push up on the body and keep it from locking into place or leaving a gap between the body and the belly pan so it was better to remove the whole board allowing more room for weights. When I first got the train I noticed that when all cars were plugged together and you set the whole train on a table top you could watch the train start to kink in different directions because of the stress from all the wires between each car. I too like the lights and I am looking into that, but for now I at least have a train that can run trouble free
Hi Otto. I agree the lights shouldn't be on in the cab. So much was wrong with the real train maybe they are Arc welding in there.
