hawthorne coke christmas train coupling issue

[lig24]

My late father gave me a coca cola hawthorne Christmas set around 2008.  the engine connects to the coal car by a flat blade that a plastic spike on the car
fits into. Problem is that the loc and car always disconnect regardless of speed or layout to the point i put the set away for years.  My grandson
loves trains, real and toy, and I would like to set this up for christmas, but same problem.  Does anyone have a suggested coupling I can add, if It can be done, to
the loco replacing the flat blade?  At this point I would run the set without the coal car just to get it up and running

thanks for the help

[Flare]

Are the rail joiners connected properly? Uneven track can be the problem.

The track that comes with Hawthorne Village trains has roadbed that snaps together easily even if the rail joiners slide under the rails of the adjoining segment.

Running your finger across each junction will let you know if it needs to be redone.


If all is well track-wise, you can try bending the engine's blade upward so it will be less likely to slide down the coal car's spike.

[Terry Toenges]

Is this flat blade screwed into the loco and, if so, has the screw loosened to where the blade is hanging down too low? If it is a screw, try tightening it. Don't over tighten as the blade has to still be able to move side to side.