1:20.3 truck journal lid warning

[Kevin Strong]

As much as I love the operating journal lids on the new trucks, be forewarned that groundcovers--especially thyme, veronica, and sedum--will reach out and open them up or pull them off. This seems to be more of a problem with the archbar trucks, as the lids are a bit looser than the ones on the hopper car.

I did manage to find three of the four that came off.

Later,

K

[altterrain]

Truck eating plants!?!    That's a new one!

-Brian

[traindude109]

Thanks for the warning. I have not had the problem with my flatcar yet. Luckily I don't have a lot of close track growing plants.

[japasha]

Kevin,

Pehaps we need an operating weed-whacker car for the garden.  I beleive Soprano Industries in New Jersey offers one.

[r.cprmier]

Weed-whacker car?  Soprano Industries?  Joisey?  You Do know what this sounds like, don't you?

Rich

PS:  Any word on the K-27?

[Tom Lapointe]

Thanks for the "heads-up" on this potential problem, Kevin!

I don't have ground-cover plants to contend with (my railroad's built elevated) , but almost half my mainline runs OVER an existing box hedge (which provides some "ready-made scenery" .  As soon as it starts to warm up here in MA (supposed to start this weekend, FINALLY!!! ), I'm going to have to keep close tabs on keeping the hedges trimmed back as soon as they begin to sprout (I've had sprouts grow completely across the track in a single night!





..so far at least, I haven't had any problems with the journal lids on the 3 Bachmann 1:20 freight cars I've picked up to date (2 of the hoppers, 1 of the box cars); but if you look to the right of the passenger train in the 1st photo, you can see a few sprouts peeking through some extra decking I've added in this area; it's a narrow stretch behind our barrel shed, very tough to reach with the hedge trimmers (unless I actually climb up on the track!).  A couple of weeks ago, these sprouts caught on the hopper doors when I happend to run them upgrade on the outside track (the same direction the "Connie"-powered freight is running) & caused a minor derailment , so I think I'm going to have to "terminate" them before they cause me more problems!                                   Tom