I just finished installing the traction tire equipped drivers supplied by BLI,i found that there is no clearence between the traction tires and the rear shoes and hangers on the middle set of drivers.Has anyone else had this problem.Also one of the problems i have had with both versions of the hudson was tracking,I allways figured it was due to poor weight distribution the engine is way to heavy in the rear ,and when pulling thru curves and grades i have watched the engine sag in the rear lifting the front pilot allmost completly off the track.While I had the engine disasembled to change the drivers I placed a small shim under the trailing truck on top of the spring.This lifted the rear of the engine putting more pressure on the front truck tracking so far has been exceptional.[:D][:D]
Make sure the tire is fully seated in the groove. If it is you may need to sand it down a tad. Increasing spring pressure on the rear truck will decrease the weight on drivers, which is not usually desirable. But, with the traction tire that may be a moot point, and if it solved your tracking problem that’s what matters.
Virginian,thanks I did sand down the drivers and just to be safe I filed a little off the rear shoes,and the middle hangers.The pulling performance is outstanding compared to the non traction tire equipped drivers.I spent about two hours last night putting the hudson to work forwards backwards thru #4’s on the local lead like a world of difference.Like I said before i have both the original and the new version and although I really liked the sound They never got much track time,due to the poor tracking.Now they can due what they were destined to due pull 10 car set of OK Streamliner’s
I have trouble with mine also. I will try shimming the back truck, and I would like to put middle drivers on that don’t have flanges. Can you get wheels with traction tires and no flanges, or am I stuck with it like it is?
I had to add weight to the front truck. Looka a little sh—y but what ya gunna do ??
Kenny47 You might want to try shimming the trailing truck as I did so far the results have been very good.I have run mine on my layout with less than perfect trackwork,and at the club with very good trackwork so far only one derailment.
Thanks railguyho. I think I need to find the parts diagram for that fix. I was wondering if anybody took BLI up on the trade in offer? I must have the second series because the troubles they talk aboutdon’t happen on mine. I have a volume adjustment in the tender, and mine pulls like crazy. I don’t want to spend $100 for no real improvement.
Bli has the directions for changing the drivers out in pdf on their web site.I have both orig/ volume adj in tender pulls like crap new version same thing how long have you had your hudson new version is only a few months old.And the driver conversion is a breeze 5 min tops.