I bought a K-Line GG1 at a train show about two years ago and the side casting broke, it is the peice that goes over the three wheels below one of the cab doors. Currently it is on the shelf and I have not run it for a few months, is it safe to run?
Lee F.
Lee, Isn’t that just an “appearance” item, no support for axles , etc. As far as a replacement part I would reccommend contacting Brasseur, The Train Doctor, I’ve had some work done there and it is [tup][tup]. Check one of the CTT issues for their web addy and/or phone, they advertise in it on a regular basis.
Thanks Doug! Not sure if just an appearance item or not.
Lee F.
Lee, You’re meaning the sideframe on the truck, right? If so, they should be nothing more than an appearance item. On the earlier model trucks they were permanently attached to the truck blocks but the later models some brands started attaching the sideframes with screws (what took 'em so long) just to give the appearance of journals, springs, etc. in an effort to add realism.
Doug’s correct. The sideframe of the truck is just for decoration. It should not bother function at all. Just make sure that when the piece broke, that no small pieces of metal are near the gears. Sometime the grease is tacky enough that it will “hold” a piece of broken metal. If it is one of the newer GG1s, it should be real easy to repair. If it is an older one, the you may need to adapt the sideframe to work by using some CA glue and pieces of metal to attach to the truck. As for K-Line repairs, there is a forum site for older K-Line information and I believe they should have repair tips there. If not, they certainly can help. I think if you do a search here on the CTT forum, that is where I first learned of the K-Line group.
dennis