I am repairing a very old steam loco for a friend 2-6-2 . It’s an old british model. I have never pulled the main wheels off a steam loco before but I have to as the main axle that holds the main gear does not spin freely in the chassis and the main gear spins freely on the main axle. Are the main wheels press fit to the axle? Looking at wheel axle hub there is a round piece with a slot through that is flush with the outer wheel hub… If the axle was not flush to the outer edge I could use a blade screwdriver to turn it out. Do these slotted hubs have to be unscrewed first? or are they just for show and are press fit with the rest of the main wheel? Any help would be great before I make an attempt.
The Brits have been doing better than we have when mounting steam loco drivers. They usually have a square axle end that the driver (with a square axle shaft) fits on, then held on with a screw. This gives them automatic quartering on the drivers.
Since it is an older loco, I’m not really sure what might be there. Do a search for some Locomotive parts on the Internet and then contact them by email and they might be able to help you.
Here is one you could try first:
Your 2-6-2 is in pretty serious trouble. There are three tools that you will need to do this job:
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The Northwest Short Line (hereinafter NWSL) “Puller”.
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NWSL “Quarterer”
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NWSL “Sensipress” or similar vertical press.
Dropping the drivers out of a locomotive is not a big deal. Care and organization are the keys. you will need to remove the cover plate on the bottom, and they should just lift out. I would pull the crankpins for the main driver (with the gear) first, and just deal with it. The entire drive train will have to be pulled, cleaned, and re-lubricated, as will all the wheels and axles on the locomotive.
The main gear is cracked and useless - it will have to be replaced. If you have no source of parts, call NWSL - they may be able to help with a custom gear.
It is faintly possible that the wheel is keyed on the axle. (“Keyed” : matching slots cut into the axle and the wheel, with a small bar inserted into the aligned slots to eliminate the possibility of the wheel rotating on the axle.) The British are famous for that kind of excessive precision. [:)]
If so, it will eliminate the need for the Quarterer. To replace the gear, you will need to pull at least one wheel from the axle. If the wheel is not keyed onto the axle, you will need the Quarterer to line it up correctly when replacing it. If it is keyed, be careful not to lose the key when you pull the wheel.
You might have better luck finding an entire wheelset with the gear. You didn’t say who the maker was. a bit more information might get you better ideas than the generalizations that I’ve been able to provide.
Was it a kitbuilt engine or was it from the likes of Hornby/Dapol/Wrenn, etc? That could make a difference.
You might want to check out the line of wheels/axles/crankpins/etc made by Romford: http://www.btinternet.com/~markits/MARKITS_Price_Guide_2011_04.pdf (there are pics if you page down).
Andre
It may be a Hornby but it’s so old that any markings on it have sin ce worn off… I did get the wheels off and found a squared end on the axle hub… ( I wish it had had a screw on the end of the axle but no luck as the wheels were press fit. I got the gear out cleaned and reinstalled but the only problem now is I think I will have to use some AC glue to hold the wheel back onto the squared axle end. The axle was pressed into the gear as well and the sides of the chassis. Again I wish there was just a plate to remove on the bottom but not in this case. And thanks Andre for the catalogue of parts this will help for now and into the future.