Undersize center driver on IHC 2-10-2 ?

[msowsun]

The new IHC 2-10-2 has a blind center driver like many 2-10-2’s, but it is also undersized and does not touch the rails.

I was told by IHC that this is intentional and that Rivarossi’s were also produced this way.

Is this true? And is there a vailid reason for making them this way?

[msowsun]

Upon closer inspection, I realized that the center driver is not really undersized, it is just sitting up higher than the rest of the drivers. They are all about 60" or 5’ in diameter.

[Darth_Santa_Fe]

Upon closer inspection, I realized that the center driver is not really undersized, it is just sitting up higher than the rest of the drivers. They are all about 60" or 5’ in diameter.

Well, in that case, you can probably lower the axle if you want. One way of doing it would be to file down the part of the axle retainer/underframe that’s holding it up, and then put some small pieces of brass sheet between the axle and frame to function as new bearings. I don’t really have any more ideas besides that one.

[msowsun]

I tried putting the loco on the rails with the backing plate off, and sure enought the driver dropped right down to the rail. In fact the gear was still meshing!

All the other axles have small sleeve bearings, and the 1st and 4th set are sprung with tiny coil springs.

The frame has cutouts for the center driver that look like they were designed for bearings but there is no bearings on the center axle. It just sits in a deeper slot and is held higher off the rails by small bosses on the backing plate.

Thanks for the tip. I’ll see if I can come up with something…

[bogp40]

I tried putting the loco on the rails with the backing plate off, and sure enought the driver dropped right down to the rail. In fact the gear was still meshing!

All the other axles have small sleeve bearings, and the 1st and 4th set are sprung with tiny coil springs.

The frame has cutouts for the center driver that look like they were designed for bearings but there is no bearings on the center axle. It just sits in a deeper slot and is held higher off the rails by small bosses on the backing plate.

Thanks for the tip. I’ll see if I can come up with something…

Make sure that any of your modifications can be reversed if a new tracking or derailing problem occures. This may have been engineered to have the long ridgid framed loco negotiate tighter radiuses and the driver raised for more radical upeasings and overeasings. If the cover lugs can be removed to let the wheel have free movement, you shouldn’t have any problems.

[SteamFreak]

Make sure that any of your modifications can be reversed if a new tracking or derailing problem occures. This may have been engineered to have the long ridgid framed loco negotiate tighter radiuses and the driver raised for more radical upeasings and overeasings. If the cover lugs can be removed to let the wheel have free movement, you shouldn’t have any problems.

Yes, be very careful that you don’t drop that axle too low, because it will catch the edges of the railhead coming out of curves. That’s why they’ve elevated it.

Nelson

[Pruitt]

The frame has cutouts for the center driver that look like they were designed for bearings but there is no bearings on the center axle. It just sits in a deeper slot and is held higher off the rails by small bosses on the backing plate.

Maybe during manufacturing the bearings were left out unintentionally. I’d contact IHC again and ask about it. The photos they put out to sell the unit dure don’t show a high center driver.