Getting wheels in gauge is not too difficult, and is certainly necessary to avoid derailments. But I’ve also seen it recommended to center the wheels on the axles to avoid angled tracking. Does anyone have a practical method for centering wheels on an axle?
Just a little off center…
chicochip
Grasp the axle with a pair of needle nose pliers and work the wheels individually to the required place on the axle.
I find brand selection the best answer. some Distributors/importers buy what’s cheapest, and wheel replacement can cure many things.
I bought JayBee & NWSL Wheelsets, and immediately out-of-gauge wheelsets became a thing out of the past.
Unfortunately neither of these posters’ methods will truly give you wheels centered on an axle. The first one would more or less duplicate what you already have. What I would do is take a wheel/axle assembly you know is good and build a fixture around that so you could locate one wheel properly from the axle end. Then take an NMRA gauge and gauge the second wheel from the first. Make the fixture out of brass or some metal to try and counter wear on the fixture.
Another way, and a bit more fiddly would be to take a known good wheel/axle, and with digital calipers, measure the distance from one reference point on a wheel to the axle end. Take a suspect wheel/axle assembly and position one wheel from the axle end with the same measurement you just made. Then take your NMRA gauge and gauge the second wheel from the first.
I’ve done both, and if you’ve got a bunch to do, the fixture method is the way to go. One thing to be wary of is keeping the wheel perpendicular to the axle.
Thank you, Jack. That was the answer I was looking for.
chicochip
While on the subject of wheelsets and trucks, I have a little problem that has just come up. I am in “N” and using Kato Unitrak and my caboose, Athern, is losing a wheel set from a truck as it is pulled around my little door-sized layout.Can someone tell me why and what to do about it? I am fairly new to N and don’t have many tools, etc. other than my fingers for getting it put together.What make of trucks does Athern use and what would be better alternates, if needed? Many thanks from this Old Man.
Bill
Bill,
It sounds like you have a standard wheelset in a Microtrains truck. Are they metal wheels and have you changed the trucks?
Gary
Gary: Thanks for the reply. The trucks are as delivered from Athern, otherwise maker is unknown. One axle falls out of place, then when I get it back, the other axle comes out. As of right now, it is running OK, but it is only a matter of time… I would like to replace it, but I’m not acquainted with the “newer” types available. I was into HO in the 1950’s, so I’m a complete idiot, only older. In looking thru the Internet, I see that most cabooses of the 50’s used a type of Bettendorf truck, only with a leaf spring under the bolster instead of coil springs. Do you know of anyone making those in N?[%-)]
Bill
I’m not Gary, but I think I have your answer. The truck you are talking is called a Bettendorf Swing Motion truck. Micro Trains part #003 02 140…$3.60 per pair on their website. This is NOT one of their trucks with the coupler attached. The MT site does not list specifically the conversion for your caboose; at times they’ll show what truck to use when doing a coupler conversion.
Morning, Jack: Many thx for the reply. I have done some “finger walking” on the Int and found that same truck on MT’s site. I also chk’d other prototype sites for cabooses to look at trucks and came to the same conclusion. If the wheel sets don’t remain in the sideframes as they should, I shall see if my LHS has the MTs in stock.
Bill
Bill,
Its Gary again. If you run broad curves you can run body mount couplers. Just drill a small hole and use 00-90 tap, then CA the coupler to the bottom of the body. Then screw the coupler to the bottom of the car just snug, make sure your couplers to swing freely. There is not much room for error when drilling the hole. Some manufacturers put a hole in the bottom of the cars for you, wish Atlas did. I’m sure if you searched the net you could find a tutorial on it.
Gary
…and it’s Athearn not Athern.
Gary: Again, thanks for your reply. I was thinking along that line myself, but not too sure how to manage it without the proper tools, etc., I am not far enough advanced in the hobby yet to have a lot of proper equiptment to do even minor repairs, let alone a relatively major reconstruction! As I mentioned, I will continue to run the caboose until it does it again, then will consult with the LHS and see what we can do. In checking web sites, I find the truck that I want, but it seems to be less coupler, where the present offender is truck mounted. Do you know of any maker that has a caboose truck w/coupler?
Bill
No need to glue and screw. Just drill and tap the hole and screw the coupler and draft gear box down to the body. I’d avoid gluing the coupler box down as the glue can get into the box and freeze up the coupler. Had that happen to me. Another downside to gluing the box down - how you gonna remove it if you have to service the coupler?
Yes, body-mounting couplers can really help. Truck-mounted couplers (“talgo mount”) are generally a bad idea, except in these limited cases:
Almost all equipment is approximately the same length.
Trains are short (less than a dozen cars max).
You seldom need to do backing movements. Backing up tends to introduce a lot of lateral forces to the trucks, which leads to derailments.
I have found the Layout Design SIG’s discussion of layout curve radius and it’s effect on equipment to be most enlightening.
Bill,
I got the drill bit and tap in Spencer, which I believe was a Walthers item. If you think you might want to convert most of your rolling stock later and put together your own couplers, the microtrains coupler assembly jig is a must. The only special tools you need to mount the couplers is a pin viseand a small flat screwdriver. I normally put a drop of CA of a 3x5 card and apply it with a toothpick, but I normally do at least 2 cars at a time.
If it is possible you could go ahead and get the correct truck and put it on the “back” and not worry about a coupler till later. The bad side is that you now have a directional car.
Gary
Gary: Hmmmm. Sounds like an inexpensive solution, at least for the time being. My caboose only goes in the same direction anyway. Thnx
Bill