I recieved a Model Power HO scale search light car for Christmas. It’s a nice car, but it’s giving me issues. Mainly with the trucks picking turnout points and frogs. I know it’s just this car because it’s the only one giving me issues. I’ve checked the wheels with a NMRA gauge; they are spaced evenly BUT the flanges are too high. I’m thinking that the large flanges are catching and causing the car to derail.
Is there a way to shorten the flanges down? Has anyone done this? I was thinking it might work with a dremel/grinder/sander attachment, but wasn’t sure. Replacing the wheels/trucks isn’t that easy as they are made to pick up electrical contact for the light on the car. (it has one metal wheel and one plastic wheel with a metal axle.)
I have used my electric drill as a lathe, grasping the tread of one wheel in the chuck and turning down the flange using a file. A micrometer or vernier calipers would help, and in my case, a whole lot of patience.[(-D]
Good luck,
Cheers, the Bear.
Sounds like old style ‘‘pizza cutter’’ wheels, they should work on code 100 track, not 83. You can replace the wheel sets a lot easier than trying to grind down those and then You would still have problem’s with guard rails with flanges to wide. Electrical pick-up not a problem with new wheel sets, one wheel is on NS axle, other wheel is on same axle but, the center is insulated from axle. You put insulated wheels on one side of one truck and other side of other truck. There are a lot of replacement wheel MFG’s out there, Exact rail being one of them, Intermountain, Kadee, Proto and others. Exactrail link:
Even if you grind down the flanges, and that can be done, the wheels will very likely still not have the RP25 contour with the slight fillet near the flange, which in theory helps tracking as well (although some disagree). You can purchase replacement wheels that are insulated and made to pick up current just like these are.
I agree with replacement, look at Intermountain, Proto 2000, Bachmann, or Kadee 33" metal wheel sets. Any of these will work and drop in to replace those old style wheels.
Also, if you do not have one, get a MicroMark Truck Tuner. It is a cutter tool that cleans out the cone shaped pocket on the truck that the end of the axle fits in.
Posting a picture of the actual axle may help determine your best option.
I have turned down flanges in a lathe, but I don’t see why the drill idea wouldn’t work. Use a fine flat file, and turn down the flange of the wheel that is in the drill chuck. then use small hobby files to contour the flange. May be worth a try.
Was able to turn the flanges down with a drill/file. This got them to fit the NMRA gauge better, but it still de railed like crazy. I put a whole entire set of new different wheels in place and viola it doesn’t de rail anymore. The issue now is the coupler/coupler boxes are too high and I’ve got to install new ones.
Of the manufacturers I mentioned in my post above, all have metal wheels. Proto 2000 has a plastic axle, the others have a metal axle with a plastic insulator on one wheel. This is sufficient for safe operation and allows for power pickup on a lighted car.
Thanks for the replies. I filed the flanges down and the same problems kept reocurring. I replaced the wheels with better ones and viola it works better. Now the couplers are too high. Since they were connected to the trucks, I have to install coupler boxes.
I argued with the car for 6 hours before I gave up. I’ll tackle it another day.