Everything on model trains, model railroads, model railways, locomotives, model train layouts, scenery, wiring, DCC and more. Enjoy the world's best hobby... model railroading!
Engine Wheels Lifting
Lyle models OO and asks:
“Hi there, the small wheels at the front of my engine lift up but not off the track on the bend, but going backward it does not. Any help is great thanks.”
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION
Hi, Firstly check the back to backs on the wheels and if thats ok add some weight if possible to the pony. Hope this helps.
Basicallly agree. If the wheel gauge is wider than the rails, the leading truck will tend to be forced upward.
With the help of a large magnifying glass, inspect the pilot truck wheels running on a piece of the curved track, see if there is tighness. If possible, remove the truck to run it carefully and see what is happening.
An alternative to weight is a small spring made from springy wire (such as very fine piano wire) or recycle an old retractable pen spring by bending it to a suitable shape.
PS To reduce the wheel gauge, very carefully squeeze the wheels together in a small vice (or a vise in the USA), a tiny bit at a time until it is right.
I have glued a threaded nut on one of my steam engines, it works. I agree with checking the gauge of the wheels. Also, if your using flex track check for defects where it jumps off.
Use your phone to video what’s going on there, too.
The N-Scale Nerd says:
December 29, 2021 at 5:07 am
Use your phone to video what’s going on there, too.
Just to clarify and expand Brother Nerd’s response – by videoing the loco in action as it approaches the problem point and then watching at magnified and slower speed you will better be able to see what is actually going on. We could all be wrong, or right.
Still working on my 19×13” layout and after wiring the whole thing with a 14 gauge bus line and 18gauge track feeds every 3-5 feet, everything was running smoothly on the entire layout with my MRC DCC 3000 until one day last week when my most expensive engine stopped moving and another started sputtering with connectivity, yet a third train kept on running. I took off the MRC and put on one of those cheesy transformers and the engines worked a little. So now I’m guessing it’s time to update my transformer. Any thoughts? The part that convinced me was that it’s all been working nicely since upgrading the bus line and feeders.