Problem with Re-assembly of Locomotive

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February 6, 2017

Mark needs help from readers:

“I dis-assembled my Ho AT & SF steam engine to clean. The wheels are connected by two metal strips and the mounting holes are not symmetrical. When operating, the motion of the two bars were an opposing X pattern. I didn’t think to mark them as I never imagined the asymmetry or this problem. I think I tried all of the possible (8) combinations but the wheels lock up every time. Help please.”

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3 Responses to Problem with Re-assembly of Locomotive

David Stokes says:

February 6, 2017 at 7:13 am

Mark,
You have probably committed a cardinal sin of loco dismantling steam locos – you dropped the wheels out.

When assembled the wheel centres and crank pin holes must all be exactly the same between each wheel, and with the connecting rods in proper “quartering”. Once these are upset it is a long job to get them right again. You may want to purchase a quartering jig and persevere. But my advice is send your loco back to the supplier/manufacturer and pay your money to get it fixed

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Frank B says:

February 6, 2017 at 10:15 pm

The angular setting of the pins in the driving wheels on one side of a steam loco
must be the same, so that the connecting rod fits horizontal to the ground.

The pins in the wheels on opposite sides of the loco must be 90 degrees apart.

Assemble the wheels onto each axle so that you have the 90 degree difference
(in the same direction for each axle). Then fit the axles in the chassis.

The first connecting rod fitted should then cause the wheels the other side to
be correctly lined up.

If this doesn’t seem to work, please post some pictures so we can see the problem.

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Robert says:

February 7, 2017 at 11:50 pm

I posted on 23rd Dec 2012 with some diagrams on how to quarter the wheels on a steam loco with an easy to make jig. Just enter “quartering” in the search box and it comes up straight away.
Robert

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