Fen End Pit's Blog

Yes, having the axlebox flange on the outside only will prevent the use of springs to hold the horn-guides against the frames (my normal method). You might be able to get away without springs and keep the axleboxes in place with Blutac or there is high temperature adhesive tape available which might be useful to hold the horn-guides in place till tack soldered. Finally, a thought which will probably get me drummed out of the loco builders guild - if you turn the axleboxes upside down (not back-to-front), the flanges will be on the inside, allowing the normal assembly method. Turning the boxes this way will not affect the longitudinal position of the holes in case of any eccentricity in the fore-aft direction. Please don't hit me, it's just an idea!

 

Chassis coming along nicely, by the way.

 

Dave.

..... if you turn the axleboxes upside down (not back-to-front), the flanges will be on the inside, allowing the normal assembly method. Turning the boxes this way will not affect the longitudinal position of the holes in case of any eccentricity in the fore-aft direction. .....

 

Assuming I've understood this correctly, if there is a slight eccentricity in the box fore and aft, then turning it upside down will surely move the eccentricity to the opposite side? I.e. if the axle hole was biased towards the front in the normal position, then it would move to be biased towards the back if you turned it upside down.....

 

Or have I looked at it from the wrong angle?

Assuming I've understood this correctly, if there is a slight eccentricity in the box fore and aft, then turning it upside down will surely move the eccentricity to the opposite side? I.e. if the axle hole was biased towards the front in the normal position, then it would move to be biased towards the back if you turned it upside down.....

 

Or have I looked at it from the wrong angle?

 

Yes, but the boxes are also being inserted from the inside of the frames. Imagin having a box in its correct position, then drop it down out of the horguide, turn it upside down - sort of end over end under the frames, so the retaining flange is now inside but the front and rear of the box remain unaltered. The axis of rotation is the horizontal centre line parallel with the frames, not the axle centre line. A diagram might help, but I'm not at home and haven't got access to a scanner.