Wobbly loco fix.

[swiftbeam]

Hi,

 

Maybe this is of no interest to anybody?

My pet hate is locos that wobble from side to side due to incorrect wheel manufacture.

I know people justify it by saying locos do it in real life, but they really don't wobble in a repeating rhythm.

 

I found two fixes to this:-

 

1. Set up a jig and a dial test indicator on the wheel tread, find and mark all the high spots of the wheels, refit with wheels with all the marks in the same place. This method has worked for me, but takes care and a good small indicator of a certain type. What will happen if it does work is that the loco will simply rise and fall rather than wonk sideways. You can't see the rise and fall, so job done. I perfectly fixed a Bachmann 47 in 00 like this. May not work if you run your locos fast on big layouts, it may start to hop! This method will not work for locos with rods!

 

2. True the tyre treads in a lathe. With the loco axle locked in a three jaw and the wheel hard back to the chuck. Set up the lathe stops so all you can adjust is the depth of cut. Tread angles on small models seem to be about 2-3 degrees. This method has been 100% successful on my very wonky Dapol class 52 in 00 and just yesterday on my new Ixion GWR Fowler in O gauge. I found I needed a 0.003" skim to even up the 52 in 00 and 0.007" on the O gauge Fowler. A max cut needs to be found that will cover the worst wheel, and that needs to be applied to ALL the wheels!

 

Another tip I found here yesterday, was that birchwood casey super blue gun bluing will actually darken (not fully blacken) the nickel and brass on the wheels, and doesn't affect the electrical contact at all. I use this stuff all the time on steel and I also have the brass bluing in my stocks, so I was surprised to find the super blue, made for steel, does work on the exposed brass of loco wheels and to a lesser extent on the nickel :-)

 

Anyway, this may or may not help somebody, either way, I have smooth running non-wonky locos now :-)

Edited September 20, 2020 by swiftbeam