Newly repaired loco doesn't like settrack points.

[08221]

49 minutes ago, grahame said:

 

It's nothing to be scared of. You can get BtB gauges to assist and ensure the gap is correct but it's something you really need to get a grip of. Then you'll be able to check and adjust all your rolling stock and find that they will run better. 

 

BtBs can go out of gauge over time, through use, handling, if the model is sent in the post and so on. In fact many new models can be received needing the BtB to be tweaked/corrected.

 

Checking the B2Bs is the first thing I suggested, it’s a simple thing to do and makes a huge difference to achieving reliable running.

 

Before any new stock gets put on my layouts, I check the B2Bs, only takes a minute and saves a lot of frustration.

 

[AndrueC]

2 hours ago, grahame said:

 

It's nothing to be scared of. You can get BtB gauges to assist and ensure the gap is correct but it's something you really need to get a grip of. Then you'll be able to check and adjust all your rolling stock and find that they will run better.

It's getting a grip that scares me because the valve gear are very delicate. How do I adjust the BtB? It seems like 'twist the wheels while pulling them apart' is the normal way but in that case I'll need to remove the valve gear. That seems like a very difficult and delicate job.

[woodenhead]

I thought it was simply to push in the BtB tool - that's what I did with all my Dapol Colletts, some didn't like it very much.

[AndrueC]

3 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

I thought it was simply to push in the BtB tool - that's what I did with all my Dapol Colletts, some didn't like it very much.

So just push the BtB gauge between the wheels (maybe gentle persuasion with a (small!) hammer?

[08221]

Very gently twist the wheels on the axles and they will move until the B2B gauge fits tightly, no need for brute force required!

[grahame]

I use the BtB gauge to check - if it won't fit in then the wheels need moving out, and if it's loose and sloppy the wheels need moving in. Either way it's the wheels that need to move (and usually just a little) and not the valve gear.  A snug fit of the gauge is required - and hopefully many wheelsets won't need adjustment.

[woodenhead]

1 minute ago, AndrueC said:

So just push the BtB gauge between the wheels (maybe gentle persuasion with a (small!) hammer?

I just pushed mine home, no massive pressure, certainly no hammers of any size.

 

The point is to ease the wheels out slightly not shatter the plastic with a shock

[Dr Al]

On 05/05/2021 at 18:53, 33C said:

I still think a spring is missing from the small locating hole in the chassis (shown earlier) that puts pressure on the bogie, to aid road holding, and guides the bogie through pointwork like the prototype.

 

No, the Farish Duchess does not have this.

 

Cheers,

Alan

[Dr Al]

On 05/05/2021 at 21:26, AndrueC said:

It's getting a grip that scares me because the valve gear are very delicate. How do I adjust the BtB? It seems like 'twist the wheels while pulling them apart' is the normal way but in that case I'll need to remove the valve gear. That seems like a very difficult and delicate job.

 

No, no, no. It's the front bogie wheels that are clearly out from the photo. Do not touch the drivers, they are highly unlikely to be out, and you risk messing up things like quartering and valve gear (crossheads are cast, so particularly delicate - I've seen a clutch of Farish models with broken valve gear in this area, likely due to mishandling).

 

I would strongly recommend firstly removing the front bogie (just one screw) and you'll probably find it no longer derails, therefore confirming it as the cause. Second, adjust that front wheel back to back, or if too afraid, unclip the bogie base and swap the two wheelsets around to see if that changes things. Thirdly, seek professional assistance of someone to make the corrections for you.

 

Best,

Alan

[AndrueC]

She's back! A fairly quick turn-around from Bachmann.

 

Apparently there was far more wrong with her than we suspected. The engineer found a broken cylinder block as well as all the B2B being out. He has replaced the block and the running gear and adjusted the B2B. I've only given her a once-around-the-track but she seems to be running better than ever. Unlike when I first got her there's not even the slightest indication of complaint with my R2 curves.

 

It does puzzle me how she came to be that damaged. Makes me wonder if she was second hand but as far as I know she was bought new. Anyway I'm glad to get her back.

 

Time to update my blog and create a video.

Edited May 24, 2021 by AndrueC

[Dr Al]

Cracked cylinder blocks are very common on A1, A2s due to bad packing design that means the cylinders hold the loco in the packing and therefore take all the stress of drops, bad handling etc in the post.

 

May be similar for the Duchess, or you just may have got unlucky - main thing is that they have resolved the issues.

 

Cheers,

Alan