Michael Griffiths

 

The current collection is OK, the wheels appear to be not riding smoothly through the frog end of the points. They will go through when driven briskly but not when going fairly slowly as shunting locos should. I suspect it is a back-to-back wheel problem. I am reluctant to spend yet more on making an RTR loco run, otherwise I would have bought a kit in the first place.

Continuing from the above post, I have now filled the boiler with lead, adjusted the wheel back-to-back measurements, polished the wheels & track til you can see your face in them but absolutely nothing will make this loco go through code 100 insulfrog points at anything less than a scale 90 mph. As a shunter it is a complete disaster. Don't buy one unless you want it to haul a main line express.

The minimum back to back has to be 14.5mm or 14.8mm for finescale track.

 

Just be inserting a screw driver between the chassis and wheels will help quickly re-gauge them but make sure its as near to the axle as possible.

 

btw all, i will try and get that promised photo of my compensated pug asap.

Thanks for your help Robert, I will try this & add more weight inside the boiler if there is space. Your photos are inspiring, I will continue to perservere with my frustrating little loco!!

When you say it won't go through your small radius insulfrog points, is it having trouble with current collection on the insulated frog, or is/are the flanges on the wheels riding up onto the top of the rails, or something else? If it's the first, then the wheel back-to-backs will make no difference as the problem is the insulfrogs on the points

The current collection is OK, the wheels appear to be not riding smoothly through the frog end of the points. They will go through when driven briskly but not when going fairly slowly as shunting locos should. I suspect it is a back-to-back wheel problem. I am reluctant to spend yet more on making an RTR loco run, otherwise I would have bought a kit in the first place.

I have just been given (18./12/11) a new Hornby Pug & it runs slowly & well EXCEPT it will not go through any of my small radius insulfrog points, which my other small non-Hornby locos sail through. I read Chris Nevard's thoughts on re-gauging the wheels, if this is what it needs, how do I do it please? The wheels at present, back-to-back, are about 13.8mm

Or should I get the giver to take it back to the shop, & risk getting another exactly the same? Thanks for your help.