Flange reduction for some wheels

[FJ and G]

Thanks to some advice from a guy whose profile name is tsgtbob on the other forum, I have successfully reduced some wheel flange heights last night in just a matter of seconds by spinning the wheel in my drill over the bench grinder.

Apparently, there is no toy train flange depth standard and while most of the flanges navigate my code 148 track ok, some have overly deep flange depths.

A friend of mine, whose photos I often post on the Sunday foto fun page, got a Blue Comet O gauge tinplate for a Christmas present from his wife. However, it will not navigate the turnouts on his Atlas track.

So apparently, I’m not the only one who has experienced flange depth problems.

As most know, I operate toy trains remotely controlled on handlayed 2-rail track. I am not planning on running “scale” flanges as I enjoy the advantage of the wide tire/deep flanged toy train wheels. My only purpose is to slightly reduce the flange depth to prevent spike hammering by the wheels.

Interestingly, there’s some sort of bluing on the scintered metal wheels that becomes shiny once the procedure is instituted.

Incidentally, I am told, that flange depth on 1:1 trains is just 1 inch. I always find it amazing how just that 1 inch is enough to keep the trains on their track most of the time.

[andregg1]

HI David
I like al your proyect!!
About the wheel, actualy you can reduce the flange 1:1 but you must to increase the weigth to the real, because the car can make derailment.
Andre.

[fwright]

The flange itself does relatively little work, both on the prototype and the model. The wheel taper and flange fillet do most of the steering of the wheel set. In 3-rail, the round head of the tubular rail substitutes for the flange fillet. When the steering force needed exceeds that provided by the wheel taper and flange fillet, then the flange itself is the final "steering" force. But the flange rubbing against the track head is a very high friction force. The prototype had to use flange oilers on very sharp curves. Models pick at track imperfections very easily when the flange is rubbing against the railhead, and pulling capacity of a loco is substantially reduced.

When you think through the above, it says that normal 3-rail wheel sets with no flange fillets will theoretically run better (less friction) on tubular round head rail then on the more-to-scale sharp-cornered rail head - especially on big radius curves. Sounds like an experiment I'll have to try one of these days.

yours in wheel to track interfacing
Fred W

[IRONROOSTER]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FJ and G

...
Apparently, there is no toy train flange depth standard and while most of the flanges navigate my code 148 track ok, some have overly deep flange depths.

...

Actually there are http://www.nmra.org/standards/S-4_3DeepFlangeWheels.html
I don't know how well the manufacturers follow them though.
Enjoy
Paul