I have an old set of Williams aluminum passenger cars. One of the cars derails because the wheels are too close together and the wheels actally drop between the rails resulting in derailment. The wheels spin independantly on the axles similar to prewar and postwar car trucks.
I could install shims between the wheels and the pinch-point on the axle to move the wheels further apart. However, before I do that, has anyone come up with a better way to spread the wheels.
Earl
Can you get replacement axles?
You can try squeezing the axle with a pair of diagonal cutters where you want the wheel to stop. It may deform the axle enough to do the job.
Larry
Larry, I didn't try distressing the axle because the axle appears to be too hard to distress by hand.
Has anyone had success distressing the axle by hand?
I put washers behind the wheels. The problem can be bad design, or wear on either the axle or the wheel. Washers will help in all cases, both by correcting the wheelset gauge and by providing a much greater bearing area to reduce future wear. Keep in mind that you can make finer adjustments if you don't unnecessarily assume that there must be the same number of washers on each side.
Bob Nelson
lionelsoni I put washers behind the wheels.
I put washers behind the wheels.
Bob,
Did you cut the washer to get it on the axle or did you remove the axel?
The truck side assemblies on my Williams passenger car are die-cast and will not open far enough to remove the axle. The sides are riveted to the truck. I really don't want to remove the rivets so I will probably have to cut the washers to get them on the axle.
I've always been able to spread the truck just enough to get the axle free. If the body of the truck that the sideframes are riveted to is sheet steel, I would go ahead and try. But I wouldn't want you to if you are uncomfortable with doing it.
Cutting washers is a good trick for shimming locomotive wheels; but, on a car, I would be afraid that the cut-out part would get aligned with the axle upset and get crooked.
Can you post a picture of a truck?
I always have trouble posting pictures on the forum. I succeeded once, but I can't get this picture to post correctly.
Anyway, here is the link to the photo:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/evueh60gkk7815o/DSC02985.JPG
2nd try to post photo...
<edit> Failed again!!!
Worked for me?
Right click, Copy Image. Then Paste to post
I have had the same issue with post war Lionel blue stripe passenger cars and I swap out the wheels with angle cut wheels and axles and it seems to fix it for me. I just bought late model wheel cars and put those axles and wheel loads on the blue stripe Lionel cars and no more problems. Then I put the Blue stripe wheels and axles on the wheel cars and all is good. I have been able to spread the truck enough to change the axles. The new angle wheels are fixed to the axle and do not spread on the axle like the post war can, That movement of the wheels seems to allow for them to derail.
Joined 1-21-2011 TCA 13-68614
Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL.
KRM,
Thanks for posting the picture. The directions that I found said to copy the URL to the 'Source' box. So the trick is to copy the entire image and post it into the 'Source' box?
What I have found works is open you puicture in your web storage location. For me it would be shutterfly. Then once open there ,,,Right Click to open the small window, then Left click copy Image. Then in your post, place your curser where you want the picture and right click that will open the small window again and left click Paste. Give it a try.
That is what I did after I opened your link to place it in my post.
Post it into the post not their dumb boxes. / 'Source' box?
I don't think they know how easy it is to do.
EIS2 2nd try to post photo... <edit> Failed again!!!
Paul
I think it is either an Apple thing, or it has something to do with the log in for the share site. Either way, I have found Shutterfly to be much easier to use.
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