Bowser 4664 Challenger trailing truck wheel istallation

[Wolf359]

I recently got a used Bowser 4664 Challenger and noticed one of the wheels on the trailing truck was not spinning well. I attempted to gently clean where the wheel inserts, and the truck snapped. I have a replacement truck, and I would greatly appreciate some pointers on how to correctly install the wheels on the new truck. Thank you.

[RR_Mel]

I haven’t had a Challenger but I did have a Big Boy for many years and the trailing truck is the same on both.  I didn’t have a problem removing and reinstalling the wheels.  Could the truck frame have been cracked when you got it?  The frame is pretty durable.  Examine the break in the casting to see if part of the break is discolored indicating it had a crack in it before you got it.  

 

 

Mel

 

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

 

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

[garya]

Wolf359

I recently got a used Bowser 4664 Challenger and noticed one of the wheels on the trailing truck was not spinning well. I attempted to gently clean where the wheel inserts, and the truck snapped. I have a replacement truck, and I would greatly appreciate some pointers on how to correctly install the wheels on the new truck. Thank you.

 

Bowser's Instructions don't show much: http://www.bowser-trains.com/docs/instructions/100320.pdf (see page 11)  

I have a kit at home; I could take a look sometime this weekend.

[mvlandsw]

These parts probably haven't been made for quite some time. Spreading the casting to get the axles in is risky with old zamak. I would make a groove from the bottom of the truck up to the bearing hole with a file or a Dremel tool so that the wheelsets can be inserted without spreading the casting. After the whellsets are in position glue a thin strip of styrene across the groove at the bottom of the truck to keep the wheels from falling out when the engine is picked up.

[garya]

garya

 

 

Wolf359

I recently got a used Bowser 4664 Challenger and noticed one of the wheels on the trailing truck was not spinning well. I attempted to gently clean where the wheel inserts, and the truck snapped. I have a replacement truck, and I would greatly appreciate some pointers on how to correctly install the wheels on the new truck. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

Bowser's Instructions don't show much: http://www.bowser-trains.com/docs/instructions/100320.pdf (see page 11)  

I have a kit at home; I could take a look sometime this weekend.

 

Well, I pulled out my Challenger kit, and the rear wheelsets are already inserted.  If you go easy you may be able to spread it enough to get wheelsets in.  You could always ask Bowser.  Maybe Darth Santa Fe knows, he's built most of these kits.

[Wolf359]

Update: I've installed my wheels and new truck and my Challenger is running well. Thank you everyone for your tips.

[BigDaddy]

Wolf359

Update: I've installed my wheels and new truck and my Challenger is running well. Thank you everyone for your tips.

You didn't tell us how you did it.

 

[Wolf359]

Sorry about that. The replacement truck came in a V shape so the wheels could slip in to place easier, so I heated the truck a little bit with a hair dryer on its highest setting and gently squeezed it to the correct shape and held it together with a rubber band overnight. I also put spacers between the ends of the axles and the inside of the truck as the wheels were too wobbly from side to side.

[BigDaddy]

Thanks, that will be a big help to the next person with the same problem.