The hardest thing I have found in Railroading is quartering my steamers when for some reason they get out sink or I have to clean them and do something real stupid... Does anyone know of a good article or video on quarting a steamer... I am attempting a 4-8-4 ATSF BLI Steamer.. I had to repl;ace the wheel bearings they were worn after 18 years of constent use. Thanks Guys...
Model Railroading is the only hobby worth doing...
NickyB
I searched the MR archive. Here is the discussion on quartering. http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/267290.aspx
Personally I use a NWSL quartering jig for my brass locomotives that have 3 mm axles and my others (Bowser, Mantua) that have 1/8 inch axles. You need to check the diameter of yours and the thread of the crankpin holes to see what you have and if the NWSL unit could work. Another thing that is critical is to make sure all drivers have the same quarter. I think the NWSL jig sets the quarter at 90 degrees, but the actual value of the offset does not matter. What does matter is that all the drivers have the same offset. If you have the NWSL Quarterer, I would first check the undisturbed drivers before setting the offending one.
For someone who has not done this before, probably too much information, but the above thread and video links should bring it all together.
Good luck.
Joel
Modeling the C&O New River Subdivision circa 1949 for the fun of it!
Have tried YouTube? If not, maybe this will help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzj9d4OOX1w
I did some back in the late 1970's with the Quarterer. I just followed the instructions with the Quarterer but the suggestions given will work also.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
NorthWest Short Line offers a gadget called "The Quarterer" for your re-quartering projects, and while it works well, I've found it even easier to simply quarter drivers "by-eye".Usually, when we have a locomotive out-of-quarter, it's most often only one driver on one axle. If the drivers on one side are all in-quarter, I simply rotate them until the counterweights are at a set position: all at the top or bottom or vertical to the front or rear. When you then view the other side of the loco, all but one will have their counterweights 90º ahead of- or behind those on the "good" side, while the out-of-quarter one will be...well, not in-quarter.Often, the side rods will be affected too, with them either jammed or with their retaining screws loose or fallen out completely.If things are jammed, best to remove screws (as necessary) or otherwise return the rods to roughly where they should be.It's often possible to re-quarter the offending driver without removing it from the locomotive: all you need to do is rotate it, by hand while restraining the driver on the other end of the axle. Simply move it until the counterweight lines up with those on the other drivers. You can then secure it in position by applying a small amount of ca to the interface between the axle and the bore in the driver. If the out-of-quarter driver is an uninsulated one, it is part of the locomotive's electrical system, and the application of ca may convert it to an insulated one. If this affects current routing (due to too few other drivers on the same side) you can add a wiper (phosphor-bronze wire or a modified Kadee centering spring) acting on the rear of that driver's tire to restore its electrical conducting properties.If the out-of-quarter driver is on the geared axle, it's probably preferable to restrain the gear, rather than the paired-wheel, when rotating the errant driver back into-quarter.
You may, of course, remove the entire wheelset from the loco to re-quarter it, either by-eye, or using the NWSL Quarterer.
If using the Quarterer, be aware that some locomotives have their gearbox mounted to bushings on the axle. It is not practical to use the Quarterer in these situations, as there's insufficient space to allow the driverset to properly fit the device.
Often, if I find a locomotive to be prone to de-quartering itself, I re-quarter it as required, then scribed a line on each end of each axle, extending the line onto the drivers' hubs. This allows a quick visual check if you suspect the problem is recurring, and also provides a good reference point for your re-quartering efforts.
Wayne
I have a quarterer. Somewhere. (Just looked for it here) I don't care if I don't find it because it has never proven to be worth the bother. Fiddled and fidgeted with it until giving up on it. Too many variables. Wish't I spent the money on about anything else.
So I resorted to Dr Wayne's method of eyeballing the counterweights. I can, and have made that work as well as anything is going to. Dan
Long before I bought a Quarterer, I had trouble with drivers on my Japanese Moguls getting out of quarter while "playing" with worms and gears. I too used the "eyeball" method of getting the crankpins back where they belonged, but since HO crankpins are usually screws going into threaded holes, you can use the side rods to line up the holes. Have fun!
Deano
Thanks Joel for the great info..
Wayne this is by far the best answer and info on quartering I have ever received Thank You... You must have been in the hobby awhile... Again thank you....
It drives me crazy when my steamers won't run at their potentional what they were designed for. I guess it comes from being a Machinist and an Engineer all my life... Guys will take their steamers and just give up when all it takes is some patience and time ... This great hobby of ours is all about patience and taking your time to achieve the best results possible.. Again Wayne thanks. Have fun with your railroad....