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BLI Brass Hybird 4-8-4 Tender wheel fell out

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  • Member since
    January 2014
  • From: Moneta, VA USA
  • 1,175 posts
Posted by gdelmoro on Monday, January 18, 2021 6:38 AM

Insulator on correct side, no cracks. Locomotive running fine. 

Guess we'll never know what ent wrong. 

Thank you for the replies and suggestions. This forum is always helpful. 

Gary

  • Member since
    September 2003
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Posted by Overmod on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 8:42 AM

gdelmoro
Wouldn't the insulator on the wrong side constantly short the district?

It certainly would -- and might fry more besides.  Best to be sure BEFORE the magic-smoke test... Whistling

  • Member since
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  • From: Moneta, VA USA
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Posted by gdelmoro on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 6:51 AM

Ill check both for crack and insulator. Wouldn't the insulator on the wrong side constantly short the district?

Gary

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
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Posted by selector on Monday, January 11, 2021 5:17 PM

Double check to ensure the plastic insulator, barely visible where one wheel's hub meets the axle, is on the 'correct' side of the truck.

Probably best before you put it on powered rails. Hmm

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Posted by cold steal on Monday, January 11, 2021 4:31 PM
Check the truck for a crack. Happened to my BLI Pacific. It was stalling on some switches and I noticed a wheel set tucked up in the truck. When I pulled it back down I noticed the side of the truck had a crack but not yet completely in two. A gentle separation for some super glue, clamp, overnight rest and all is well.
  • Member since
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  • From: Moneta, VA USA
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Posted by gdelmoro on Monday, January 11, 2021 10:26 AM

rrinker

 Is there excessive side play that allows it to move to one side far enough for the opposite side to drop out of the bearing? Or maybe it was already half out due to either not being installed correctly or being tossed in shipping?

                                  --Randy

 

 

I checked for side to side movement and it moves about the same as the other 11 tender wheels. I also used digital calipers to check the space between truck ends. The spacing was exactly the same on each wheel set / frame from side to side and font to back. 

I First found the wheelset on the tracks when the mainline shorted. When I lifted the locomotive off the track (that cleared the short) I noticed the wheelset was still on the tracks.

Hopefully it was just an anomoly. 

I've run it arround the layout both forward and backward, seems to be good. 

Don't know what I else to do at this point. Guess we'll wait and see if it happens again.

tanks for the replies. 

Gary

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    September 2003
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Posted by Overmod on Monday, January 11, 2021 9:46 AM

Assuming you have a good inside caliper, or a good eye, carefully measure the distance between the inside faces of the truck frames at one end of the truck, then at the other.  Obviously they should be the same.  If they are not, see if you can tell why not.

Perhaps the easiest 'retention' fix is, with the wheelset in the truck, to put a tiny dab of nail polish or similar material (the 'glyptal' used to retain adjustable pots or other settings in radios comes to mind) in one or both of the little notches that optimize inserting the cone-ended wheelsets -- it was through these that the wheelset probably came out, and 'closing' them with the wheelset in place will prevent that without in any way compromising either running or transporting the locomotive subsequently.

The reason to use nail-polish-like material is that, if you ever actually DO need to remove the wheelset -- or return the locomotive for service for some other reason Mischief -- , it will pop off with gentle pressure.  

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Posted by snjroy on Monday, January 11, 2021 9:11 AM

Once the wheels are in place, they should not fall out by gravity. If they do, I would check if the trucks are not warped. A blow might have bent them at some point. If they are bent, you might be able to gently bend them back to their original form.

Simon

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    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
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Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, January 11, 2021 8:24 AM

rrinker
 Is there excessive side play that allows it to move to one side far enough for the opposite side to drop out of the bearing? Or maybe it was already half out due to either not being installed correctly or being tossed in shipping?

Yes

Did it fall out while running? 

Tell us the whole story.

Mike.

 

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    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
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Posted by rrinker on Monday, January 11, 2021 8:09 AM

 Is there excessive side play that allows it to move to one side far enough for the opposite side to drop out of the bearing? Or maybe it was already half out due to either not being installed correctly or being tossed in shipping?

                                  --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    January 2014
  • From: Moneta, VA USA
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Posted by gdelmoro on Monday, January 11, 2021 5:58 AM

I put the wheelset back in aNd it seems to be working.  However, I'd really like to know why it came out. Here are pictures of the Truck straight on and fro each side. 

Gary

  • Member since
    January 2014
  • From: Moneta, VA USA
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Posted by gdelmoro on Sunday, January 10, 2021 1:36 PM

I'll take a couple photos. It's a wheelset.

Gary

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    February 2005
  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
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Posted by selector on Sunday, January 10, 2021 12:42 PM

Good quality photo, pls.

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Posted by snjroy on Sunday, January 10, 2021 10:28 AM

Is it a wheel, two wheels and the axle, or the truck that fell off?

Simon

  • Member since
    January 2014
  • From: Moneta, VA USA
  • 1,175 posts
BLI Brass Hybird 4-8-4 Tender wheel fell out
Posted by gdelmoro on Sunday, January 10, 2021 10:20 AM

Hi all, anyone have this problem? Is this something I can fix without sending the locomotive back?

Gary

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