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Rolling Stock Metal Wheelsets not spinning freely

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  • Member since
    December 2009
  • 114 posts
Rolling Stock Metal Wheelsets not spinning freely
Posted by Penn Central on Friday, December 22, 2023 6:50 PM

Hi all, I have a full Amtrak Superliner set from Kato. Finally changed out the awful couplers woth Kadees. Now I'm finding the cars don't roll well. It's not as much dirty wheels as it is the axles spinning. It's the same with all 7 of the superliner cars. I attempted to pop the wheels off and have a look to see what might by slowing them down. But they look rather complicated (I'm a casual hobbyist each year during the holidays).

Any suggestions?

 Ill try to Attach some pictures below.

Thanks!

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,280 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Friday, December 22, 2023 7:05 PM

If the trucks are plastic, you can use a Truck Tuner to ream the points where the axles fit into the sides of the trucks.

Rich

Alton Junction

Moderator
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Northeast OH
  • 17,239 posts
Posted by tstage on Friday, December 22, 2023 7:06 PM

If HO-scale, a Micro-Mark truck tuner...

https://yankeedabbler.com/82838-truck-tuner-by-mico-mark-scale-ho-part-mic-82838/

Worth it's weight in gold. Yes

If N-scale, better trucks, as there doesn't seem to be an N-scale truck tuner available.  Perhaps someone who models N-scale can give you a recommendation on good-quality correct trucks.

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,280 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Friday, December 22, 2023 7:17 PM

Good point, Tom. The Truck Tuner is only available in HO scale.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    December 2009
  • 114 posts
Posted by Penn Central on Friday, December 22, 2023 8:15 PM

Yea so it's HO and metal wheels. I'm having a hard time using IMGUR with my phone but if you saw pictures you'd see the trucks are different than what I'm used to. Metal wheels into a plastic frame but before they touch the hole in the frame the points pass through a piece of metals which is used to provide power to the lighting. So not sure if my truck turner would help. 

Also this hasn't happened before. I got this set about 6 years ago and only use at Christmas. Can't figure out what happened to make the wheels so tight, so to speak. 

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,280 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Saturday, December 23, 2023 7:26 AM

You might try Kadee Greas-em, a dry graphite lubricant that can be applied on the trucks where the axles fit into the sideframes.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, December 24, 2023 8:51 AM

You need the truck tuner, that metal elctrical contact strip should interfere with the rolling ability.

Mike.

 

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