If you ever have a flat spot on a driver of your steam engine. I bet these boys can fix it!

This series of links will walk you through a simple job of truing up the drivers on a steam engine. That is a very BIG steam engine. The work was recently being performed on the Spokane, Portland, and Seattle No. 700 (4-8-4).

http://www.sps700.org/gall0411drivers_part1.html
http://www.sps700.org/gall0411drivers_part2.html
http://www.sps700.org/gall0411drivers_part3.html
http://www.sps700.org/gall0411drivers_part4.html

I'm including a link to their home page that includes some wonderful photos of the 700 and the SP Daylight 4449 (4-8-4) together amoung many other great shots. This also has info and photos of a recent derailment of both engines when double heading a Christmas run last December. Engines and train OK, track toast.

http://www.sps700.org/

Enjoy....

__________________
Bruce (McToots) McElhoe
KAMRI President
and Web Site Moderator

To repair the wheels on a live steam locomotive, it is about as bad.
Almost all live steam locomotives have tires just like the real ones, and they have to be replaced every 5-10 years. The process for replacing the tires is the same as on real locomotives except of course everything is 8 times smaller. Generally a 10in-18in lathe will get the job done of making new tires, or wheels. Also it is used to repair drivers.
First you have to lift the boiler off the frame.
Then take all the rods, valve gear off the frame, brake rigging, springing.
Then get the wheels out of the bearing blocks.
Heat the tires up with a torch, beat the tires off.
Make new tires on a lathe
Put tires on the wheels.
Then you got to put everything together again.

I am lucky that on my locomotive the tires on in good shape, but eventually I will have to replace them.
Have fun,
Andrew

Interesting. I had'nt given this type maintenance any thought on the 1/8th scale stuff. I would guess that to help extend the tire life one must try to minimize any wheel spin. One thing for certain is you don't need an excuse to hit it with a hammer (to work off some steam).

__________________
Bruce (McToots) McElhoe
KAMRI President
and Web Site Moderator

I just figured something else out...

Andrew's trains weather themselves!

-Phil

__________________
Model Railroading means..."A Money-Pit filled with Trains"

Burce,
You woud be surpirsed at how much maintenance live steam locomoives require. Even the "deisels" and rolling stock require quite a bit of maintenance. The steam locomotives especially require, proper lubrication, boiler washing, boiler tube cleaning, brake pad replacement, sometimes bearings need to be replaced. Also everything has to be lubricated constantly. All locomotives have either a hydrostatic lubricator or a mechanical lubricator to get oil into the cylinders. Also all moving parts have either roller bearings, greese cups, or some sort of grease fittings on them.
Spinning the drivers isn't that bad for them. It happens quite often when starting on a grade, or when you hit a patch of slippery track. What really flattens the driving wheels is when they lock up, but either applying the locomotive brakes too hard, or changing the "johnson bar "to the opposite direction the locomotive is moving.
Phil-
Actually the rolling stock, and "deisel" locomotives don't weather that much because they are inside most of the time, and generally kept pretty clean.
The Steam locomotives are another story. They are filthy. There is always coal cinders, oil, greese every where. Although after every run, most are washed. So the locomotives are rather clean most of time.
Thanks,
Andrew

Andrew,

I wonder if Phil has an alterior motive to try an use that 1/8 scale new gondola of yours in his weathering clinic? He could use cans of spray paint and real dirt and grime on it. Then folks could easily see how the process is done.

__________________
Bruce (McToots) McElhoe
KAMRI President
and Web Site Moderator