I hope this is the right place to ask this question ??? I have a couple of Bachmann 2-6-4 tank locos that have the front bogies on a flat spring .This is not strong enough to hold the front bogies on the tracking , they keep derailing . Can I get some advice as to how to fix this problem, I have added a bit of weight to the bogies but to no avail . Its very frustrating as none of my other locos with a similar bogie has this problem ?? Thanks oldknotty
I've got a 2-6-2 on the bench currently being built and the trucks on this are quite lightweight to say the least, ok its in O Gauge so the components with springing are likely to perform more akin to the real thing but I suspect with the Bachmann 2-6-4's there is insufficient body weight baring down on the truck springs or the springs are just too weak to hold the truck properly. It's not the weight of the trucks themselves it is an equal distribution of load that gives good balance to the locomotive, in other words each of the six axles on the Bachmann tank should each really take a sixth of the total weight of the engine in order to give trouble free running performance. Hope this helps.
Martin, just a thought, the pivot screw isn’t too tight is it, I’ve known over tightening be an issue some times. This not giving the vertical play it sometimes needs. Andy
Hi I have a Bachmann 2-6-4T Looking at the front pony truck, the spring is quite positive at pushing the truck down, and a reasonable amount of force needs to be applied to the truck to get the wheels to the same height as the drivers Placing the loco on the track the pony truck seems to sit on the track positively, by using a finger on the coupling, I can lift the wheels clear of the rail, however waggling the coupling side to side doesn't cause the wheel to come off the track. Here is a pick of the underside Paul
I have an old Mainline loco that was doing the same thing. A clean of the wheels sorted it out. You could barely see any gunk at all on the wheels but obviously whatever was there was having an effect and causing derailments. It may be worth a go even if only to eliminate that possibility.?..... Gormo
I used to find when I worked at the model shop, that the reaukts of this were self growing traction tyres. Nylon wheels on wagons and coaches and hornbys use of traction tyres in the 1990’s lead to the other wheels becoming clarted up in a grey build up. Hence growing your own tyres.. since stock has gone to all metal wheels, I’ve not had this issue myself.
Thanks Paul . I took the spring off and added a small coil spring underneath on a short shaft , It seems to have solved my problem for the moment . It was a right fiddle to do but i succeeded eventually in getting it sussed Martin
