Bulleidboy Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Sorry if I missed a previous posting or I'm being naive, but I often read on this forum about checking back to back wheel measurements, and that gauges are available to check the correct measurements. The question is - If the measurement is wrong how do you adjust it? The obvious solution is that you screw the wheels further onto the axle or undo them depending on whether the measurement needs increasing or decreasing, but somehow that doesn't appear right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poliss Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 On my stock I either pull or push the wheels depending on the adjustment needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulleidboy Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 It's as easy as that? I had assumed the wheels were screwed onto the axle, obviously not. Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil_Spiegel. Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 The square-plastic-axle '2nd generation' so-called 'silver seal' wheels (which were NOT the original 'Wrenn' type) cannot be changed except to throw them out, of course. However the usual wheels-on-metal axle types can all be adjusted for the their back-to-back - even if not easily (especially whenn needing to to keep square etc - a 'puller' being the preferred tool.Another serious potential problem, however, is not resolved by correcting the back-to-back; and that is the wheel profile and width of tread! Some models appear to still being made with 'steamroller' flat profile wheels with their extra width, and it is these wjhich cause problems with the V of Peco and other track systems, through shorting to the adjacent rail. It looks like I will have to order more 'Ultrscale' wheels to be able to use my FGW Class 142 - which shows the problem because of its long wheelbase - but that is quoted as a 10 week delivery.Although probably relatively easily changed; the wheels used in some ex-tender-drive locos appear to be unchanged from the old style. If only they had a coned profile! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_strong Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 It isn't just Peco track that trips engines up. The Hornby curved points do it too, the frog on the latest points is only around 1mm in depth. My Heljan 'Falcon'comes off on them. A Triang Blue Pullman is fine on them, but a Hornby Pannier Tank dating from 1979 comes off. I measured the back to back on this pannier and it turned out o 14mm whereas it probably should be 14.5mm. A Hornby Saint David is also errant on them. I am nervous about pushing the back to back out on loco wheel for fear of twisting the wheels. It has happened before! It is fine making new track profiles to run new rolling stock, but when the flange profiles have improved so much since the 1990s this means that lots of people have pre 1990s stock that is compromised on running on new track. If the new track was particularly accurate it wouldn't be so bad, but it is not. It is utterly inaccurate, twice I've had to take Hornby points back to the local model shops due to rails out of chairs or warped point blades- and this prior to running anything, or laying for that matter. The geometry is basically the same as from 1972, and this is based on Triang Super 4 Track of the early 1960s! Maybe time for a new track system? Choice of bullhead and flat bottom rail and points that look like real points? Perhaps this needs another discussion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDR Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 The BRMSB wheel & rail standards have been around for a very long time but sadly none of the RTR manufacturers paid it much notice, until fairly recent times. Even then some output, especially from China, has flaws in production, which need careful correction to achieve reliable operation, and not always is it followed to the letter.The nearest thing we ever got to truely universal trackage was the old Wrenn fibre based stuff. They had pivoted point blades that closed up the gap at the crossing nose so there was no need for wing and check rails. Not prototypical of course but highly reliable. Even old Trix with steamroller wheels stayed on the rails through Wrenn points. All the while modellers demand more realism and finer detail this problem will get more intractable. They ignore the fact that their wheels are 2.33mm too close together, and that the curves on their layouts are far too sharp even for an industrial shunter to negotiate! I actually quite like Triang Super 4, brutal as it is, but somehow I also like the old Bassett Lowke wood sleepered O gauge track too! If we now start down the road of track to even finer tollerances this will preclude any 20th Century RTR model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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