Rallymatt Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 a couple of weeks ago I made a video on why ‘gauge’ matters for reliable running, how you can set it correctly and why it sometimes comes ‘undersize’. A few people have mentioned it recently so though it was better to have it as its own thread to help people find the information. Purely by chance I found a set of pliers that had the right sizing to give me the optimum setting. A few others have not been that lucky, so here is an alternative. If you search for ‘Pin Gauge’ you can find a company who make precision ground calibration tools and these are available in 10.4mm diameter which will help set the wheel back to back. Ideally a Slip Gauge would be used as it’s a block rather than a rod but these are not made to 10.4mm. The end of the Pin Gauge can be used to push between wheel backs for an accurate setting. The DCC concepts gauging tool is 10.2mm and so does not help eliminating running issues in most cases. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted April 1 Author Share Posted April 1 There are more Pin Gauges available on eBay and in .01 increments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuLarge Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 A very very helpful video @Rallymatt thank you 👍🏼 (he says hiding his digital verynear 🤣) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Postman On The Rails Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 Very apt as I am about to take a look at my scotsman as it is having issues, I managed to get the pliers from Amazon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted April 1 Author Share Posted April 1 Hope the pliers give the right gauging, I wouldn’t expect a noticeable difference on same product but just in case I have found an alternative as mentioned. The pin gauge means people don’t need to worry about having accurate measuring tools as the gauge itself is precision ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Postman On The Rails Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 They are working great, have you come across where the screw that goes into the nut in bogie is stuck? It turns and the bolt drops out but then it won’t move anymore. It needs fixing as the washer is at the bottom. @Peachy Fixed Scotsman he now runs perfectly at slow (15) mid (50) and high (70) through all my curves and points. Now on to William Whitelaw for his bogie service, tbh he runs great atm. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted April 1 Author Share Posted April 1 If the captive nut has come out that means the pivot bolt must have unthreaded sufficiently, if you unwind it gently and apply a little pressure to the (nut) end of the bolt it should come free. It’s probably the plastic washer that is holding the bolt in place. There are no threads in the bogie casting so nothing to damage in there 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Postman On The Rails Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 8 minutes ago, Rallymatt said: If the captive nut has come out that means the pivot bolt must have unthreaded sufficiently, if you unwind it gently and apply a little pressure to the (nut) end of the bolt it should come free. It’s probably the plastic washer that is holding the bolt in place. There are no threads in the bogie casting so nothing to damage in there Thanks will give that a try on Thursday on my day off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Postman On The Rails Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 Managed to fix the spring washer issue, but still derailing on 2nd & 3rd Radius at 15 (on HM|DCC) forward, works perfectly at various speeds in reverse, some more tinkering required, could just be the body issue. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted April 4 Author Share Posted April 4 Try and watch closely and see if the rear set of bogie wheels are coming in contact with the leading set of driving wheels. Careful adjustment of the bogie bracket will get that sorted. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Postman On The Rails Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 19 minutes ago, Rallymatt said: Try and watch closely and see if the rear set of bogie wheels are coming in contact with the leading set of driving wheels. Careful adjustment of the bogie bracket will get that sorted. Thanks it’s the front bogies that seem to be the problem, I am sure I will get it sorted, have to get the phone camera and do some recording me thinks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too Tall Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 On 01/04/2024 at 10:33, Postman On The Rails said: Very apt as I am about to take a look at my scotsman as it is having issues, I managed to get the pliers from Amazon I think I must have the worst luck ever with those pliers ! the first single one I ordered a while back was 9mm, so was returned. I just got the set linked (well their was a link, not sure where it went !) and they are a shade under 10mm, but as this was a set of 3 (long nose and wire cutters) for under a tenner I'll keep 'em 😁 I think I'll print myself a B2B gauge ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted April 5 Author Share Posted April 5 Try one of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284318561567?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=r1kfqhqZStS&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Q02lvap8QMe&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY you can get a 10.4mm one (or tiny increments either way) A printed one will squash and change size in heat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too Tall Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 Ordered 😄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_watts1 Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 10.4mm ordered👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuLarge Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 @Rallymatt Hope you negotiated some commission 😉 10.40mm is out of stock already. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted April 6 Author Share Posted April 6 Ha ha, not my style at all. You could go .01 in either direction or there are other suppliers just not on eBay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muhammad-354651 Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 Thank you for your post. I am currently building a TT layout and have had running issues with the William Whitelaw A4. It is a lovely loco however it can derail over points, particularly on reverse. Also as it was going round curves it would slow very slightly as it passed over fish plates. Clearly something was causing it to drag. I purchased a TT back to back gauge from DCC Concepts and found the gap in the tender wheels was too large. I gently closed the gap in each set of wheels to match the gauge. It resolved the problem amicably. However, the bogie wheels do make contact with the front driving wheels. The inside set of wheels going around the curve are raised off the track by about 3 or 4 millimetres. This does not happen with my A1. The bogie does make contact with the front driving wheel. I shall try your fix. I have had the bogie off, although I have not dismantled it. I did note the washer was not in the same place as yours in the video. I assume therefore it had not been assembled properly in the factory. I am hoping your suggestion will work. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Fox 17 Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 26 minutes ago, Muhammad-354651 said: However, the bogie wheels do make contact with the front driving wheels. The inside set of wheels going around the curve are raised off the track by about 3 or 4 millimetres. This does not happen with my A1. The bogie does make contact with the front driving wheel. Check the bogie mounting arm, it must be tight and dead straight. If it is angled sideways at all, even a slight amount, the bogie wheels will catch the front drivers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted April 14 Author Share Posted April 14 I would avoid setting the back to back to the DCC Concepts gauge as it is the absolute minimum for TT (10.2mm) a slightly wider setting of 10.4 seems to remove the majority of running issues and Hornby stock seems now to be coming set at that spacing from the factory in most cases. Work through the different solutions in the video and let me know how you get on. As Silver Fox says, setting the bracket on the front bogie is a good place to start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Postman On The Rails Posted April 21 Share Posted April 21 On 05/04/2024 at 13:35, Rallymatt said: Try one of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284318561567?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=r1kfqhqZStS&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Q02lvap8QMe&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY you can get a 10.4mm one (or tiny increments either way) A printed one will squash and change size in heat For some reason the 10.4mm are out of stock so went for 10.39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted April 21 Author Share Posted April 21 I have found on my layout anything 10.35 to 10.4 works. I bet the supplier can’t understand what the increase in sales is all about! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Stewart Posted April 21 Share Posted April 21 Iv'e just purchased the last 10.39, i bet he is scratching his head wondering whats going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Postman On The Rails Posted April 21 Share Posted April 21 33 minutes ago, Andy Stewart said: Iv'e just purchased the last 10.39, i bet he is scratching his head wondering whats going on. Hope @Rallymatt is on commission 😝 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted April 21 Author Share Posted April 21 Doh! Missed out again! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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