[Dadd]

Hi all this is my first post so just a brief intro. I have been waiting 40 years to get into model rail and have made a start recently.
Today I fitted a decoder to a DCC ready Hornby Fowler 2-6-4T. The whole job took twenty minutes and no problems encountered.
Loco runs well although the track could use a clean.
My main problem is that the loco will derail constantly on points when travelling in reverse. I think the driving wheels may be too close together as the leading pair (in the reverse direction) seem to climb up onto the plastic guide rail on the turnouts.
The wheels that seem to be at fault are closer together than the others but I'm not sure what the correct dimension is and if it's measured back to back or from front of flange to front of flange.
Is it a simple matter of gently levering the wheels further apart whilst in place on the loco or is it a dismantling job. I have a set of vernier calipers so I could get the distances quite accurate.
Thanks in advance for your help

PS Track is Peco settrack with some flex track - points are Peco setrack.

 

[ironduke]

Wheel back to back should be >14.5mm
How you do it.. well
I think it would be easier if the wheels were removed.
I've made adjustments like this with a bench-top vice, an old fork (flattened), a small tack hammer and a nail punch. Need a picture? :^)

 

[Brian Considine]

Welcome to the forum Dadd.

Just follow irondukes advice & you should be OK.

BTW - most derailment problems with a particular vehicle are usually the back to back being incorrect.

 

[Ozzie21]

I find 14.5mm a bit tight on leading and trailing trucks so I set the back to back up at around 14.8mm. Theres usually enough sideplay in the drivers so they shouldn't be a problem. I use a NWSL gear puller to ease the wheels out.

Ozzie21

QUOTE (ironduke @ 25 Jan 2007, 16:04) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Wheel back to back should be >14.5mm
How you do it.. well
I think it would be easier if the wheels were removed.
I've made adjustments like this with a bench-top vice, an old fork (flattened), a small tack hammer and a nail punch. Need a picture? :^)

 

[Dadd]

Thanks for the advice - the wheels which I thought were a problem were about 13.9 mm back to back so I increased to 14.5 and loco now usually only derails when I forget to set the points correctly !
Thanks for the input.

 

[7113]

QUOTE (Dadd @ 25 Jan 2007, 12:42) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Thanks for the advice - the wheels which I thought were a problem were about 13.9 mm back to back so I increased to 14.5 and loco now usually only derails when I forget to set the points correctly !
Thanks for the input.

I should suspend the signalman then!! (TIC)

Regards

John

 

[Dadd]

The Signaller has been sent back to school and the maintenance staff have been put on notice too!