My Anniversary Loco has developed what appears to be a intermitant wheel squeek when it goes around curves and only on the curves. I have both 8 foot diameter and 5 foot diameter curve radius's so i dont believe thats the issue. I have checked the pilot set and they appear to be ok but i have noticed about .1" of side movement on the front drive set and am wondering if this could be the issue. Would appreciate any info form the knowledge base here. :)
thanks
matt
Have you tried a drop of oil on the pilot wheels?
Sid
Sid
Yes, i have put conductive lubricant on the pilots and it didnt really change anything. I also lubed the drivers and side rods ect. it had no effect.
thanks
matt
Have you tried it without the tender ?
The side play in the wheels is necessary to help with getting around the curves .... along with the blind and "flying" center driver.
Is it possible what you're hearing is the model equivalent of flange scream? (Think of watching a 1:1 freight train pushed into a tight curve on a siding) ... sometimes in a curve the flange on the wheel will drag on the rail, and you'll get a scream (or in model size, a squeak.) Mine do it... and I call it prototypical (though, with the new railroad, most of the curves aren't tight enough to cause it.)
To test for this try just putting a tiny drop of oil on the flange of the wheel and distribute it around.... if you get carried away here, you'll spin the wheels, so be careful .... or do the same thing with the inside of the rails on the curve (again being careful to get the inside, and not the top, of the railhead, and to use VERY sparing amounts of oil!)
If what you're hearing is the flange scream, that should solve the problem .... you'll notice that the 1:1 railroads actually do this too, with automatic "flange oilers" that apply bits of grease to the inside of the rail edge as the train passes.
see: http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?200204280146102254.jpg
Best,
Matthew (OV)
Thanks Matthew
I will try that on the driver flange and the pilot and see if it changes things. I did try running the Loco with no tender and it still did it so that source is out of the loop but i appreciate the ideas. My big concern was something was going bad in the drive train but hopefully it is a you noted just flange noise. I will test it and post the result...thanks again for the ideas :)
cheers
matt
You might try a few drops of oil on the rails. If that alleviates your problem, then you know it is wheels and not internal gears.
Matt,
too much sideplay in the leading driver set will allow the inner face of the leading drive wheel to contact the chassis. This will give the squeak. My fix is to place a thin washer on the axle on the inner side of each leading driver wheelset. This will stop the wheel inner face contacting the chassis on curves. I had one that would do it even on 10-foot diameter curves, until cured.