Hi, just purchased this set while my layout is now being built. I put the engine on the piece of track and noticed all the wheels are touching except the middle wheels. Anyone else notice this? Still runs okay? Thanks!
The gap between wheel and rail should be slight. Also observe those middle wheels do not have a flange (known as blind driver). This permits the locomotive to run through tighter curve.
Click Here (https://youtu.be/mxTWNdIusF4) to view video about lubricating the large scale Bachmann 4-6-0
Thanks Hunt!
Just by way of background, a lot of real steamers often had blind drivers for the same reason - to better negotiate tight curves. The flangeless tires were a couple of inches wider than the flanged ones to that they would not drop off the railhead on those tight curves. Just as a for-instance, the Pennsylvania RR's big I-1 2-10-0's were originally built with three of the five driver sets blind. In later shop work, most were left with only the center driver blind.