Turning Drivers

[nkprr175]

I just received my drivers for my northern project and while the frame and trailing truck is out for powered coating I figure I have few weeks to get busy on turning axles and drivers. I am using 2" 1018 cold rolled round stock for my axles to be turned down to the proper size to fit on the driver. Was thinking about press fitting them on but seems like doing the key way method would be best. Anyone thoughts on either method? Anyways my true question is about how to do the drivers.

I am working with little engines old northern drivers so that makes them full size 80" or in our scale I think 10" or 12" driver size. There is no issues with the lathe or mill I have access too and I'm able to turn large items with any arbors or other mounting devices attached.

So I wanted to get peoples opinion on the best way to turn the drivers from starting with the rough casting to the final finish. I have considered turning them down to sweat on tires but figured since they are brand new might as well get the miles of the casting first then put new tires on later.

I look forward to the discussion.

Thanks
SMH

[Harold_V]

I would think that you'd be far better served to put tires on at the outset. That could save you from a rather extensive teardown in the future.

Steel should outwear iron by a large margin, and it should also provide better adhesion. One of the attributes of cast iron (gray or ductile) is that it offers lubricity, unlike steel, where carbon is in solution instead of in free form (in the way of graphite).

Harold

[cbrew]

I would think that you'd be far better served to put tires on at the outset. That could save you from a rather extensive teardown in the future.

Steel should outwear iron by a large margin, and it should also provide better adhesion. One of the attributes of cast iron (gray or ductile) is that it offers lubricity, unlike steel, where carbon is in solution instead of in free form (in the way of graphite).

Harold

Harold is correct,
I wore out the iron thread on my Allen American in two short years on steel rail.
I installed steel tires back in 06 and to this day there is zero wear on them.

The ten wheeler received her tires right away.

its easy to do, (even a code jockey can do it )
I will be happy to show you how i preformed the task if you like.

back to work.

[hudson]

Hi,

Please have a look at:

Live Steam From Castings: C53 (Japanese 3 cylinder Pacific)

http://ww3.tiki.ne.jp/~hwata/e-C53_Top.htm

excellent photographs, good text, for the driving wheels go to:

Driving wheel cutting 1 and 2


Machining wheels:

http://www.steves-workshop.co.uk/tips/m ... sindex.htm

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLmBmyzSnWc



Process for fitting steel tyres to loco wheels:

http://www.southportmec.co.uk/fitting-steel-wheels.html


hope that this information is helpful.

Regards,
Hudson

[nkprr175]

You have me talked into doing the sweating of the tires on the driving wheels. So I was looking at the pictures provided by a few of the link in the previous posts and the question that comes to mind is what material due you use to make the tire of out and how much do you shave off of the driver to get everything to fit?

This code jockey is will need a few photo's or a good step by step explanation. Thank you for the help.

Steven H.

[cbrew]

You have me talked into doing the sweating of the tires on the driving wheels. So I was looking at the pictures provided by a few of the link in the previous posts and the question that comes to mind is what material due you use to make the tire of out and how much do you shave off of the driver to get everything to fit?

This code jockey is will need a few photo's or a good step by step explanation. Thank you for the help.

Steven H.

Code Jockey to code jockey, i will be happy to share, I am just about ready to end my end at the office, I will reach out when i get home and get settled
my way is not the only way, but it worked for the ten drivers i have under me belt to date

[Fred_V]

You want an interference fit of .001" per inch of diameter. You want to machine a step on the wheel and shoulder on the tire so that it drops onto the wheel and stops at the step. Lots of guys freeze the wheel as well as heating the tire.

[Pontiacguy1]

You don't have to machine a step in the tire and wheel if you don't already have them mounted on the axles. You can make them straight, with the proper interference like Fred mentioned above, and then heat the tire and put it on the wheel with both of them laying on a clean, flat surface like your milling machine table. Once the outer ring cools, it will be locked-on and won't move.

Machine your tires with a few thousandts of extra material on them, and then do the final machining and flange profile after they are shrunk on.

I always try to have a tire that is 1/4" thick at the tread near the base of the flange. I've made tires and fitted them this way many times, and have never had any problems. Master machinist and locomotive builder Paul Brien from Nashville taught me how to do this, and he had done this several times as well with no problems. He is now deceased.

See the pictures.

Tire and wheel ready for heat shrink

Tire mounted on wheel, before final machining

Drive wheel assemblies with tires, complete

[Mike Walsh]

Can someone offer an opinion on cast iron hubs (wheels, steel tires or not), vs cast steel drivers?

I'm told "There is a reason railroads used cast iron as a hub and steel as a tire", but that wasn't explained any further to me...

Thanks!
Mike Walsh

[cbrew]

Can someone offer an opinion on cast iron hubs (wheels, steel tires or not), vs cast steel drivers?

I'm told "There is a reason railroads used cast iron as a hub and steel as a tire", but that wasn't explained any further to me...

Thanks!
Mike Walsh

i could be wrong, but from my understanding.
the steel tires were forged for strength, same with the rods.

in our models, it just comes down to economics,
iron wheels and steel tires are still very reasonable for the modeler on a budget. (at least with Allen Models)

tho i have seen beautiful cast steel wheels, and as far as i know, they wear the same as steel tires.

Iron wheels are fine if you don't plan on working the engine hard (I call those trailer queens)
but i enjoy running mine at the edge of its ability. and because of that, I wore out the iron tires with in a few years. the steel (1028) is still as it was when i finished them.

(this is just from my experiences and others may have differing insight)

Happy Building

[nkprr175]

Do you make the tires for the drivers or is this a purchased item?

My drivers are brand new so I'm going to assume I make a light cut on the driver to clean it up to get a good machined surface?

I wanted to get the tires on first before doing the boring for the axles, crank pins and then finally the profile on the tire. So can you use a nice straight welding table to make a nice flat surface to put the tires on with?

Thanks!!

Steven H.

[cbrew]

Morning Steven,
did you have a chance to look over all the pictures? if you didn't have a chance. I can up load some here.

the tires are "parting" from heavy structural tube. had then cut inch in diameter and shipped. to the house.

because the castings are intended to be the finished wheel and tire,

you will have to cut them down enough to make room for the tire thickness.

please advise.
Chris