JJG Koopmans wrote:
Sorry, if you adjust a spring hanger nut you introduce an extra vertical load which affects all the other ones. Textbooks on locomotive design are full of the proper theory and the way to work with it.
Kind regards
Jos Koopmans
I believe you are confusing equalized with unequalized suspension systems. If you took an unequalized 0-6-0 and adjusted the middle axle hanger nuts, we could add so much verticle lift to the spring we could put the whole weight of the engine of the middle axle. Sure you would be redistributing the weight to just the one axle. This the same things with adjusting suspension on 4 point automobile suspension. Cars are independent on all four points and yes, we can adjust the travel of any one of the suspension arms and remove it from touching the ground if we add enough shims or shorten shackles etc...
Equailzed systems will NOT allow you to do this by virture of the way they are designed.
None of this unequalized stuff applies as the K4 in discussion is a EQUALIZED 3 point suspension system IE:
1) 4 wheel lead truck
2) left side drivers and trailing truck
3) right side drives and trailing truck]
The only way to add more or less weight to the 4 wheel lead truck is to move it closer to or away form the center of mass. 2 wheel lead truck will allow you to change the fulcrum pin under the cylinders and actually shift load on or off. 4 wheel you can't do this. The equalized weight on the drivers and trailing truck remains the same. Even if you change the equalizer fulcrum pins between drivers or between the driver and trailing truck you will not move any weight to or from the lead truck. The levers just don't work that way.
Dave, Have you changed out any of the springs on the drivers?
JP
John Pennington
Logging meets that actually move logs
Project
2 Mich-Cal Shays
Allen 4-4-0 Narrow Gauge Conversion
Two Reading A5a Camelback 0-4-0
USRA 0-6-0
Clishay
4 Western Wheeled Scraper NG Dump Cars
N&W 4-8-2
ICM 2-10-2
4 Modern Stake Cars
L&N Caboose
4 Big Four Conversion Gondolas
Like I'm actually gonna build all this stuff