2 1/2" scale 4-6-0 build

[Odyknuck]

I call those senior moments lol.

[ccvstmr]

I call those senior moments lol.

Ody...don't know what's worse...a senior moment? ...or a brain fart? Both can be costly! Carl B.

[Odyknuck]

Well both results stink! lol

[djjh87]

Once I ran reamers thru the rod bearings she rolled very nice. Then I rolled each wheel up on a wedge that is tapered to 1/2" thick. 4 out of 6 rolled up no issues. I used a tri corner scraper and slowly relieved the tight points. The picture is the last one to be scraped which was the tightest but still lifts 3/8". I believe that will be good. Thanks Russ for prompting me to tackle this now. Jim

[NP317]

That is a simply perfect solution for testing!
My "home" 7.5" gauge live steam railroad, Kitsap Live Steamers, tests equipment for flexibility by verifying wheels can go over a 1/4" high "bump" without lifting other axles off the rails.
It looks like your loco will easily pass that test. And your larger scale implies it might need to lift higher than the 1/4".
Well done.

I should probably perform that same test on my rather stiff Mikado...
RussN (...slowing getting there...)1

[Pontiacguy1]

It's a smaller version of the old 'Texas broom handle' test! The joke around the C&IG was that if you threw a broom handle down across only one rail and your train could make it across that without derailing, then it was flexible enough. I actually think it happened to someone at one time that went by and there was a small rake handle that fell across one rail and the train went over it. I don't think the rake handle fared as well, though.

[makinsmoke]

That’s hysterical!

And so crazy it has to be steeped in the truth!

Lol!

[Pontiacguy1]

Roy Pickard told me that one time that this actually happened, and so they started referring to it as the 'Texas broom Handle Test'. He even told me who it was that was riding by, but I've forgotten it.

[Marty_Knox]

John Enders was they one who said a locomotive should be able to run over a broom handle and stay on the track. I had just finished Fred Springer's 2-8-0, D&RGW 951 and took it to the Austin & Texas Central. John challenged me by laying a broom handle on one rail of a steaming bay. I shoved 951 over it - the lead truck, first and second driver came right back down on the rail!

[ccvstmr]

Broom handles? Well, there's an old military vid on YouTube from the '40's when they tried to determine the best way to "upset" the track to derail train equipment. Took them a number of attempts to find a way to accomplish their goal. During the first few trials, the train would jump the missing rail section...and get back on the rail...and keep going. Wasn't until the gaps were large enough for an entire truck and staggered until the trucks would start to skew when it left the rail head. Too bad our model trains can't do the same thing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agznZBiK_Bs

Always thought if a demolition crew wanted to derail a train, they'd pick a somewhat disguised track location on a curve and remove a piece of the outside curve rail. Just goes to show, it's hard to stop a train! Carl B.

[NP317]

THAT was interesting to watch!
I suggest the moral of those tests is to keep using at least 4-coupled drive axle steam locomotives to stay on damaged rails!
RussN

[djjh87]

Remember back November a year ago Tristan warned me the was an issue with the front crank pin. When I got the cylinders set and while I worked on brakes and rods I started measuring for the clearance of the pin and cross head guides. I decided to thin the rod journal from 3/4" to5/8" while the rods were fabed knowing that the front pins would need to be pressed in from 1" to 3/4". Now I have contemplated and procrastinated this next move for a couple of months. Jim