Page 22 - January February 2017

Changing Brass Steam Locomotive Wheels Paul Doggett
I am sure some of us steam era modellers have locos whose wheels are starting to break up. They can be replaced fairly easily. Greenway Products have a line of replacement wheels, check out their website. http://greenwayproducts.com/
They have a good range and you can pay by PayPal.
A wheel puller is easy to use. Once you have your wheels, if you have not got access to a wheel puller, you can drive the axles out using a nail punch, NOT a centre punch as this will spread the end of the axle. I wanted to fit Boxpok main drivers to a Southern Pacific 2-10-2, so I will use this as an example.
1] As the wheels come, quartered on the axle
3] ABOVE Using a small vice place the wheel so it is resting on the jaws with the marked wheel and axle resting on the jaws. Put a box below to catch the wheel, axle and bushes - you don't want to lose them.
4] BELOW The wheels set in the vice.
5] BELOW New bushes from the Sunset axle fitted to the Boxpok wheels and axle
2] LEFT As I had to change the bushes I marked the position of the crank pin in relation to the axle. I don't normally do this as I have the knack of being able to line the quartering up by eye it comes from years of lining fitting up on steel pipe as a pipefitter!
22 ROUNDHOUSE February 2017