Thanks Tin,
This is in line with what I’ve heard about pointy axles. Without a Delrin conical bushing, pointing the axles doesn’t do much of anything.
I received this from the former SHS, it concerns their conclusion about retro replacement wheelsets and axles:
“ The goal in our mind was to increase the rolling characteristics of the wheelsets. There is so much physics involved that is beyond my comprehension. We were told that you need a corresponding angles bearing to get the full advantage of needle pointed axles. The angles do not match but allow the axle end to touch the minimum surface of the bearing which would lower the coefficient of friction. Bearing and axle material will also effect this value that is why we were told to use a Delrin bearing. For our AF comp. replacement wheelset axles we felt a full radius would be the best bet to keep the surface where the axle contact the bearing to a minimum. A needle pointed axle would not have the corresponding bearing to work correctly.
We did have a situation with our AF comp. replacement wheelsets, yes you could pull almost twice as many cars, but when trying to couple parked cars, the old AF couplers are just stiff enough to the cars with our axles would push away instead of standing in place allowing the coupler to close. For this we had no solution other than to replace the coupler with a newer Delrin coupler that would close instead of remaining open and rolling away.
I hope this helps. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact me...”
Perhaps a Delrin rod inserted into the eyelet and reamed to a conical shape might help. I did look for Delrin rod online and was able to find .125”. There are tapered drill bits used for wood screws out there.
Tom Stoltz
in Maine
