Add rotating bearing caps to diesel trucks

Remove  wheels and axles from trucks , press off wheels , chuck axle in a lathe bore out the end of the axle for a pin , have bearing caps designed to press on the pin once side frames are mounted , the trick will be getting the side frame perfectly aligned so the pins in the axle ends protrude thru the side frame on the dead center of the hole in side frame so the bearing cap will line up . So getting the side frame made to fit center to center of axles is paramount .

If all that work is going to be done, might as well have someone redraw the frame so its more accurate looking with better detail.   Having rotating bearing caps was a dream of mine since my HO days and Athearn came out with the "Real" version of the SW1500 and SW1001.

Good luck, keep us posted;-)

Scratchbuilder1-48 posted:

Remove  wheels and axles from trucks , press off wheels , chuck axle in a lathe bore out the end of the axle for a pin , have bearing caps designed to press on the pin once side frames are mounted , the trick will be getting the side frame perfectly aligned so the pins in the axle ends protrude thru the side frame on the dead center of the hole in side frame so the bearing cap will line up . So getting the side frame made to fit center to center of axles is paramount .

I 100% agree... This is where it's going to be tricky. Aligning the pin and the hole. 

And... Keeping it there for the life of the locomotive. 

Proto48Patrick posted:

If all that work is going to be done, might as well have someone redraw the frame so its more accurate looking with better detail.   Having rotating bearing caps was a dream of mine since my HO days and Athearn came out with the "Real" version of the SW1500 and SW1001.

 

Good luck, keep us posted;-)

I just don't know why we can't get this right from the beginning; like HO. 

I guess we just EXPECT too much accuracy in the scale of "toy trains" 

Wait a minute!  Where's the fun in an off the shelf unit, perfect in every detail?

in this hobby, for me... This IS the fun part. Making it mine. Making it unique. 

Turning this...

In to this... (So far, anyway). 

I love doing the same.  Thats MY fun in the hobby

Ohhh not to worry,  we will never have 100% accuracy so there will always be something to "fix" 

Proto48Patrick posted:

I love doing the same.  Thats MY fun in the hobby

Patrick,

Small world. I'm flying into GRR tomorrow! Ha!

- Mario

Considered using magnets?

Scratchbuilder1-48 posted:

Remove  wheels and axles from trucks , press off wheels , chuck axle in a lathe bore out the end of the axle for a pin , have bearing caps designed to press on the pin once side frames are mounted , the trick will be getting the side frame perfectly aligned so the pins in the axle ends protrude thru the side frame on the dead center of the hole in side frame so the bearing cap will line up . So getting the side frame made to fit center to center of axles is paramount .

I was thinking of taking everything off the axle and just replace the axle with a longer one, and then press fit a set of Lionel bearing caps on the end. 

Think that's a better idea?

I was thinking you could make some longer axles and do the same with the bearing caps from Atlas or Lionel.  Maybe a little graphite on the caps to minimize friction. 

Flying into Grand Rapids huh, I imagine for work since this isn't exactly a vacation spot LOL

Boilermaker1 posted:

Considered using magnets?

I used to design gears for Caterpillar engines & I learnt that it is never a good idea to have magnetic parts around bearings. With the intention to reduce friction around the axle supports, a magnet would attract all kinds of undesirable iron debris & wear the bearings which are usually softer metals or plastic / nylon bushings.

These are just my opinion,

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

Proto48Patrick posted:

I was thinking you could make some longer axles and do the same with the bearing caps from Atlas or Lionel.  Maybe a little graphite on the caps to minimize friction. 

 

Flying into Grand Rapids huh, I imagine for work since this isn't exactly a vacation spot LOL

Are the axle-end bearing caps on the 1:1 scale locomotives & freight cars the same diameter?

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

naveenrajan posted:

Proto48Patrick posted:

I was thinking you could make some longer axles and do the same with the bearing caps from Atlas or Lionel.  Maybe a little graphite on the caps to minimize friction. 

 

Flying into Grand Rapids huh, I imagine for work since this isn't exactly a vacation spot LOL

Are the axle-end bearing caps on the 1:1 scale locomotives & freight cars the same diameter?

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

No. The cartridge type roller bearings on freight cars are not as large as the big roller bearings on GE units (GE Bearings) and EMD units (GG Bearings).

naveenrajan posted:

Proto48Patrick posted:

I was thinking you could make some longer axles and do the same with the bearing caps from Atlas or Lionel.  Maybe a little graphite on the caps to minimize friction. 

 

Flying into Grand Rapids huh, I imagine for work since this isn't exactly a vacation spot LOL

Are the axle-end bearing caps on the 1:1 scale locomotives & freight cars the same diameter?

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

Actually a great question and Im guessing the Atlas Caps are oversized for freight cars anyhow.  I haven't measured an atlas cap for some time but I did draw and print some 3D Hex bearing caps for misc. use on my Atlas trucked freight cars.  If Mario was going to have someone redraw the side frame, it would be easy to draw printed bearing caps that are accurate and fit on the axle shoulder of his current axles.

Easypeasy Mario.

Make the bearing pins out of plastic to just touch the wheel centers when the pins are pushed through the mounted truck side frames.

1 Prepare the loco wheels by washing in a solvent to remove any grease or oil.

2. Put a dab of epoxy or thick CA on wheel axle interface. Outside please.

3. quickly mount side frames and push bearings, which are attached to the plastic pins, onto the glued wheel axle interface.

And Voila, rotating bearing caps.

I would make the holes in the side frames a smidge larger than the pin O.D. so they do not rub the side frame.

Patrick,

Nice cap. I never thought of using my 3D printer to make them, hmm...

PS-Yes, I'm flying to GR for work and then driving over to Zeeland to visit a customer.

I have the same problem, sort of.  I have my E44 running, with axle ends protruding through the brass sideframes, awaiting some solution involving press-on bearing caps.  I need steel sleeves for good bearing compatibility, and I can easily solder the cap castings on - just don't know where to buy the caps.  I bet Lionel caps are plastic or die cast - difficult to solder.

CentralFan1976 posted:

Patrick,

Nice cap. I never thought of using my 3D printer to make them, hmm...

PS-Yes, I'm flying to GR for work and then driving over to Zeeland to visit a customer.

I wish I could invite you over for a few but I'm on the road myself this week.  I live about 5 minutes from the airport 

Thanks, I appreciate the offer. 

This is an unscheduled trip (aka I booked Friday) so I'm putting out some fires this week. 

But, I'll be back!

Who's truck is that? Lionel's or mth? Or Weaver models?

Well, HO now has them...

The NYC's C-430s all had wheel slip covers on the firemans side. And on the engineers side, the lead truck had a speed recorder on the lead axle and a cover on the trailing axle (2). Because the ATS shoe was there.

Therefore, on a correct model, only the engineers side trailing truck would have rotating bearings.

Not worth it for 2 axles???

Got the Hi-Ad truck side frames today and they look good.  And the wheelbase seems dead nuts on for the Lionel RS-11 truck. 

I'm thinking I'll pull the atlas brake cylinders and lines off the C630 trucks. And the sand hoses.

Going to have to trim the mounting tab on the truck to get it to slide back so the brake pads are in line with wheel treads.

Ok. We have a problem. The side frames are flat in the back. So I'm going to have to use the brake rigging off the Lionel side frames to get that 3D look and place them back at the wheel treads. So I'll have to machine the existing side frames and trim the plastic ones and then laminate the two.

Thank you all for the nice comments and your input.  I'm going to be moving this over to the Franken-Alco C-430 topic, as that's what this is for.  As it looks right now, the rotating caps for this project is a no-go.

It is ONLY 2 axle you need to do...  ;-)