Need new wheel sets for MG PRR M1 4-axle tender due to my ignorance.

I'm not a two-rail guy.  How far did you dig in with the steel wire brush?  Couldn't you polish the finish back to smooth with Pearl Drops (tooth polish, not paste) or jewellers rouge?

Ted S posted:

I'm not a two-rail guy.  How far did you dig in with the steel wire brush?  Couldn't you polish the finish back to smooth with Pearl Drops (tooth polish, not paste) or jewellers rouge?

Interesting idea, thanks.  I thought I was being gentle enough to just remove the dirt with the steel wire wheel.  I think the wheels may have already been slightly pitted/scratched but it appears I made the situation worse.  I’m going to try and mount the wheel in my lathe to polish it.  

As Ted posted above, Jewelers rouge should make short work of that problem....or if you know a jeweler in your area, they should have a soft pad high speed buffing wheel that’ll cure that issue...good advise Ted!.........Pat

you want me to tell you how  to repair them easily? buy a rock polisher from harbor freight you also buy there fine sand and have stainless steel washers made with a shear so the edges  are sharp .put just your wheels in the sand and install a lot of stainless steel washers in the tumbler and run for 8 hours, and then check. one I think you'll find out they look like a brand new finish. my brother taught me that trick and you can polish any metal with the stainless steel washers and they'll look brand new!

it actually plates to the wheel sets!

guaranteed to work!

Alan

How close are the NWSL wheelsets?  Once installed, you might not be able to notice any difference.

Just a thought.  Good luck.

Ed

I'd just replace them all and not worry too much about it.  Just how far off are the NWSL sets?  Just what size are the originals anyway?  Someone might have spares laying around if you ask about.

The NWSL axle lengths are approximately.020” too short.  I know that equates to only .010” per side but why ask for trouble?  The other dimension that may require machining is the axle ends.  If I understand the website correctly, the shouldered axle ends are .125” in diameter and my axles are .108” so some material would have to be removed.  I would prefer to remove material from the axle end rather than enlarge the receiving hole in the truck side frame as the relationship there is critical and properly mounting the truck for drilling could be problematic.  I’m thinking that I’ll try jewelers rouge first then rock polishing.  I’ll buy new sets if they become available.  These are 36” wheels with .172” profiles though I think most of you already knew that.  

Rock tumbler, who’d a thunk it!?! 😁

Great responses, thanks!

Alan Mancus posted:

you want me to tell you how  to repair them easily? buy a rock polisher from harbor freight you also buy there fine sand and have stainless steel washers made with a shear so the edges  are sharp .put just your wheels in the sand and install a lot of stainless steel washers in the tumbler and run for 8 hours, and then check. one I think you'll find out they look like a brand new finish. my brother taught me that trick and you can polish any metal with the stainless steel washers and they'll look brand new!

it actually plates to the wheel sets!

guaranteed to work!

Alan

Alan,

Very interesting.  Can you give me more details on the SS washers w/shear edges? Can I get those at HF as well?

Thanks

Alan’s idea is really neat, and I may try that myself someday, .....for short order, if you say you have a lathe, chuck one end up and run the lathe at a descent speed and just lightly apply pressure to the wheel closest to the chuck...I’d start with some super fine paper maybe 800 or 1000......see if you can’t smooth out those wire wheel marks, staying away from the flange of course, I’d only do the wheel closest to the chuck first, then flip it so I’m not putting pressure on the wheel dangling out in the middle of nowhere.....then apply the jeweler’s rouge as Ted suggested....if that don’t work, then go buy the rock tumbler...and spin your troubles away!...😉........Pat 

Order the NWSL.  The journals are not 1/8" dia.  In fact, you may have to shim the journal box holes to take up the slop.  K&S tube will probably work.

I measure the NWSL axle stub at about .090.

But the real problem - I believe early wheelsets were plated brass.  Brass (and zamak and plastic) wheelsets just gather dirt for some reason.  Steel is way better at staying clean.  The plating is ok, but it falls off after an hour or so of running, and then you have a brass wheel.

Tumbling seems like a lousy idea - spin them and hold 600 wet sandpaper against the tread, then 1000 wet, then tooth polish.  They will still be brass, but they will at least be dead smooth where you want them smooth.

I have some MG and USH locos and all the wheelsets I have worked on so far are plated brass.     So I think its possible putting in a tumbler with hard steel, will just grind them up because brass is a lot softer than steel.   

All,  

This afternoon I stopped by my friend’s home (Also an O scaler) who suggested a Dremel and an old block of “White rouge buffing wheel compound” he had laying around.  I was able to put the axle end into the Dremel Chuck and spin the wheel directly against the rouge block.  I then took the tender to the club layout.  I put some Label 7 on the track to help mitigate arcing and facilitate cleaning afterwards.  The engine has NEVER run better.  After 45 minutes of running I examined the wheels and noted a small amount of dirt, much less than before, most of which was easy to remove with a Q-tip.  What remained will no doubt come off with another polishing but that may not have to happen for a while.  I’d still like to buy the NWSL set to experiment with.  

Smart.  Never thought of mounting in a Dremel.  Is white rouge finer than rouge rouge?  I used to have a block of it, but it disappeared.

bob2 posted:

Smart.  Never thought of mounting in a Dremel.  Is white rouge finer than rouge rouge?  I used to have a block of it, but it disappeared.

Not sure about that.  He had several blocks of rouge all different colors.  Each box described the suited application.  The “White” one seemed best for what I was trying to do.