Rear truck floppy and loose

Can you post a pic of it, usually there is a spring on top of the truck to hold it down...

Here is a link for the parts break down....http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/cd/LOCOS/DEB2046B.pdf

Marty

Thanks for the link.  There is definitely no spring on the truck just the connector I described that holds the front of the truck to the body.  I imagine the spring would be inserted between it and the truck so that the spring would ride up and down this connector like a shock absorber while at the same time providing enough tension to keep the truck pressed down on the track.  I can't take a picture now since I have to go to work shortly but later I will if necessary.

I found this photo of a 646 on Ebay and clearly a rear spring is visible in the front of the rear truck so I think Marty solved the problem.  I looked at the Olsen trains diagram and it's a bit confusing regarding the exact part number of the spring.  Does anyone have this part number?

That photo is not a 646. That is a prewar 1666e, and is not necessarily the same construction as a postwar 646.
Your 646 is the same construction as a 2046/2056.
Your best bet is to go to the Olsen's web site and look at the service manual pages on a 2046 here

You will see that the post to which the front of the trailing truck and drawbar is mounted is of a fixed length, it is not adjustable. The trailing truck and drawbar are attached to each other with a long rivet at the center. There should be a spring on the rivet between the two parts.

If your truck is derailing, I would suspect bent axles on the truck. The spring could be weak, damaged, or missing. The mounting post could be bent. I guess the drawbar could be bent too.

Looks to me that the part number is 164-16. A call to Hennings or Train Tender would certainly provide confirmation and availability.

swede

Thanks for the information, C.W..  I noticed the 1666e on the cab but the poster had 646 listed too so I thought they were one and the same.   The loco has no spring at all so using your link to Olsen's I'm sure I will find a replacement.  I had noted that too that the connector or post as you call it is not adjustable.  I do think that installing the spring will go a long way to solving this problem. 

It looks like Part 164-16 "Rivet Spring"

Thanks Swede, I think you and I "are on the same track" 

If you have small springs in your odd parts box you might see if one will do the job. Any small spring of similar size and stiffness will do most of these jobs. It could also be cut - or stretched a bit - to fit and function. And it's free. If you have such.  

Could someone post a photo of the rear truck assembly of the 2046 that illustrates how the spring is attached between the rivet and drawbar?   That would be very helpful.

Thanks D500 but Jeff Kane sells them for 35 cents so I will probably order one from him.

The rivet runs through the center of the spring.
Usually its easy to grab the remains of the old spring with a needle nose pliers and pull it off.
Then find the end of the new spring, and slip the rivet between the end and the winding it is up tight against. Slowly and carefully continue twisting (rotating) the spring and it will wind its way onto the rivet.
Be certain to orient the spring so the end matches the cup. (Without looking, I think its the small end.)

The twisting works similar to putting a key on a split key ring.

My advice: don't order one spring, at 35 cents, order two or three. You might ruin one trying to get it on the first time.

The truck its self is held on to the mounting stud with a large horse shoe clip..

Marty

I thought I would post a photo of the rear truck.  Despite C.W.'s detailed description on how to replace the spring, I still can't quite understand exactly what has to be done.   I'm fairly certain the "rivet" is in the center of the round object in the middle of the truck but where the spring goes is still a mystery to me.  That's why I thought if someone had a photo of the assembly I could see how the spring is oriented.

Photo of rear truck

It certainly looks like your spring is missing.
Lift the truck away from the drawbar.
The spring goes between the two.
I will try to take a picture sometime this morning.

Thank you sir

Might as well take the horseshoe clip off and remove the truck,  You are going to have to anyway to install the spring.  With the spring installed it will exert a downward thrust on the truck to inable it to track well.

Marty

Here is an NOS Modern era equivalent of your truck. The only difference that jumps out at me is that this truck has an eyelet instead of a cup washer. It is mounted to the ash pan.

Great help gentlemen as always.  NOW I understand and would NOT have understood without your kind help.

I received the spring (with an extra) from Jeff Kane, took the truck off and after a bit of trial and error wound it around the rivet.  Special thanks to C.W.for his comment that the task is similar to putting a key on a split key ring.   That really helped.  The "horseshoe" shaped clip broke in half when I tried to put it back on but Jeff is sending me a few more in the mail. 

I'm having a technical problem.   The top of the spring tends to wind its way through the oval slot at the top of the truck where the rivet head slides back and forth.   I noticed this as I repeatedly compressed the spring to make sure it was functioning properly just before reattaching the truck to the loco.   Of course when this happens the spring loses a great deal of tension and does not perform properly.

Just to be clear, is the broad end of the conical shaped spring supposed to be installed down (toward the wheels) or up (toward the bottom of the loco)?  I have the broad end down currently and thought perhaps I installed it incorrectly. 

J

How about a picture of your truck?

I double checked a truck on an 8206, which is the same as the truck I pictured above.
The rivet goes through a slot in the drawbar. The truck does not have a slot, it has a round hole for the rivet.

On these trucks the rivet:
goes through slot in drawbar
then eyelet (or cup washer), with shoulder facing down, away from drawbar
Then spring, thinner side towards eyelet
Then truck.
Then clinched.

Here is the photo looking down on the top fo the truck.   The spring tends to spin its way through the slot pictured, reducing the tension that it is supposed to supply to the truck to keep it pressed down on the track

Is the cup washer there, maybe you should replace the whole truck, I think I have a couple in my parts drawer...

Marty

It's good that you posted a photo.
That slot is through the drawbar, not the truck.
As Marty suggests, there should be a cup washer or an eyelet between the spring and the drawbar.
The cup washer (or eyelet) should keep the spring from getting through the slot.

How about a side picture showing what is going on between the two pieces.

Yes, I was thinking that a washer or eyelet  between the rivet and the spring would prevent the spring from riding up through the slot.  Would this washer normally be found on the underside of the drawbar or on the top under the rivet head?  I definitely do not see a washer or eyelet on either side.  You can see from the photo that on the top it's missing.   Thanks for the offer Marty.   I may take you up on it and of course would pay a reasonable fee for the truck plus shipping. 

As far as C.W.'s request for a new photo, I'm headed out the door in a minute for a short vacation but will post a photo when I return on Wednesday.

The cup washer should be on the underside, between the drawbar and the spring.
Check and see whether it is nestled against the truck frame.
If it is not there somewhere, then somebody had the truck and drawbar separated at one time, and did not reassemble it correctly.

There is no email in your profile, email me when you get the chance...

Marty