Beginners Ask Trains Fixing free floating wheelsets

Fixing free floating wheelsets

By Sammi DiVito | October 25, 2021

| Last updated on December 2, 2022

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Ted Zieger says that he has two steam engines, a 4-6-0 and a 4-4-0, that the front wheelsets like to derail very easily in switches. The front wheelsets are free floating, and he needs ideas to fix them. Cody Grivno offers a solution.

3 thoughts on “Fixing free floating wheelsets

  1. A very small piece of weight glued with CA on the front and rear of the pilot truck could also help. Once the glue has set, paint your weights flat black to blend in with the trucks. Make sure they do not interfere with the function of the truck or the rotation of the wheels. Just this small amount of added weight can make a difference.

  2. An easy way to add weight to a pilot truck or front wheelsets is to add to thin line of moldable Lead wrapped around the axle. Take preventive care in handling the Lead, but his technique works wells. Also try a thin solder as a wrap. The added weight can prevent derailments.

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