American Flyer 2-4-4 wheel repair

The axle is not riveted, but one end has been peened to create an edge to hold the wheels on.

Remove the leading truck assembly.  Then I typically will cut the bad wheel off and then flatten the edge of the axle that has previously been peened, so that it is perfectly flat with the rest of the axle.  Then I push the axle out and install new wheels and then pound the previously flattened original edge so that it holds the wheels on. 

It looks original and functions how it should.

Thank you.  Is there a specific name for these wheels in flyer terminology?

@jhz563 posted:

Thank you.  Is there a specific name for these wheels in flyer terminology?

They would be leading truck or pony wheels.  Henning's carries replacements.  You want Henning's part number AFO-1007.

NWL that's interesting - when I've had to replace these wheels I remove the lead or trailing truck and just crush the wheel with a pair of pliers - it is usually so rotted that it crumbles to dust with very little pressure applied and then, as you said - peen the edge of the axle.

@Robert S. Butler posted:

NWL that's interesting - when I've had to replace these wheels I remove the lead or trailing truck and just crush the wheel with a pair of pliers - it is usually so rotted that it crumbles to dust with very little pressure applied and then, as you said - peen the edge of the axle.

Sometimes one can crush the ones that are pretty far gone and sometimes one has to cut the more solid ones or pound them with a hammer to crush them.