Replace Lead Truck on Williams 4-6-0 - HELP!

Yes get a new lead truck frame. However, if you still have a clearance issue file or grind the offending frame area.

Or---- are you trying to run the loco on too sharp a radius? Or--- is it the frame or the steam chests that are the problem?

Also was the truck frame backwards?

Let me know?

Ron H posted:

Yes get a new lead truck frame. However, if you still have a clearance issue file or grind the offending frame area.

Or---- are you trying to run the loco on too sharp a radius? Or--- is it the frame or the steam chests that are the problem?

Also was the truck frame backwards?

Let me know?

1) Obviously a new lead truck is necessary. However Bachmann doesn't sell JUST the truck. They sell the entire frame of the engine with the truck attached. With that, the frame and truck combo would need an entire transplant of motor, electronics, etc as well as the drive wheels, etc. I don't like the idea of screwing with the wheels, etc. Can the rivet be taken out and reused on my original loco?

2) The interference happens both with the steam chests (front lead truck axle) and the crossheads (rear lead truck axle). The crosshead interference will be a bit more tricky to solve. Not really worried about the steam truck issue except for a bit of paint loss. 0-31 curves it is most obvious, which is the recommended for this loco. 

3) Truck frame is not backwoods nor was it. 

This little engine runs like a top otherwise. What a sweet performing engine! Wish they were all this good! 

Don't take this wrong, but any suggestion I make at this point requires a lot of modifying, or time and patience. One could leave it as a 2-6-0 and grind the appropriate frame and steam chest pieces or be coached through the tear down process to swap everything our with the new chassis. Or, you could remove the cut up truck and fabricate or find an alternative truck to bolt on.

Sorry

Ok, I looked at the Williams  parts for your loco and I would order the new chassis. With patience, it should be easy to swap it all out.

Your space is what it is, but the loco was trying to tell you something. As long as you have, ah, messed with it, why not run it as an 0-6-0? That couldn't look much worse than what you did (modifications can be fun - I do them all the time - but even had it worked, this particular look would have been unfortunate).

But back to the space: of you have 031, could you not expand slightly to 036? The problem would go away, I'm sure. 

You can drill out the rivets and replace them later. You are running on too sharp of a radius for the design so you will have to do some hogging out of the parts that are contacting each other.

Update: Ordered a new chassis from Bachmann. According to them, it has shipped. Meanwhile, I've gotten everything off the "old" chassis - wheels, motor, wiring, etc. Just need to pick up some solder and will put it all back together when I get the new frame.  Hey...I tried. Sometimes it takes #$*$ it up to see how obvious some things will or WON'T work!

Good for you. Glad you ordered a new chassis.

Ron H

I am confused on what you did?  The truck is riveted.  You could have drilled out.  Did modifications you thought necessary and reriveted.  Or tap hole and go with shouldered bolt.   G

If I had to repair it I would have tapped out the riveted stud with a small punch and small hammer. Replace the damaged truck with a front truck from a Lionel starter set 4-4-2 (cost is around 8.00) install reusing the original rivet and spring and re-peen.

The Lionel front truck has a shorter wheelbase & smaller wheels and will go around 027 curves with no problems.