fixing a truck for a Millwaukee St. Louis

[WestCelt]

Bought a Williams Milwaukee St. Louis GP7 still in the box never apparently opened off e-bay.   First time I try to run it a wheel falls off.    I pushed it back on but it still comes off.  I think this was first produced in the 90's So I have no idea if it would be covered by a warranty so my question is can I find a new W.R.L  F-7 A-4 truck to replace this one or can I, as an old fellow down at the train club said, just use some Super Glue and carefully glue the wheel to the shaft?     



WestCelt

[Joe Satnik]

WC,

Can you post pictures of the loco, the box, and the box end flap with model description?

If not, can you give a link to the auction?

Thanks.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik 

[phillyreading]

I doubt you will have any warranty as the Williams item is too old. You would do better to try a home repair, try to use locktite glue as it holds better then super glue does.
I don't buy from ebay any more

With all the Williams engines I have bought, about 12 now, I never had a wheel fall off. Even with the Crown Edition engines I never had problems.

Lee F.

[671]

Hi WestCelt,

        671 here. Your challenge seems to be one of two reasons that the wheel does not stay onto the axle.

1.     The bore hole within the wheel hub is oversized.
2.     The axle shaft was not knurled.

      The wheel stays onto the axle by friction originally. The bore is slightly smaller than the shaft end.
      I would try to replicate this friction using one of two methods.

      Top of my list would be to use either strands of steel from a steel wool pad or strands of fine copper from multi-strand thin gauge wire.

      I would place as many strands as needed through the hole in the wheel. Leave excess strands outside the rear of the wheel. One dot of supperglue to hold their position. Press the wheel onto the axle using my bench vise with paint stirring sticks as a protector between vise jaw and wheel set. Press to correct width, then take a sheetrock knife and cut the excess wire off from behind the wheel. Job complete!

       Second choice would be to squeeze the end of the axle in my bench vise to oblongate it's shape. This would make up for the loose fit.

       If I needed to do this type of repair, I would use the wire style repair. I feel it would have the much sort after results.


                                      Good luck!...671

[wmwalker]

671
Very good information on how to replace the wheel. I really learned something. I never thought about either method but I really like the wire one for sure. Thank you for this great information. 

[671]

wmwalker,

            You are quite welcome.

            I hope WestCelt gets his GP7 up and running.


                                            ...671

[tsched]

WC: could you mean Minneapolis & St. Louis?  If so, that's a newer model/road name and the ebay seller should have included the warranty card for you.  Just a thought.