Texas Chugger steam Locomotive

[lizzy]

I recently aquired a Bachman Texas Chugger new in the box, when I put it on the track the rear drive wheels came out of the sockets on the drive gear, I was able to put them back on, but they immediately came off again.I hope someone has a cure. Thanks

[Jim Banner]

It sounds like the hubs (sockets) on each side of the gear have split.  If the gear has not split, it is possible to hold the split hubs together with pieces of brass tubing, if you can find just the right size.  Alternately, making pieces of tubing exactly the right size is a possibility.  This approach will often work even if the gear has split but sometimes the locomotive will have a bit of a tick as it runs.

If the axles that plug into the hubs are square, then quartering is no problem.  Otherwise you will have to quarter the wheels when you reassemble them.  In either case, you will have to adjust the gauge of the wheels using an NMRA wheel and track gauge.  Because you have to make adjustments, I do not recommend that you glue the axles into their hubs.