4-6-0 pilot truck problems

[ebtbob]

Good Evening all,

       A number of you have mentioned having problems with the pilot truck on your 4-6-0s not tracking very well.   I had one place on my whole On30 railroad where the engine left a left hand curve and went into a #6 turnout.   Almost every time that I tried to take the engine into the divergent(curved) part of the turnout the pilot truck would derail.   
       Well,  those days are over.   My friend Tim Anders(he lurks about here on the BMan forum) found a problem with the pilot truck.   Not only on my 4-6-0 but also on his.   The two axles in the assembly did not have smooth,  free lateral motion in the assembly.    He simply put some graphite lubricant on the axles and now my 4-6-0 passes thru the problem area just fine,  thankyou very much!   
         So if you are having some derailment problems,  check those axles!!

[Tim]

Bob

Actually it was Labelle #108 oil that I used but graphite would work.
As shipped the pilot truck bearings are dry.  Part of the preparations before running any loco
regardless of manufacture is to check pilot & trailing trucks for lube and binds.

Another problem with the 4-6-0 is a lack of vertical movement of the pilot truck.
This shows up at the crest of your grades, a little judicious filing of the pilot truck link will give
added vertical movement.  I replaced mine with one made of .025" brass strip.

Spring loading of the pilot truck is possible but I find it unnecessary with the above changes.

Tim Anders
Souderton,PA

[Dusten Barefoot]

Cut up a spring from a pen. Then attach it to the mount on the truck. Make sure the spring is long enough to touch the pilot. This keeps my tuck on the rail, and also widing up the wheels also helps.

Rock ON!
Dusten