# What's this growth on the bottom?



## fildowns (May 17, 2008)

the bottom of my Bachmann spectrum mogul engine that is! 

Is it some sort of fixture for display, or does it stop the wheels coming off on sharp curves or...?

 

Because it's always been either pitch black or raiining hard when I've been home over the last week or so I've not been able to run it since it's purchase otherwise I would have just tried it out...but I'm interested to know what it's for.

One of the screws is missing from the centre and it means the device can spin round...probably not good...


----------



## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi, 

That stops the center (flangless) center axle moving sideways, it can be removed without any harm, and it will allow the loco to go round sharp(er) curves - keep it safe in case the loco is sold later and it can then go with it.


----------



## fildowns (May 17, 2008)

oh...I thought if anything it was going to be for when you wanted to run on sharp curves, to stop the blind drivers drifting off the track!

My minimum is 12ft dia....I should think I could leave it on??


----------



## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

I found it gets hung up on turnouts and stuff on the track so I took it off and have seen no problems


----------



## fildowns (May 17, 2008)

catching on switches etc that was what I was concerned about. I'll remove it and see how it goes. The worst I have curvewise is an ess from 12ft dia and all my switches are R5.

thanks for your quick replies guys!


----------



## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

So THAT's why my mogul would come off in the corners...so it was missing this guide! After I bought mine (used) I immediately found that even on 20ft diam corners the flangeless drivers would fall off to one side and it would ride crooked. I ended up taking the center drivers off and filing the back of the driver down some so the drivers would sit further in closer to the body. 

It works fine now but this is what was missing off the engine! LOL So glad you posted this Phil. 


Raymond


----------



## fildowns (May 17, 2008)

[sigh] nothing's ever easy!

it's a shame it doesn't just have flanges with some side play for tight curves!

Does anyone want a swap with a 4-4-0? LOL!!


----------



## fildowns (May 17, 2008)

Posted By Rayman4449 on 11/10/2008 8:38 AM
So THAT's why my mogul would come off in the corners...so it was missing this guide! After I bought mine (used) I immediately found that even on 20ft diam corners the flangeless drivers would fall off to one side and it would ride crooked. I ended up taking the center drivers off and filing the back of the driver down some so the drivers would sit further in closer to the body. 

It works fine now but this is what was missing off the engine! LOL So glad you posted this Phil. 

Raymond


Look at that even newbies are just so helpful haha!!

So it looks like it may need that guide round 12ft curves...or it may not....it may catch on the switches, or not and I might have to file the drivers down if so....hmm, just got to wait for it to stop raining and I will be able to try it out! (waiting for Rayman to point out I run battery anyway so there's no reason I shouldn't be running it in the rain anyways LOL!)


----------



## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

LOL Newbie? LOL Sir you are a master G scale film maker! we have much to learn from you as well.









One thing, I recall the divers have a plastic insert in the back of the driver (as an electrical insulator) and if you file it down you will expose metal to metal and it will create a dead short through that axle. you will need to add a nylon washer or something to reinsulate if you eliminate the original plastic. 

LOL well I have only one engine I'll send out in the rain and it's an old first gen Bachmann Big Hauler. The others such as my MTH Big Boys have only been caught in sudden downpours only by accident. Let me tell you it's REALY hard to stay calm and focused on backing your trains slowly when you are in the middle of a monsoon downpour and you have 3 big boys getting completely drenched!







Somehow I did and they came through ok... and actually they never looked so clean after I finished drying them off. I thought I was going to have to perform CPR when I first got them in... Actually lucky someone didn't need to perform CPR on ME. LOL!


Raymond


----------



## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

If you simply remove the "guide," the center drivers can still slide back and forth, possibly falling inside (or outside) the rails as they curve one way or the other. If you insert some simple styrene spacers onto the axle, that eliminates the play and the locomotive will handle a 2.5' radius (5' diameter) curve without issue. (Okay, it doesn't particularly _like_ going through a curve that tight, but the wheels will at least all stay on top of the rails.) 










In this case, I just cut some Evergreen styrene tube to fit (I forget how wide, but less than 1mm), split the tube so it would slip over the axle without removing anything, then put a drop of solvent back over the split once it was in place. 

Later, 

K


----------



## fildowns (May 17, 2008)

Awesome Kevin! Thanks very much for posting that!


----------



## stumpycc (Jan 2, 2008)

I took mine off the Mogal that I own, it came to a DEAD stop on 5ft curves and didn't fair to well on 8ft curves. It runs fine now. Most people remove, there was forum topic on it earlier this year. I don't watch the drivers much, as long as the " Train keeps a Rollin' all night Long" I am pretty happy with them. 
Cliff


----------



## fildowns (May 17, 2008)

Thanks Cliff.

I have a raised trackbed (about 2'6") so I quite often watch the drivers especially when viewing from a chair on the patio (with or w/o beer!).
I'll see what works best. I might actually get to run it this weekend if the weather holds up!

I wonder if I was deciding on the design I would have gone for an unprototypical(?) flange on the centre wheel with more axle sideplay, or, like it has, an unprototypical pin behind the wheel....


----------



## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

I am a bit confused as I ran mine for a quite a while with little trouble ...... I run 332 rail are those that have seen the driver fall off on 250 rail ?


----------



## fildowns (May 17, 2008)

Posted By Trains West on 11/13/2008 10:08 AM
I am a bit confused as I ran mine for a quite a while with little trouble ...... I run 332 rail are those that have seen the driver fall off on 250 rail ? 


Scott, was that with or without the guide?

Thanks,


----------



## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

I run 332 rail with all 20ft diameter curves and my drivers kept coming off all the time with no guide. 


Raymond


----------



## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

I ran mine without the guide ..... I can only assume that mine did not have the play that some others have had ....... I have another at the store I may have to try out and see what it does


----------



## fildowns (May 17, 2008)

I couldn't find any scrap tube small enough to make my own split washers.

So here's my version of the solution. Not as elegant as Kevin's but it works and you can't see it in normal operation.

Thanks all for the info and pointers to the remedy.


----------



## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Phil,

I don't see what you mean.


Raymond


----------



## fildowns (May 17, 2008)

Raymond, the gearbox is fixed to the centre axle. The plastic card square is fixed to the gearbox and fits between the frame and stops any gearbox (and thus axle) sideplay. It works really well. Even on my slightly uneven 12ft curves there is no falling off where there was before. What a smooth runner this loco is! I know real modellers are weathering and detailing it but I really like the classy just-out-of-the-shops look! Just right for VIP tours of my heritage line where anything goes HAHA!


----------

