# How to Improve Traction of USAT NW-2?



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

I have several USAT NW-2's that I like (they fit the time frame of first generation diesels that I try to focus on) but they do not have traction tires and do not have very good traction - especially when pulling a quantity of freight cars). 

Unfortunately the wheels are not interchangeable with later USAT diesels that have traction tires so I cannot just swap wheels.

The normal suggestion would tend to be to add weight which I may have to do but I try to avoid adding weights out of concern that it causes increased pressure on the gears etc. My preference would be to find a way to put traction tires on the NW-2's.

Has anyone been successful with finding a way to put traction tires on NW-2's? 

If not what have others done to increase their traction (including weights if that is the only alternative)?

Thanks,

Jerry


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## George Schreyer (Jan 16, 2009)

if wheel slip is the problem then you've already described the two routes that you can practically take. A third, much more messy approach would be rack rail. 

You either need to increase the pressure of the wheels on the rail via weight or increase the coefficient of friction of the wheels via traction tires (or in the extreme, a rack) 

Providing that the wheel bearings can handle it, increasing the weight is by far the easiest approach. To determine how much you need, throw something heavy in a baggie and drape it over the loco and test. If you use one baggie, drape it over the middle. If you use two baggies, drape them over the trucks.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Add a little weight... keep the axle tips lubed, that's where the pressure is. 

You could do like Bill Swindell (I think it was him), who added ball bearings to the sideframes to handle the load, then you can put plenty of weight inside. 

Regards, Greg 

p.s. Make sure you don't have any "cracked axles" as per the recent discussions... new locos can have this... see my USAT page on this under MOTIVE POWER.... USAT... Cracked Axles.... which will explain what happens...


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

NW-2s are not well suited to hauling big trains. Add appreciable weight and a grade and you will crack or strip the gears in short order. I've cracked and stripped many.

I do believe that if you really wanted to, you could use the traction tires from the GP9.

Buy a set of GP9 wheels with the tires and slip the wheels out of the gear. Slip the "locating blocks" off NW wheels and exchange these onto the GP wheels. Then slip the GP wheels into the NW gear and voila!

BTW, probably best to "brass band" the gears while you have things apart. Then you will never crack an axle.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Hi George and Greg,

I too have had the problem with the split gears on some of my NW-2's which is a major reason why I am trying to avoid adding weight - which would add to the weight the gears would have to pull. Several of my NW-2's came in older starter sets (one had a stripped gear when I first ran it) so I anticipate that I will have more stripped gears.

I did look at Greg's website and there is some very good info there - I'm just trying to avoid the extra work if possible.

I appreciate the suggestions.

Jerry


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry 

Whyat do you consider a quanity of frt cars? 

I'd say real NW-2s typically didn't pull or push more than a dozen cars at a time by them selves. 

They were relativly small switchers.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By toddalin on 09 Apr 2010 04:17 PM 
NW-2s are not well suited to hauling big trains. Add appreciable weight and a grade and you will crack or strip the gears in short order. I've cracked and stripped many.

I do believe that if you really wanted to, you could use the traction tires from the GP9.

Buy a set of GP9 wheels with the tires and slip the wheels out of the gear. Slip the "locating blocks" off NW wheels and exchange these onto the GP wheels. Then slip the GP wheels into the NW gear and voila!

BTW, probably best to "brass band" the gears while you have things apart. Then you will never crack an axle.


Using GP-9 wheels was an idea I had when I first found I needed more traction. When I checked the parts and called Charles Ro to confirm it, I found that the motor block and wheels of the NW-2 are not shared with the GP-7/9 or any of the USAT locos that have traction tires. Perhaps I am missing something and there is a way to make it work.

I am not trying to do anything particularly difficult or stressful with the NW-2's. I am using them on perfectly flat track and only trying to pull from 1 to 6 cars. My C&NW NW-2 slips just trying to pull the boxcar and caboose that came with it.

Surprisingly when I MU a NW-2 Cow and Calf Warbonnet they get quite good traction but unfortunately the rest of my NW-2's are of unmatching railroads so I prefer not to MU them.

I may have to "brass band" them to prevent future problems anyway. Greg's site with Tony's instructions is the first I had heard of it.

If anyone has actually been able to put GP-7/9 wheels on a NW-2 I would REALLY like to hear about it as I think it could transform these little locos into great performers (especially if the gears held up).

Thanks,

Jerry


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

My opinion is that stripped gears is from improper assembly... I have done it. 

Cracked gear "housings" are inevitable in my opinion, I have 20 usat locos, and I have the "new improved" axles and the originals. It SEEMS that the newer style axles crack less often, but I've had them crack also. 

Jerry, did you really have a stripped gear? Or was it a cracked axle? You basically have to open the motor block. 

I also have talked to people and am pretty convinced that some have come from the factory mis-assembled. 

Regards, Greg 

p.s. I just measured my NW-2 wheels, they are 1.12" which seems the same as what I measured on the GP7, so the traction tires may be the deal... 

I have the part numbers for all the USAT loco wheels on my site under TRAINS...MOTIVE POWER.... USAT, bottom of the page


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 09 Apr 2010 06:49 PM 
My opinion is that stripped gears is from improper assembly... I have done it. 

Cracked gear "housings" are inevitable in my opinion, I have 20 usat locos, and I have the "new improved" axles and the originals. It SEEMS that the newer style axles crack less often, but I've had them crack also. 

Jerry, did you really have a stripped gear? Or was it a cracked axle? You basically have to open the motor block. 

I also have talked to people and am pretty convinced that some have come from the factory mis-assembled. 

Regards, Greg 

p.s. I just measured my NW-2 wheels, they are 1.12" which seems the same as what I measured on the GP7, so the traction tires may be the deal... 

I have the part numbers for all the USAT loco wheels on my site under TRAINS...MOTIVE POWER.... USAT, bottom of the page 

Even if the diameter of the tires differed slightly, you could just change out all four axles. If they are the same (and I also think they are because I'm always confusing them in my parts drawers), you only need to change two. The first thing I usually do with traction-tired USA engines is change them out to non-traction wheels the first time I would crack/strip a gear. After that, I just band the gears.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

They sure look the same on the diameter Todd, and I would suspect that the metal half axles are the same too. 

The plastic gear castings are of course different. I did also find small variations in the outer diameter of the "gear casting" where the axle fits in, did not measure, but my brass tubes fit differently on the NW and the 44 tonner. 

I think your idea might just do the trick, although thinking about it, pulling more cars should increase the load on the axle tips. Keep them lubed! 

Regards, Greg


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 09 Apr 2010 06:49 PM 
Jerry, did you really have a stripped gear? Or was it a cracked axle? You basically have to open the motor block. 


Hi Greg,

Actually what I had was the plastic part of the gear that wraps around the axle split. It has been awhile but I think the USAT axles are solid rather than split like the older Aristo Long Steel Caboose axles.

I have a spare NW-2 motor block around here and I can check it.

It has been at least a year (possibly a few years) since I phoned Charles Ro tech support but I am sure that I was told a GP-7/9 wheel would not fit a NW-2. I believe I was told the motor blocks were different and the axles would not interchange (or perhaps he was thinking about just a wheel swap and not an axle swap).

I have a GP-7 so I may be tempted to try swapping the axles. The GP-7 could work better without traction tires than the NW-2 (in my opinion).

Do you happen to know if the motor leads are isolated from the track leads on the NW-2's? I am planning on putting Revolutions in at least a couple of the NW-2's but I may not if I have to bother with isolating the motor leads and doing any extra rewiring.

Thanks,

Jerry


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

That sounds like the "cracked gear" syndrome, which is really the crack in the tubular part of the plastic casting. 

The only time I have seen stripped gears (the teeth actually damaged), someone has been "inside" the motor block, and I believe the brass "bushings" were installed incorrectly. 

Dunno about the motor leads... it's dark outside now, where the trains are. 

Normally they are separate leads, like the other USAT diesels. 

Regards, Greg


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By rlvette on 09 Apr 2010 06:43 PM 
Jerry 

Whyat do you consider a quanity of frt cars? 

I'd say real NW-2s typically didn't pull or push more than a dozen cars at a time by them selves. 

They were relativly small switchers. 

My intended use for the NW-2's is for small perfectly flat yards with a very maximum of six freight cars possibly including a caboose. The caboose would most likely be a USAT Woodsided Caboose with friction brushes on the inside of the wheels for electrical contacts.

The cars would most often be LGB (possibly a few USAT) narrow gauge type freight cars - mainly boxcars and reefers. Most would have Bachmann metal wheels (no plastic or ball bearing wheels).

With a little extra traction I think the NW-2's would work well without undue stress on the gears.

Jerry


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Man Jerry, if you can change out the brush pickups, you would help the situation a lot, they can have quite a lot of friction. 

All my cabeese have ball bearing pickups now. 

Regards, Greg


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 09 Apr 2010 08:48 PM 



The only time I have seen stripped gears (the teeth actually damaged), someone has been "inside" the motor block, and I believe the brass "bushings" were installed incorrectly. 


Regards, Greg 


I can show you an NW that continually strips the teeth off of the gear on one axle. The problem is that the axle does not sit far enough into the channel (or the motor sits too far into the channel) such that the teeth on the wheel gear don't make good contact with the motor gear. When the wheel gear is new there is minimal engagement and any kind of load just strips the teeth right off. Other than replacing the motor block, I'm at my wits end with this one. It now pulls short trains on level ground.


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## Bill Swindell (Jan 2, 2008)

I have not put ball bearings in my NW-2 but I have dont it to my GP-8 & my 6 wheel trucks. I have plenty of GP-9 wheels with traction tires since I remove all of them from my engines. Adding a few pounds of batteries does wonder for the pulling ability of an engine.


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## W3NZL (Jan 2, 2008)

Why not just bring Ur NW-2 up to scale weight, about 10 lbs 3oz, and let it go at that... If U still need more, its time to 
doublehead that train... I scale weight everything, engines & rolling stock for well over 50 years now and I've never 
burned up a motor, striped a gear or worn out anything as a result of it... The advantages of the right amount of 
weight, better TE, better electrical P/U, better tracking, more realistic train handling, they even sound better... In 
fact the only real an immediate disadvantage I can discern is that U have to pick up them up from time to time... hehe
While I'm certain that there is small additional wear factor involved, with a reasonable maintainance program in place 
I've never seen any real evidence of it... Maybe it'll only last 99 yrs instead of a 100, who cares...
Paul R...


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Paul there's no question about weight being the simplest and most straightforward solution. 

But, the bearings in the sideframe on USAT locos are not known for their load carrying capacity, they are not only just simple bearing surfaces, but, in my opinion, a loose fit and easily contaminated by dirt, grit, etc. 

So many people (including myself) shy away from adding weight, as opposed to something like Aristo, with hefty ball bearings on all axles. 

Have you done testing on USAT locos? I'd be very interested in your results, because I DO want more weight in ALL my USAT locos. 

How many locos, what weight added, how much run time, what length of trains, what grades, that kind of stuff. 

Regards, Greg


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 09 Apr 2010 09:01 PM 
Man Jerry, if you can change out the brush pickups, you would help the situation a lot, they can have quite a lot of friction. 

All my cabeese have ball bearing pickups now. 

Regards, Greg 

Hi Greg,

I started years ago replacing my caboose wheels/pickups with LGB Ball Bearing Wheelsets. I love the improvement - in my opinion - to the appearance of Aristo Long Steel Cabooses with LGB Metal Wheels.

Unfortunately I have too many cabooses to retrofit all of them. The siding below are the cabooses that are not part of a regular train but all now have metal wheels and lights. With cabooses like the bobber cabooses it is hard to justify spending $50 on ball bearing wheels for a $50 caboose. 

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je...0Yard1.jpg











Additionally LGB Ball Bearing Wheels became almost impossible to find and are just too expensive for me to use everywhere. A side problem is that ball bearing wheels (and sometimes plain metal wheels) can sometimes be too friction free and at times I rely on the friction of the caboose brushes to hold a consist on a siding.

I was amazed to find the same thing with 1:1 in that when we moved our MoPac caboose (with ball bearing wheels) I had not reinstalled the brake rods and when I removed the 2" x 4" that was acting as a stop the 52,000 lb caboose started to roll - on virtually level track!

Regards,

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By W3NZL on 10 Apr 2010 09:36 AM 
Why not just bring Ur NW-2 up to scale weight, about 10 lbs 3oz, and let it go at that... If U still need more, its time to 
double head... 



Hi Paul,

I REALLY hate to take a USAT loco apart. Virtually every time I do I break something. I don't think I own a single USAT loco that does not have at least one small part bent, broken or missing. This is not a complaint against USAT. They make very nicely detailed locomotives but I an 6'5", 325 lbs and I have hands to match. 

I do not work well with fragile toy trains so I try to handle them as little as possible.

Some people enjoy working on their trains I do not. For me the enjoyment is in sitting back and running/controlling them and I only take one apart when I run out of other options.

Thanks for your suggestions. I do appreciate them even if I end up doing something different - after all I may end up having to add weight if the traction tire idea does not pan out.

Jerry


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I thought they came with a Calf because they had poor tractrion any way. The 1:1 s didn't pull that well either. 

Didn't someone have a link on how to fix the split gear?

Would you please post ti again 


JJ


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## Bill Swindell (Jan 2, 2008)

I have run an SW-1000. It is very similar to the NW-2. I have moved 15 loaded 86' flat cars on flat ground around sharp curves with no wheel slip problems.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Jerry McColgan on 10 Apr 2010 02:21 PM 

Thanks for your suggestions. I do appreciate them even if I end up doing something different - after all I may end up having to add weight if the traction tire idea does not pan out.

Jerry



I'm not so sure that there is a big difference in the strain on the motor/axle gear interface one way or another. The traction tires improve the grip over the metal wheel. This is akin to physically holding the wheels back (just as with your fingers) which obviously still strains the gear interface.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Well, it looks like the tech guy at USAT was right after all.

I knew that I had a GP-9 and a spare new NW-2 gearbox so I decided to try swapping the traction tire wheels from the GP-9 with the non-traction tire NW-2.

First I checked the USAT website and found that the part numbers were different which did not sound good.

GP-7/9

35 R22-135 Metal Wheels with Gears (2) 9.95 36 R22-136 Traction Wheels With Gears (2) (for rubber tires) 9.95

NW-2

24 R22-011 Metal Wheels with Gears (2) 
9.95 
Next I drove out the GP-9 and found the NW-2 gearbox. 

I then got lucky and found an old worn out GP-9 gearbox a friend had given to me and I found that it was obvious the gear boxes were not the same but it looked as if the wheels might be interchangeable:

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/jerrymccolgan/USAT/NW2-GP7%20Wheels1.jpg











The next step was to open the gear boxes

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/jerrymccolgan/USAT/NW2-GP7%20Wheels2.jpg










I pulled the wheel with the traction tires out of the NW-9 gearbox and found it flat will not fit inside the NW-2 gearbox (check the bushings on the GP-9 axles - there are no such bushings on the NW-2).

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/jerrymccolgan/USAT/NW2-GP7%20Wheels3.jpg

Now look at the gears - the gear on the GP-9 is MUCH larger than the gear on the NW-2 (no wonder the GP-7/9 does not seem to have the same gear splitting/stripping situation as the NW-2).












It is obvious that there is NO WAY a GP-7/9 traction tired wheel set will fit into a NW-2 - unless someone happened to have the equipment to pull the wheels from the GP-7/9 axles and then reinstall them onto the NW-2 axles. This is assuming that the axles mating surfaces are the same for the two different wheel sets (which is a BIG assumption).

Since I do not have the equipment to attempt such a wheel swap, the answer for me is obvious - I for one am unable to give any further consideration to putting wheels with traction tires onto my NW-2's.

It is unfortunate (in my opinion) that USAT did not elect to build the NW-2 gear boxes as well as the GP-7/9 gear boxes but in fairness the NW-2's (including most of mine) were sold with starter sets at bargain prices so I cannot say I have a legitimate complaint against USAT.

Another factor worth considering is that the GP-7/9 axle, with the bushing to bear the weight and prevent excessive wear would seem far more suitable for withstanding having additional weight added to the locomotive. The NW-2 with no such bushing has nothing but the plastic housing to support the weight of the locomotive and any weights added to it. I'd be far more comfortable adding weight to my GP-9 (which does not need it) than to the NW-2 which could benefit from it. 

I may just have to double head a D&RGW NW-2 with a C&NW NW-2. That will look weird to me but a Warbonnet NW-2 Cow and Calf was probably not seen often (if ever) in freight yards either. 
Also worth mentioning the GP-7/9 motor is much larger and heavier than the NW-2 motor.


Jerry


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Jerry McColgan on 10 Apr 2010 03:40 PM 
Well, it looks like the tech guy at USAT was right after all.

I pulled the wheel with the traction tires out of the NW-9 gearbox and found it flat will not fit inside the NW-2 gearbox (check the bushings on the GP-9 axles - there are no such bushings on the NW-2).

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/jerrymccolgan/USAT/NW2-GP7%20Wheels3.jpg

Now look at the gears - the gear on the GP-9 is MUCH larger than the gear on the NW-2 (no wonder the GP-7/9 does not seem to have the same gear splitting/stripping situation as the NW-2).












It is obvious that there is NO WAY a GP-7/9 traction tired wheel set will fit into a NW-2 - unless someone happened to have the equipment to pull the wheels from the GP-7/9 axles and then reinstall them onto the NW-2 axles. This is assuming that the axles mating surfaces are the same for the two different wheel sets (which is a BIG assumption).

Since I do not have the equipment to attempt such a wheel swap, the answer for me is obvious - I for one am unable to give any further consideration to putting wheels with traction tires onto my NW-2's.

It is unfortunate (in my opinion) that USAT did not elect to build the NW-2 gear boxes as well as the GP-7/9 gear boxes but in fairness the NW-2's (including most of mine) were sold with starter sets at bargain prices so I cannot say I have a legitimate complaint against USAT.

Another factor worth considering is that the GP-7/9 axle, with the bushing to bear the weight and prevent excessive wear would seem far more suitable for withstanding having additional weight added to the locomotive. The NW-2 with no such bushing has nothing but the plastic housing to support the weight of the locomotive and any weights added to it. I'd be far more comfortable adding weight to my GP-9 (which does not need it) than to the NW-2 which could benefit from it. 

I may just have to double head a D&RGW NW-2 with a C&NW NW-2. That will look weird to me but a Warbonnet NW-2 Cow and Calf was probably not seen often (if ever) in freight yards either. 
Also worth mentioning the GP-7/9 motor is much larger and heavier than the NW-2 motor.


Jerry




Sorry, but I'm not seeing a problem here. Also I looked at some I have in my drawer and don't see a problem.

Maybe you missed the point.

As I said, take apart the GP traction tire wheel set. Pry the locating blocks off the GP axles with a couple screwdrivers or ... and leave them off. Push the GP traction wheels into the NW gear and reinstall in the NW. My axles appear to be the same diameter and length such that they should push in just as they did in the GP gear.

BTW, regardless of the size of the actual gear, they both crack, maybe even more on the GPs because they are subject to bigger loads. It is not the gear that cracks but the bushings on the sides of the gear that crack. Then the bushing doesn't put adequate tension on the axle and just slips around the axle. If you pick up the engine and run it upside down on the cradle, it seems OK because the wheel goes along for the ride. But if you put pressure on the wheel, it slips.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By toddalin on 10 Apr 2010 05:07 PM 
Sorry, but I'm not seeing a problem here. Also I looked at some I have in my drawer and don't see a problem.

Maybe you missed the point.

As I said, take apart the GP traction tire wheel set. Pry the locating blocks off the GP axles with a couple screwdrivers or ... and leave them off. Push the GP traction wheels into the NW gear and reinstall in the NW. My axles appear to be the same diameter and length such that they should push in just as they did in the GP gear.

BTW, regardless of the size of the actual gear, they both crack, maybe even more on the GPs because they are subject to bigger loads. It is not the gear that cracks but the bushings on the sides of the gear that crack. Then the bushing doesn't put adequate tension on the axle and just slips around the axle. If you pick up the engine and run it upside down on the cradle, it seems OK because the wheel goes along for the ride. But if you put pressure on the wheel, it slips.


I guess I am missing something.

Are you saying it is easy to pull the wheels off the GP axles, that the axles are the same diameter (and taper - if any) as the NW axles, and that it is easy to push them onto the NW axles with them ending up true and tight?

I would have thought special equipment would have been necessary to do that.

Jerry


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Jerry McColgan on 10 Apr 2010 07:46 PM 

I guess I am missing something. 
Are you saying it is easy to pull the wheels off the GP axles, that the axles are the same diameter (and taper - if any) as the NW axles, and that it is easy to push them onto the NW axles with them ending up true and tight?

I would have thought special equipment would have been necessary to do that.

Jerry


Yes, that is exactly what I am saying.

We have to pull and replace these all the time when they crack for the banding process. I do it using a vice.

Look on this site and there are instructions on how various people accomplish this as most of us have our own slight variations. For example, when I make a brass band, I slightly flare the end so it doesn't dig into the plastic bushing when pushed on (not that you are going to add a band here). Others contour the actual plastic bushing by rounding it slightly so the band doesn't gouge the bushing as it is pushed on. Some use a vice, and some a drill press for the pushing, etc.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By toddalin on 10 Apr 2010 07:50 PM 


Yes, that is exactly what I am saying.

We have to pull and replace these all the time when they crack for the banding process. I do it using a vice.

Look on this site and there are instructions on how various people accomplish this as most of us have our own slight variations. For example, when I make a brass band, I slightly flare the end so it doesn't dig into the plastic bushing when pushed on (not that you are going to add a band here). Others contour the actual plastic bushing by rounding it slightly so the band doesn't gouge the bushing as it is pushed on. Some use a vice, and some a drill press for the pushing, etc.


OK. Now it makes sense to me. I have never banded a wheel set (my NW-2's get very little use due to the slippage) so I was not thinking through the entire process. 

I suspect that just adding the traction tires will provide a great improvement in the traction of my NW-2's.

Thanks,

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By John J on 10 Apr 2010 03:08 PM 
I thought they came with a Calf because they had poor tractrion any way. The 1:1 s didn't pull that well either. 

Didn't someone have a link on how to fix the split gear?

Would you please post ti again 


JJ 


Hi JJ,

Greg has a nice article by Tony Walsham on his excellent web site at:

http://www.elmassian.com/trains-mai...inmenu-164

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Moving ahead...

A few more facts I've discovered:

The dimensions of the NW-2 and GP-7/9 axles & wheels seem to be the same with the gear being the only difference. 

The wheel diameter of the new NW-2 is 1.120" vs a heavily used GP-7/9 which is 1.103. I trust the difference is a LOT of wear on the GP.

The axle diameter over the splines for the NW-2 is 0.244 and the GP-7/9 is the same.

The plastic gear sleeve over the axle spline on the NW-2 is 0.359 and on the GP-7/9 it is 0.350

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/jerrymccolgan/USAT/NW2-GP7%20Wheels4.jpg










As I took these axles out of the gear I found that BOTH of the gears on the two NW-2 axles were split! One was split over one axle and the other was split over both axles. This is on a brand new - never used - motor block that I got several years ago (it may not reflect current USAT products).

Then I looked at the heavily used GP-9 wheel and I was surprised to find that it was not split - but then I looked at the other wheel set in the block and found that it was split.

I should add that all of my NW-2's and GP-9 are several years old. They may or may not reflect current USAT production. I have always received replacement parts for damaged/defective USAT trains without any problems.

*I would like to hear how others are pulling the wheels from the gears and reinstalling them after putting brass sleeves on them.*

*Also can anyone tell me where they are finding the brass sleeves they fit over the plastic gear ends? I'm sure Greg can tell me where he got his but a few different sources may make it quicker and easier for me to find them here in semi-rural Arkansas.*

Thanks,

Jerry


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Now you got it.... that's what was trying to be conveyed... 

By the way, those are "old style" knurlings on the half axles. 

I changed all my traction tires out on my USAT diesels. I have handfuls of "half axle" assemblies, what you showed above... you can buy more brass bushings from USAT or re-use your old ones. 

To be clear to all, each axle "assembly" consists of: 

a gear "casting" that has the gear itself and two "tubes" that the half axles insert int. It's the "tubes" that split at the ends that all ow the axles to slip. 
two half axle assemblies. Each half axle assembly consists of a knurled "half axle" with a wheel pressed on it, and a small brass "bushing" 

You can also press the axle out of the wheel. I've actually done this to fine tune wheel gauge. 

(once I have an axle firmly fixed in the "casting", I am loathe to move it more) 

Regards, Greg 

Regards, Greg


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Hi Greg,

I had missed the point. I was thinking that the wheels had one piece axles which would have made disassembly/reassembly more difficult.

Thanks,

Jerry


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Jerry McColgan on 11 Apr 2010 08:51 AM 
Moving ahead...


*I would like to hear how others are pulling the wheels from the gears and reinstalling them after putting brass sleeves on them.*

*Also can anyone tell me where they are finding the brass sleeves they fit over the plastic gear ends? I'm sure Greg can tell me where he got his but a few different sources may make it quicker and easier for me to find them here in semi-rural Arkansas.*

Thanks,

Jerry


Well after spending over half an hour discussing this, the site errored out before posting. Typical!









Have a club meeting to attend and will post back to this later.


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## Polaris1 (Jan 22, 2010)

Greg E's brass tubes are from Tony W. Greg's dimensions of a finished brass tube sent to me are 0.30" long..... ID is 0.3535".......

After I receive my "correct" two 12" long Brass tubes from H&S.... I can confirm the OD to be 0.50" Not sure what I'll receive shortly. I'm guessing I'll have to buy a tapered reamer (cone) to set the 0.3535" Dimension after roll cutting the tubes...... to length. I just purchased a $45 Harbor Freight Arbor Press & a NW SL wheel puller. I may have too much 44 tonner & NW-2 axle equipment.... But I want both engines GOOD by this Spring's RRing season.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

When I first found I was cracking the bushings (i.e., the tube mounted to either side of the actual gear), I would order a new wheel set. But at the rate I was going through these things, this became old, and expensive fast.

Upon examination it became clear that there had to be a way to fix this relatively minor crack. CA was not going to stick to this surface under pressure especially with grease on it.

I came upon the method that uses fish line soaked with CA around the bushing. (Do a search and you will come up with the pics of this method.) I figured there had to be a better, easier, and less messy way and looking in my parts, came up with the idea to use a brass collar (and posted pics way back when). Others also came up with this same/similar idea. GMTA!!!

Anyway…, this is how I do it. Many of these tips are based on my personal experience trying to do this with the minimal tools that I had available, mostly automotive.

To remove the wheel from a cracked axle is typically a matter of just giving it a good tug while twisting it. If it is not cracked a little more force is in order. I have a small “U” shaped piece of metal that I can slide over the axle and engage the wheel or gear. I hang the wheel in a bench vice and slip this over the lower wheel. A tap on the “U” with a hammer then pops the wheel off.

For the brass collar, I simply went to Lowe’s Home Improvement store and bought a 3-foot long piece of 3/8” brass hobby tube. This will do more wheels then I’ll ever do with lots of brass left for other projects.

I use an automotive tube cutter, typically used to cut brake and fuel lines. You put it over the pipe and spin off a perfect circle. The actual length of the collar doesn’t matter just so it doesn’t stick beyond the plastic bushing. I make the collar as small as the tube cutter will allow me to make it. It only needs to be big enough such that both sides of the tube ride on the two cutter wheels opposite the cutting blade so as to get a clean cut.

Once the piece is cut, I clean the edges and stick it in a K&D tube flare tool used for flaring brake and fuel lines. I barely flare one end just so the metal collar starts to turn outward. This keeps it from catching on and gouging the plastic bushing.

The flared side of the collar is placed against the cracked bushing and positioned in a bench vice such that tightening the vice forces the collar onto the cracked bushing. This bushing will never break like this again.

I use a couple regular nuts as spacers to protect the ends of the wheel axles. You want the nut long enough so that the tip of the axle is within the recess of the nut, and the base of the nut sits against the inner portion of the wheel.

Put a nut over the end of the axle to protect it and position this in the vice next to the collared bushing such that when you close the vice, you squeeze the axle into the bushing. It’s a balancing/juggling act getting these aligned in the vice and getting the pressure started to hold them in place, but patience and tenacity prevail. Squeeze the vice to get it on and started but no more than that.

Take it out of the vice and wrap ~3 turns of insulated 16 gauge single strand wire (or equivalent) around the axle between the wheel and bushing.

Take this assembly and put a nut on the end to protect the axle. Place a nut on the other wheel’s axle and position both in the vice to press it into place. Again this is a balancing/juggling act so take your time. Squeeze the vice to start this axle into bushing and get it started. Now pull off the wire that you wrapped around the other axle and squeeze both sides in simultaneously. If you don’t use the wire, you will end up pushing in the first axle too far while starting the second axle into place.

As I noted, others may use a drill press rather than a vice. Sometime I guess I’ll have to try that.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Hi Todd,

Thank you for the detailed explanation. I know how frustrating it is to spend a lot of time on a reply only to lose it at the last minute. Now I've started to save my work in progress to Word just in case MLS loses it during the posting process.

A strange thing happened with my NW-2's in that yesterday I noticed that one was missing and then I found it where I had used it to park 11 extra long LGB boxcars and a caboose. I would not normally use a NW-2 to push/pull that long a consist and I was amazed that it had done it.

I then drove the NW-2 etc. up to confirm that it was able to move that many cars and it brought them up to me with no problem.

Then I went to the C&NW NW-2 that could not even move the single boxcar and caboose that had come in the set - the loco, boxcar and caboose moved promptly with no difficulty!!!

Now I am puzzled because the locos were running in my crawl space (no rain, dirt or other contaminants). The only possibilities I can think of are that either the C&NW NW-2 was so new that its wheels were too bright, shiny and slippery or that it may have had a bit of oil on the drivers from the factory. The only other possibility I can think of is that possibly there might have been a slight bit of moisture from humidity on the tracks that was causing the NW-2 to slip.

I still want to add the traction tires but it appears that in the right circumstances they may have more pull than I have observed with some of them.

Jerry


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