These days, it seems there are lots of people selling used Big Haulers or Annies. I don't sell anything but I do buy - mainly from that "bay"!. A few weeks ago I purchased a loco after asking the seller for photos of the wheels. He obliged and I scrutinised! They weren't badly worn (the wheel treads) so I decided to buy it.
Living in the Republic often means high postage charges so I get stuff delivered to my son's home. He notifies me upon the arrival of a purchase and takes a look to see if it as survived the journey from the mainland. It took a few days before we were able to collect it so I left positive feedback for the seller based on a visual appraisal. As events turned out, I should not have jumped the gun!
The loco on test a few days after collection.
It ran very slowly so I thought it might be the track. I transferred it to the trailer layout and there was no improvement. So, I thought, maybe the wheels need a clean. I use multisurface kitchen wipes or meths applied with a cotton bud stick - and it was the former I used on this loco. I use a couple of narrow boxes (joined lengthways) to cradle the upturned loco and then apply power to the pony truck. It didn't go any faster, the wheels were not really all that dirty but I did notice the rear wheels were out of gauge!
They pushed back quite easily so I guessed the problem was the combined gear wheel cum axle joiner. I messaged the seller to inform him of the problem and to ask for his comments. As you might guess, there was no reply. He'd got nearly 200 smackers, plus a positive Feedback, from me. All I ended up with was a loco that was useless at that moment and I was outside the fourteen days limit to start a Return.
So yesterday I decided to look at the problem. As with all the various BH's, there are many differences with the drive units and gear trains - one size does not fit all!
On the first, Radio Control, models the base plate is completely flat. On this, there is a molding to accommodate the large dia gear wheel. Later models had a different gear train and a hole for lubricating purposes (blanked off with rubber bung).
It's a nuisance that the base plate extends right to the front of the loco, so you have to remove the cow catcher/front beam etc. Anyway, that's the way it is. So off it came - as picture below...
As the assembly looked - the ends of the integrally moulded gear/axxle connector look a lttle larger than they should be.
So it was dead easy to pull the wheels with their stub axles out and just pick the gear out. A quick wipe over to remove the lubricant, and it was examination in detail time!
The other side ......
and the bosses....
So. six cracks (no wise-cracks). I forgot to take a pic of the stub axles but, basically (from the wheel end), there is an hexagonal followed by a square profile. The cracks allowed the hex portion to wobble a little which in turn allowed some movement of squared portion.
So I used a method I had found useful before - 10mm Microbore copper tube. The tube has a nominal bore of around 8.5mm and I had to bore it out to 9mm. This latter measurement was what the outside diameter of the bossed should be. After cutting off two rings and cleaning up the same, I laid one on the bench and started to locate the nylon assembly. The vice was better at that so, with a start made, I put the other ring in the right place and squeezed up - making sure that the rings stayed in alignment.
Once the rings were pressed on, I placed the repaired assembly back in the loco. It was then time to put the wheels in their place. I made sure the motion alignment was the same as before and located the wheels. The rings had done the job and I had to use a clamp to drive them back in position (I don't have any strength of grip).
All back in place ...
All that was required now was to check the back to back (just under 40mm according to the digital very-nears), lubricate the worm wheel and reassemble the cover and front bits - oh and a practicle test!
.... and the practicle test .....
Phew! It worked fine
Living in the Republic often means high postage charges so I get stuff delivered to my son's home. He notifies me upon the arrival of a purchase and takes a look to see if it as survived the journey from the mainland. It took a few days before we were able to collect it so I left positive feedback for the seller based on a visual appraisal. As events turned out, I should not have jumped the gun!
The loco on test a few days after collection.
It ran very slowly so I thought it might be the track. I transferred it to the trailer layout and there was no improvement. So, I thought, maybe the wheels need a clean. I use multisurface kitchen wipes or meths applied with a cotton bud stick - and it was the former I used on this loco. I use a couple of narrow boxes (joined lengthways) to cradle the upturned loco and then apply power to the pony truck. It didn't go any faster, the wheels were not really all that dirty but I did notice the rear wheels were out of gauge!
They pushed back quite easily so I guessed the problem was the combined gear wheel cum axle joiner. I messaged the seller to inform him of the problem and to ask for his comments. As you might guess, there was no reply. He'd got nearly 200 smackers, plus a positive Feedback, from me. All I ended up with was a loco that was useless at that moment and I was outside the fourteen days limit to start a Return.
So yesterday I decided to look at the problem. As with all the various BH's, there are many differences with the drive units and gear trains - one size does not fit all!
On the first, Radio Control, models the base plate is completely flat. On this, there is a molding to accommodate the large dia gear wheel. Later models had a different gear train and a hole for lubricating purposes (blanked off with rubber bung).
It's a nuisance that the base plate extends right to the front of the loco, so you have to remove the cow catcher/front beam etc. Anyway, that's the way it is. So off it came - as picture below...
As the assembly looked - the ends of the integrally moulded gear/axxle connector look a lttle larger than they should be.
So it was dead easy to pull the wheels with their stub axles out and just pick the gear out. A quick wipe over to remove the lubricant, and it was examination in detail time!
The other side ......
and the bosses....
So. six cracks (no wise-cracks). I forgot to take a pic of the stub axles but, basically (from the wheel end), there is an hexagonal followed by a square profile. The cracks allowed the hex portion to wobble a little which in turn allowed some movement of squared portion.
So I used a method I had found useful before - 10mm Microbore copper tube. The tube has a nominal bore of around 8.5mm and I had to bore it out to 9mm. This latter measurement was what the outside diameter of the bossed should be. After cutting off two rings and cleaning up the same, I laid one on the bench and started to locate the nylon assembly. The vice was better at that so, with a start made, I put the other ring in the right place and squeezed up - making sure that the rings stayed in alignment.
Once the rings were pressed on, I placed the repaired assembly back in the loco. It was then time to put the wheels in their place. I made sure the motion alignment was the same as before and located the wheels. The rings had done the job and I had to use a clamp to drive them back in position (I don't have any strength of grip).
All back in place ...
All that was required now was to check the back to back (just under 40mm according to the digital very-nears), lubricate the worm wheel and reassemble the cover and front bits - oh and a practicle test!
.... and the practicle test .....
Phew! It worked fine
