Wheel Tracking

[jackrae]

We have recently been investigating the occassional derailment at our club track and have concluded that the problem is down to a simple design error in our running bogies

I am having some difficulty trying to explain to certain club colleagues why wheels on an axle must be locked together to permit the wheel cones to provide proper tracking.

They seem to think that such wheel can run free of each other and still track. (the cause of our derailments)

Unfortunately they cannot see that it is currently our wheel flanges that are providing (and sometimes not) tracking and not the cones.

Can someone guide me to a piece of definitive literature or text which explains in simple terms the fundamentals of wheel tracking via coned treads in order that I might get the message across

many thanks

Jack

[Phil Sutton]

Jack,was there not something in ME recently about self steering wheelsets that might help you?I'm sure it must have been within the last 12 months,only I can't look back,as have passed all my back numbers on to our local club,and to other mebers.It may well be more than 12 months ago,as time flies when you get older,but certainly no more than 3 years ago.

Phil

[GeorgeRay]

Teh first of David Hudsons self steering wheelset articles was on page 191 in issue 4189 which was in the early part of 2003. Dont have the issue easily to hand but will look later to see what it says.

[jackrae]

Many thanks for those leads

Will follow up on the ME source

regards

Jack

[rich]

Hi there Jack,

Normally to demonstrate the case for coming, I would suggest that you take two yard lengths of thin section wood, and glue a few cross ties to it, to make yourself a crude 5 minute piece of track.

Next get four yogurt pots - glue two together to simulate the correct coning of a wheelset (ie glue the openings together). Glue the other two together base-to-base to demonstrate the wrong direction of coning.

If you try rolling both 'wheelsets' along the track, you can soon see why coning is important - your comrades might be able to see why the cones HAVE to be fixed together in order for the steering action you'll see to work.


Yours,


Rich.