How do I fix a reversed flange?

Stephane Savard Jul 21, 2018

  1. Stephane Savard

    Stephane Savard TrainBoard Member

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    I just received a nice set of six Intermountain coal gondolas. They look great, and so far most appear to run fine. However, I has a lot of trouble getting one of the cars onto the tracks, using one of those spiffy Kato rerailers.

    I figured out why...

    truck.jpg

    One of the flanges is reversed! (sorry for the quality of image, took it real quick!)

    I've never taken apart any trucks, I'm really quite new to model railroading really. I figure that it must be safe just popping off the wheel, but any advise on how to do so without damaging anything would be appreciated (tool? fingers? any hints?)
     
  2. John Moore

    John Moore TrainBoard Supporter

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    A mini wheel/gear puller would do the trick. Baring that if you have a small set of surgical hemistats (look like mini pliers) you can carefully twist it off using care not to damage the flange. Sometimes if you can get a good grip on it you can twist it off. Resetting it to the proper gauge is easy if you have an NMRA gauge if not you are going to have to eyeball it. One has to be careful not to damage the wheel center plastic insert.
     
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  3. NorsemanJack

    NorsemanJack TrainBoard Member

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    I'll give the boring solution. Send that photo to Intermountain and they'll send you a replacement wheelset. IMR has had great customer service in the past.
     
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  4. DCESharkman

    DCESharkman TrainBoard Member

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    That is the best solution, Intermountain customer support is excellent!
     
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  5. NorsemanJack

    NorsemanJack TrainBoard Member

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    Also, I neglected to respond to the OP's question. Those axles typically have needle point ends, so they just snap out and in with out much skill or effort. I usually use a couple of toothpicks to aid in the process.
     
    Doug Gosha likes this.
  6. Hatt

    Hatt TrainBoard Member

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    Agreed. I got an Intermountain HO autorack which caused a short every time I put it on the rails. A quick bit of investigation showed that two un-insulated wheels had been pressed onto one of the axles. An email to explain the situation and a replacement axle was sent free of charge even though I'm in the UK. Top quality customer care!
     
    Doug Gosha likes this.
  7. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    It was made to simulate the new prototype made to run on reverse rails.

    :D

    Just kidding. I agree with the guys who say to contact Intermountain although me being me, would fix it myself. Not bragging, I am just impatient.

    Doug
     
  8. jpwisc

    jpwisc TrainBoard Member

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    Yeah... if that is the insulated wheel, the fix is as easy as grabbing it with your fingers, pulling it off, flipping, and sliding back on. If that is the non-insulated wheel, I would swap the whole axle with a replacement. If you don’t have a spare on hand, email IM like the others said.
     
  9. Stephane Savard

    Stephane Savard TrainBoard Member

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    Oh wow, I suppose I can give customer support another try before trying it myself. I have a nice collection of small tweezers, but no gear pullers.

    I keep hearing good things about intermountain, but so far I've had the worse luck here.

    I bought an sd40w some months ago, the rear coupler was loose, headlights we're sticking out the body, the cab was misaligned, and buzzed when running. I emailed IM, but ended up exchanging the locomotive at the store. IM finally replied with a stock email regarding filling out a repair form three weeks after I sent my email. By then I already had the replacement. That one also has problems, but it runs great, and it's only aesthetic (aside from coupler height)

    In this latest purchase, i bought the coalporters and another sd40w (good sale price!) Again, quality control dropped the ball on the locomotive (and that one car). However, they forgot to glue the cab on the loco this time, so I can at least try to realign it myself, the the crooked grill I'll have to live with. Still, it's just aesthetics, and if I can get it running well and smooth i'll be content!

    All this because I really wanted to have a consist with two sd40w
     
  10. acptulsa

    acptulsa TrainBoard Member

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    1. Remove truck from car.

    2. Holding the opposite wheel snug in its pocket, gently pry that end of truck subframe until the end of the axle comes out. If your thumbnail is stout, use that. Otherwise, use something wooden or made of strong plastic, or something else which will not mar the plastic truck frame.

    3. Grasp wheels between thumb and forefinger of each hand and twist. One of the wheels will turn on the axle. If it's not the reversed wheel which moves on the axle, stop and try again. A mark with a Sharpie or pencil is useful for seeing what the axle is doing. I don't recommend gripping the wheel with anything metal that clamps, but needle nose pliers can be used on the axle, which will ensure only the wheel you want off the axle slides. Twisting it off and on works much better than pushing or pulling it straight off.

    4. Ideally, you have a NMRA Standards Gauge to help you get the wheels just the right distance apart when you reinstall the wheel on the axle. Otherwise, match the wheels on one of the other three axles on the car.

    5. Stick one end of the axle back in place, gently pry the ends of e truck frame apart again, and when the axle is in the right place, release.

    This is a useful skill to develop because if you own and run the car long enough, the wheels can slip a little on their axles and get out of gauge. If an old car gets persnickety about staying on track, the cleanliness and gauge of the wheels is the first thing to check.
     
  11. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I might try customer service first. Only failing to get it resolved that way, then try the repair yourself.
     
  12. NorsemanJack

    NorsemanJack TrainBoard Member

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    Why do you feel that the truck needs to be removed from the car?

    Do these wheelsets really rely on accurate "gauging?" I would think that there would just be a step/stop on the axle or wheel that would ensure proper wheel spacing provided everything was assembled and seated correctly.
     
  13. jpwisc

    jpwisc TrainBoard Member

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    There is no stop to set the gauging. I check every axle of every car before they go on my layout. Once you start checking you’ll be amazed at how many factory pieces of rolling stock (locomotives too) that have improperly gauged wheel (MT SW1500s were the worst I’ve seen this year). Proper wheel gauge has a big impact on performance.
     
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  14. SP_fan_1951

    SP_fan_1951 TrainBoard Member

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    If you don't have an NMRA gauge, go get one immediately. If you want good operations, it will be the best investment you can make. They are only about $10 and are a necessity!
     
    Doug Gosha likes this.
  15. Stephane Savard

    Stephane Savard TrainBoard Member

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    Thank you for all the good advise! I never expected this much feedback!

    As for the NMRA gauge, I did buy one on a recent order. I checked all the wheels and they all fit nicely within the grooves.
     
  16. acptulsa

    acptulsa TrainBoard Member

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    Because stirrup steps are fragile. Is removing the truck so difficult?
     
  17. NorsemanJack

    NorsemanJack TrainBoard Member

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    Sometimes, no. Sometimes, yes!
     
  18. Stephane Savard

    Stephane Savard TrainBoard Member

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    Well, I gave it a try. Using a toothpick I was able to get the axle out of the truck, no problem with that. However the reversed wheel is uninsulated and no amount of twisting or pulling will get it to move - it's much too tight.

    So I sent Intermountain an email requesting help, we'll see how that goes.
     
  19. acptulsa

    acptulsa TrainBoard Member

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    Well, it might not cost any more than a letter to send them the axle, now that you have it out. And if you have a car you're not using, you can check to see if one of its axles will fit and roll properly, so you don't have to wait to use your new car.
     
  20. NorsemanJack

    NorsemanJack TrainBoard Member

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    Glad to hear you got it out. Probably no need to send it to IMR, as your photo is pretty clear. I'm a strong advocate of letting the retailer or manufacturer have first crack at making it right. I have plenty of other things to tinker around with other than fixing some manufacturer's QC problem in the field. When all else fails, if you use a credit card you never have to pay for defective product (assuming that you give the business who sold it to you a chance to make it right). Fortunately, most of our model railroad retailers and manufacturers are great. I have encountered one or two retailers who try to establish policies that the consumer has to work with the manufacturer directly, but those will never pan out if you use a credit card.
     

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