The ends of the axels on steam locomotives are "parallel knurled" which produces raised ridges of steel around the circumference of the axel. "Splines" are the reverse of parallel knurling where groves are cut.
Steamer wheels are die cast with a relative soft metal. The holes for the axels are slightly smaller than the diameter of the the axel. When the wheels are pressed on to the axels, the knurling cuts into the wheel and forms a mechanical lock (axel to wheel) which allows the axel torque to turn the wheel(s). When the parallel knurling on the axel becomes worn,usually caused by wheel removal,replacement and wheel slippage,the only permanent fix I have had success with is to replace the axel. I have tried using a small chisel to reform the knurling but have had only limited success with that. After repeated removal,replacement and slipping, the wheel's axel holes become worn and enlarged to a point where they will slip even on new axels. Sometimes, the axel holes can be repaired by placing a 3/8" dia. steel ball bearing over the hole and tapping it with a hammer. Support the wheel center on a solid base like an anvil or vise flat and hold the bearing with needle nose pliers. Adhesives will work,I'm sure, but if both the wheel hole and the axel's knurling are badly worn, I think replacement of the axel and wheel center is the only long lasting alternative. Even a little slippage will throw the drivers out of quarter which causes a hammering effect on the wheel's axel holes speeding up the slipping process. If the tires slip on the wheel centers, try drilling through the tire,whitewall insulator and into the wheel center with a 1/16" drill bit. Drill two holes 180* opposed and use a 1/16" plastic (polystyrene) rod (available at hobby stores) with a drop of CAC glue on it to fill the hole. Clip the rod off flush with the tire. Don't use anything metal to make the repair as that will cause an electrical short. Merry Christmas! Joe Messinger _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail&xAPID=42&PS=47575&PI=7324&DI=7474&SU= http://www.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/getmsg&HL=1216hotmailtaglines_addphotos_3mf S-Trains list sponsor: http://www.americanflyertrains.com All the Flyer you desire...books and accessories too! To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list send a note to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
