The Golden Horseshoe Chapter held a meeting on April 2nd in Grimsby, Ontario. During this meeting the chapter offical terms were up for election. Tony Czerneda remains Chapter Chair and Tom Allan remains ChapterSecretary/Treasurer.
Bob Rivers took the group through various aspects and looking after cars and passed out five pages of notes for the members to keep.
- weighting of cars was explained and members were given a chance to weigh their car and add weight as need.
- Wheels were discussed next and members were instructed on the need for wheels to be in gauge and were shown how to use the NMRA gauge.
- Journals were lubricated with silicone powder. Bob stressed never to use oil. Wheels must also be kept clean.
- Size of wheels was discussed. Cars on 70 tons or less use 33 inch wheels while heavier cars and passenger cars use 36 inch wheels. Some auto racks use 28 inch wheels.
- Ribbed wheels are not longer used but were during the steam era.
- If you have magnets below or in your tracks for uncoupling, you need to use wheel sets with non-magnetic axles.
- Wheels and trucks were taken off the cars and using rust water based paint the trucks and the wheels were touched with the paint. Make sure you keep the paint off the tread and axle ends.
Couplers were then discussed and we were shown how to set the proper height. Couplers should center themselves easily after being moved to the side.
- If you are using Kadee couplers, file the front edge of the spring with a small file. There could be small burrs that are not seen with the naked eye and they can cause you grief. Also file the parting line off the front face of the knuckle.
- The height of the coupler can be checked with a Kadee coupler gauge. If couplers are too low, try adding Kadee washers to the truck bolster to raise the body of the car, you can also use an overset knuckle such as Kadee number 42 couplers. The knuckle should match exactly the knuckle on the gauge. Bob also showed us how to fix couplers that sag using a thin strip of styrene under the coupler shank.
- Coupler pins should clear the shelf of the gauge by 1/32 inch.
- Coupler mechanism should be lubricated with silicone powder.
Bolsters were then discussed and Bob explained that they must be loose enough to allow the truck to swing freely, and also allow the wheels to keep in contact with the rails even over minor track imperfections. You can only check this by operating the car. Bob explained how to use the three point suspension system. A question and answer period followed and some of the members gave input and other ideas to care for cars.
Tony Thanked Bob for an excellent presentation and presented him with a certificate from the Golden Horseshoe Chapter.
Tony turned the floor to Tom Allan who asked the group if they liked the one hands on clinic and some suggestions were made for future clinic... Members agreed to have another clinic the last week of September or first week of October. Tom advised that as the last two meetings were held at Niagara Falls and Grimsby, the next meeting will be held in Hamilton.
Two layouts, Dave Manary's and Bruce Rousseau's were open for the attendees to visit.
reported by Tom Allan
