Assembling Tender Truck Wheel and Axle Set

Revised:  5/21/2013          Subject to Revisions

Assembling Tender Truck Wheel and Axle Set

A preliminary fit check showed that the tender wheels fit snugly on the axles and required force to push the wheel towards the inside wheel stop ring on the axle.  To press the wheels in place, the author used to wood blocks with holes drilled to clear the axle ends and a bench top vise.  The setup is shown next.

Completed pair of wheels and axle ready for assembly

Wood blocks with clearance holes for axle ends used in a vise to press wheels to wheel stops

Assembled pair of wheels on axle

The wood blocks and vise worked readily to press the wheels in place.  The blocks kept the wheels aligned perpendicular to the axle as the vise was operated to steadily move the wheels along the wheel mount regions to inner axle stops.  The wheel stops facilitate setting the wheels at the proper gauge, G Gauge (45mm) in this case.   The resulting wheel positions set the flanges about 1/4 mm less than the 45mm track gauge providing suitable clearance for free running on the track.

The author plans that the finished locomotive and tender will move on a section of G gauge track matching the scale as if the track were scaled to 4' 8-1/2" American standard prototype.