I recently built a 10 car passenger train to run behind a BLI Reading T1 in Chessie Steam Special Colors. At eight cars, the locomotive is nearing its limit, but on perfect track it will pull all 10 cars with a bit of slipping. But I mostly run on modular layouts and the track is never perfect with dips at most module junctions. With a heavy load, the locomotive stalls when the lone traction tire, the fourth axle, encounters even a short dip in the track. I've experienced this on Ttrak, Ntrak and FreemoN. Recently, while running on a Ttrak layout, I had to reduce the train to 5 cars and run at amazing prototypical speeds that would make even Ross Roland proud in order to keep it moving.
So I ordered a T1 traction tire from BLI. I was able to look up the part number on their website using the breakout drawing. I requested the part by the number as well as a description of it using their request form. Two business days later I got an email saying they had the part and it would be $15 including shipping along with a request if I wanted to proceed. Three more business days later, I got an invoice in the mail. I was able to pay online with a credit card.
About a week later, the part showed up in a box that was more than large enough. The part was in a bubble wrap bag and wrapped in bubble wrap. A check showed the wheels were in gauge.
I first removed the bottom plate. The third axle is gear driven. Similar to a BLI Mike that I've had apart, the axles have bushings that ride in the frame. The part came with the bushings on the axle.
The drivers are held on with hex screws about 2mm in diameter. Not having a socket that small, I used a hacksaw and jeweler's files to fashion a tool out of a piece of scrap iron. Was able use this to loosen the nuts for the 1st driver. Even though these are behind valve gear, I decided this would be the best and easiest driver to replace. It would provide the longest span between traction tires and would not require dealing with the quartering assuming I didn't somehow damage or mess up the valve gear.
The screws were on pretty tight, as you would expect. The rods driving the front driver extend only to the second driver, so once the screws were removed, they were lose to move around. Aligning the new traction tire went smoothly, but aligning the driver and the rods and getting the screw inserted took several tries and patience. You have to be careful that the bushings ride in the slots in the frame. With the bottom plate off, I was able to move all of the drivers by carefully rotating the third driver. This allowed me to locate the hex screw in a position where it was easier to access. Amazingly, I managed not to lose either of the hex screws.
Put back together, it now has two traction tires. The drivers do provide electrical pickup, so this has shortened the electrical pickup baseline, which now extends from the rear of the tender to the 2nd driver axle. I don't expect this to be a major problem. Some tests showed the locomotive can pull a train over a low joint where it stalled before so for now I'll consider this a success.
It would be nice if one day BLI could add some additional equalizing so the drivers can shift up and down more (I guess similar to the Kato GS-4). A less ridged driver set might help with the traction as well as a tendency for the pony truck to be pulled up off the rails coming off a deep low joint. Nonetheless, given the current environment, I'll take any new N-scale steam that is made.
Bob
