Athearn F45 not tracking well...

[MichaelWinicki]

I've got a new Athearn F45 that isn't tracking well.

It uses an offset truck, meaning the pivot-point is not above the center axle, but instead sits between the first and second axles.

When putting the locomotive on rails, the rear axle/wheel is at times not coming in contact with the rail head.  Conversely, when the rear axle/wheel does find areas where it makes solid rail contact, it's forcing up the front of the truck... This is happening a lot around switches, usually with bad results.

My question is how do you fix it?  Would you add some weight to the front of the truck so that it can't be lifted (as easily)?  And if some weight should be added what kind of weight– It's a pretty small area.

[davefoxx]

I don't own an Athearn locomotive, so this information is purely speculative.  That said, I would look for the cause of why the wheels are not all sitting on the rails at the same time.  Do the trucks swing freely in the frame?  Are the frame halves too tight, binding the trucks?  Is there a bind in the mechanism?  I'm not sure that adding weight to the truck will fix the problem, because that's merely treating the symptom, rather than curing the ailment.

Hope this helps,
DFF

[MichaelWinicki]

I don't own an Athearn locomotive, so this information is purely speculative.  That said, I would look for the cause of why the wheels are not all sitting on the rails at the same time.  Do the trucks swing freely in the frame?  Are the frame halves too tight, binding the trucks?  Is there a bind in the mechanism?  I'm not sure that adding weight to the truck will fix the problem, because that's merely treating the symptom, rather than curing the ailment.

Hope this helps,
DFF

Great point Dave.

I'll tear those trucks apart again to see if I can find something.

[SD452XR]

Might try turning that truck around.

[SkipGear]

The trucks are a split frame design in themselves. Make sure the frame halves are lined up and there is no twist in the truck. There are also PB wipers inside the truck pivot on the frame that could bent or binding causing the truck to not ride flat.