Kato E-8B Crabbing?

[sizemore]

I have an older "Blue-Box" Kato E-8B that crabs when operating, whether operating alone or in consist. It's consistent nose left, tail right when viewing from the front. Other units dont exhibit this behavior, but they're all "Green-Box" units. Wondering if anyone had this issue and how they resolved it.

The S.

[nickelplate759]

I'd check the wheels first.   It's possible that the one or more wheelsets are:
1. not in gauge
2. off center on their axles.

I've had Kato E8s have tight or wide gauge.  I haven't had any be off-center.

[sizemore]

Thanks George! I think that was it, I have the newer wheelsets in my stock to convert some Atlas stuff (round-tu-it projects), threw them in and now she's tracking well. Need to do the A-unit now just to keep them on par.

The S.

[Englewood]

Crabs?

[sizemore]

I was wrong earlier. After running it a bit, looks like it is still crabbing, but to a much lesser degree with the new wheels. Will tear into it after the holiday.

The S.

[u18b]

I learned a new word.... but I still don't know what it means.

[nkalanaga]

Crabbing (from the habit of many crabs walking sideways):  To travel with the body not aligned with the direction of travel.  I've seen it with real semis on the highway, usually in a wind, but sometimes due to out-of-alignment trailer wheels.  The rear of the trailer will be noticeably left or right of the front.

On model trains, I've mostly heard it used to refer to trucks, not entire units.  If the wheelsets are off center, and in opposite directions, the truck won't be lined up with the track.  That can cause derailments, as the flanges are more likely to pick at rail joints, points, and frogs.  The car will still stay straight, as the truck centers will be in line.

If the trucks have the wheels off center, but all of the wheels in a truck are off in the same direction, the entire unit can crab if the two trucks are off center to opposite sides.  I suspect that's what happened here.

[peteski]

I learned a new word.... but I still don't know what it means.

Crabbing: the angular difference between an aircraft's course and the heading necessary to make that course in the presence of a crosswind



Basically the aircraft's fuselage us not parallel with its heading.  In this case the locomotive's body is not parallel with the rails.  It is skewed to one side as it travels on tangent track.  When crabs walk, they walk sideways.  That's how the usage of that word was introduced to describe a vehicle which is not traveling as expected.  I have seen cars crab when the solid rear axle is way of of alignment (not perpendicular to the centerline of the car).

[Doug G.]

The more common term is "dog-legging".

Doug

[mu26aeh]

See this a lot in tractor trailers, due to the tandem on the trailer being out of alignment.  If you're following a TT, you'll notice seeing the entire side of the trailer on an angle or the trailer tandem not following the tractor tandem square

[Steveruger45]

Does this unit ‘crab’ in both forward and reverse direction?
If it only crabs in one direction of travel it could be due to slippage in the drive train universal to the ahead truck such that the astern truck is pushing harder.
Just a thought

[peteski]

The more common term is "dog-legging".

Doug

Funny, I have never heard that term used in my neck of the woods.

[robert3985]

The more common term is "dog-legging".

Doug

Yeah, I've never heard of this term either...

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Jbub]

Yeah, I've never heard of this term either...

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

It's definitely a pilot term as @peteski demonstrated with his FS2000 photo. Crabbing into the wind for a crosswind landing.

[CBQ Fan]

Funny, I have never heard that term used in my neck of the woods.

I have heard of both in the Midwest. Applied to different industries but meaning the same thing!