cleaning wheels

[botangles]

I have 2 Intermountain diesel engines, the FP9 and the FB unit. Noticed this year both units are running very slow. Both units about 2 years old with about 4 hours running time on each. I keep the track very clean I thought, as I also have a very long haired and shedding dog. As it turns out all the axles are just loaded with dog fur. I've never taken the trucks and wheels off Intermountain engines before to clean, could someone give some tips on how to remove the axles and wheels to clean them. Thanks in advance. W.B.W.

 

[B&O Sam]

On many diesel locomotives, There is the peice that looks like the springs and brake assembly which is snapped onto the sides of the wheel trucks. If you CAREFULLY pull them off with a small screwdriver, you can get to the wheels for cleaning. Take gentle care of the pins that snap it in place they're delicate. If you do it right, they'll snap right back into place when your done.

 

[TrinityJayOne]

I don't have any Intermountain trains to check, and all my other manufacturers have varying designs so Intermountain probably isn't any different. My advice would be to take the truck off the train so that you can access it all properly (because that hair is probably all up through the gears as well) and to take it slow, dismantling the trucks one at a time and piece by piece. If you force something too hard and it ends up exploding to heaps of tiny bits you'll have no clue as to how it all goes back together.