[leatherneck]

The front of my 2025 is resting on the track and keeping the unit from proper operation. The front wheels are not supporting the units weight. If there is a way to correct this at home please share. Thanks in advance

 

[ncrc5315]

What is a 2025?

 

[leatherneck]

The number on the steam engine. I apologize if my nomenclature is incorrect.

What is a 2025?

 

[leatherneck]

It seems as though the wheel assembly that has a lite spring and post are not holding up the weight of the front of the unit.

 

[CTValleyRR]

The number on the steam engine. I apologize if my nomenclature is incorrect.

So if by this you mean the number painted on the side (or a number plate) this isn't the way to describe the loco. That's only the identifying number assigned to the loco by the owning railroad. Most of the ones on our models are fictitious, meaning that there wasn't a real loco of that type with that number.

Steam locos are usually identified by Whyte notation, which is the number of leading pilot wheels, the number of drivers (sometimes, two sets of drivers are present, and they are listed separately), and lastly the number of trailing wheels supporting the firebox. So the old fashioned "American" type loco was a 4-4-0; common locos in the early 20th century were the 2-8-2 Mikado or the 4-6-2 Pacific.

To be any help at all, we really need to know what kind of loco you have. A picture would REALLY help. I will say, though, that if there are pilot wheels present, they aren't supposed to be weight-bearing. They just help the loco track through curves. Some common causes for this would be either a broken frame (bad) or an improperly coupled tender (an easy fix), although it could be half a doze other issues. Give us some more info, and we can at least tell you what's wrong, if not how to fix it.

 

[teledoc]

The 2025 is a "Prairie" 2-6-2 wheel arrangement loco, made from 1949-1952. The problem you are describing, is most likely a weak spring in the pilot truck assembly, under the steam chest. The part number for a replacement is 675-19 from WWW.TTENDER.COM, (Jeff Kane) for $6.00. A weak spring on the front truck assembly, will cause the front of the loco, to drop, and drag the rails. Another thing is to make sure that the screw that holds the steam chest in place, is fully tightened. The age of 60+ years, would cause a lot of wear and weakening of that spring, which is easier, to replace the whole truck assembly, instead of trying to just replace the spring. It is an easy fix. Here is a link to a diagram of your loco. Look in the lower left, and you can see the part you need.

http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/cd/locos/loc675p2.pdf

 

[Dennis461]

The 2025 is a "Prairie" 2-6-2 wheel arrangement loco, made from 1949-1952. The problem you are describing, is most likely a weak spring in the pilot truck assembly, under the steam chest. The part number for a replacement is 675-19 from WWW.TTENDER.COM, (Jeff Kane) for $6.00. A weak spring on the front truck assembly, will cause the front of the loco, to drop, and drag the rails. ...

http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/cd/locos/loc675p2.pdf

Is that true? I thought the main drivers were enough support to keep a properly assembled Lionel 2025, and keep it level.

Is it possible the body is not properly assembled to the frame? We need the OP to post some side view pictures..

 

[mesenteria]

The trucks on model steamers do nothing but represent trucks. It's how they are engineered, assembled, and then how they ride on buddy's rail construction that determines whether or not there will be problems.

Some trucks are designed to be forced down, lightly, to ride better. They have a leaf spring or a coiled spring between them and their mounting post for that purpose.

On real steamers, trucks are there to support actual weight and to help steer the locomotive into curves at high speeds (this is the main purpose of the pony or engine truck just aft of the pilot). There are no centering devices on our model trucks, and they do not support weight...that is done strictly by the drivers.

However, one soon learns never to say never and other categoricals, both in the real world of trains and in our models (anyone remember MTH's HO scale Union Pacific 9000 series 4-12-2 with it's articulated front end?). Some higher end steamers have sprung drivers, and it the weight distribution is weird, it is entirely possible that the rearmost or foremost driver axle gets compressed a bit. If that happens, it is obvious that the frame will tilt forward or aft, and if forward, the pilot's lower lip may scrub along the rail heads, especially when vertical curves upward are encountered.

 

[DonR]

Leatherneck is asking about Lionel 2-6-2, 2025:

http://postwarlionel.com/motive-power/steam/pacific/2025-k-4-pacific/

I don't know anything about it's pilot construction. Perhaps
a member has one and can help.

Don

 

[Dennis461]

How did I get sucked into a O gauge thread?
Most tinplate engines (including the 2025 as 2-6-2 or 2-6-4).
Will run without the leading or trailing wheels attached without the body hitting the rails.

I suspect the engine is damaged

:ttiwwop:

 

[teledoc]

DonR, Take a look at the Olsen’s link that I posted, where the front truck assembly has a coiled spring as part of the truck. The spring is not rally heavy enough to exert pressure to keep the assembly from sagging. These locos are 60+ years old, and parts weaken over time.

 

[T-Man]

Remove the shell and see if it runs right. I suspect the shell is not fitted right The motor is held in by a screw and a pin. The pin has to pass through a frame part. The pin I think is in the front. Screwed in from the side.

The pin must pass through a hole in the frame.

...

 

[rkenney]

The problem the OP stated, that the front of the train is on the track, is a problem I've seen before. Typically the locomotive has taken a fall and the "cow catcher/pilot" has become bent toward the track. Sometimes it will still have enough clearance to run short distances, sometimes it shorts on the center rail right away.

There are two solutions. The first is to simply replace the steam chest (the assembly that the pilot is part of). The second, and what I did, is to clamp the steam chest in a pair of visegrips, heat the pilot with a propane torch and bend the pilot upright with another pair of pliers.

Still have that engine, runs great.

The solution described by others with the spring on the pilot truck solves for a derailing locomotive (truck jumps the track).

Hope this helps, post your solution.:smokin:

 

[T-Man]

A newbie needs ten posts before pictures can be posted.

 

[Big Ed]

So if by this you mean the number painted on the side (or a number plate) this isn't the way to describe the loco. That's only the identifying number assigned to the loco by the owning railroad. Most of the ones on our models are fictitious, meaning that there wasn't a real loco of that type with that number.

For O scale that does ID the locomotive.
Anyone into O knows right away what the 2025 is.

 

[leatherneck]

I appreciate the help. I have corrected the problem. I had the engine proper gone through and all I was looking for was some information to adjust the front wheels because the front of the train engine or whatever was dragging on the track. My solution was simple, bend it down which lifted the front up off the track enough and the thing runs great.

 

[T-Man]

Great, good luck with the engine.

ED the Boiler in the Bag thread is the same as the 2025 or 675.

 

[Big Ed]

I appreciate the help. I have corrected the problem. I had the engine proper gone through and all I was looking for was some information to adjust the front wheels because the front of the train engine or whatever was dragging on the track. My solution was simple, bend it down which lifted the front up off the track enough and the thing runs great.

It would be better when you ask O scale questions to start a thread in the O forum.
Some who run N or HO or other scales won't get confused by your question.
If it is listed under O they will know it pertains to O trains.

Beginners forum was OK too, If you had said, I have a 2025 O scale locomotive. (Or O/27)

But in the O section you will get help from the O members as a lot of other scale don't even look in the O forum. :smokin:

 

[CTValleyRR]

For O scale that does ID the locomotive.
Anyone into O knows right away what the 2025 is.

So I gather from the other replies, but since there was no indication in the original question that it was O scale, I was flying blind and spitballing.

 

[rkenney]

My solution was simple, bend it down which lifted the front up off the track enough and the thing runs great.

So, what did you bend down? As pointed out in an earlier post the front (pilot) truck supports absolutely nothing on a 2025. It is there for show only, the loco should run just fine without it.