Adventures of 486

by Daris A Nevil

In this column we'll following the adventures of Allen Mogul #486.

Bagley Oil Burner
Replaced the Peterson oil burner with a Bagley Oil Burner.

Toolbox of Requirement
Everything that is is needed for #486 is in the Toolbox of Requirement.

Repairs
A derailment due to a branch across the rails damaged the pony truck described here: Allen Mogul Pony Pivot Repair.

Pony Wheel Damage
14 March 2014

I'm pretty hard on my Allen Mogul #486. Seems like every time I take it out to a meet I break something.

The most recent damage occurred happened at Houston Area Live Steamers Chugga Chugga Chili fest. We had a great meet, enjoyed some hot chili, and drove trains all day.

During a run #486 hopped off the rails at a turnout. It went half way onto the wrong turn. Took a bit of work for me and my passenger, Spence, to get it lined back up on the rails.

I didn't take time to inspect for damage. Everything seemed fine, so I continued to run throughout the meet. At one point I heard a squeaking noise up front, but again I ignored the warning sign.

I didn't discover what was wrong until I loaded up after the meet. What I discovered is shown below. During the derailment the cattle guard caught the frog or one of the guard rails and was bent back about 3/8". The brace between the apron and the cattle guard was bent down and started rubbing against the flange of the pony wheel.

By the time I loaded up the flange had been worn to a fine edge. Looks like I will have to turn a new wheel.

But hey, that's part of the fun of the hobby too!