Riveted bogies

[JickettyCan]

Hi guys

I've got a few old carriages with riveted bogies that are knackered. How do i remove these cretins from the carriage and replace with another bogey?

I've picked up 4 similar bogies that have been cut out of their previous carriage leaving a rectangular piece of plastic above the bogey but it kinda seems wrong that the rivet can't be removed and replaced - they're in good condition and would be great replacement bogies. There must be a trick to this?

[Bufferstop]

I understand the square of plastic with the riveted bogey at its centre. They can be pigs to remove. I'm sure there are many ways of dealing with them but this is mine. You need a fretsaw frame, a coping saw or jewellers saw in fact any saw that has enough reach to tension a fine metal cutting blade passed through the centre of the rivet. make a couple of cuts through the rivet and just into the plastic. Take out the saw blade then using the flat of a screwdriver push the bits of the rivet inwards. I have usually discovered that just attaching a new bogey to the same bit of floor would leave the buffer height wrong and end up cutting away some of the floor to allow the the body to sit down further on the bogie, so perhaps the square of plastic isn't such a bad idea.

[Ironduke]

I would find a drill bit the same size as the rivet then drill out the middle of the rivet just enough for the head to fall off. Then use a nut and bolt to replace it.

[Peterm]

I would find a drill bit the same size as the rivet then drill out the middle of the rivet just enough for the head to fall off. Then use a nut and bolt to replace it.

Exactly what I've done on numerous bogies. If yours are the same as mine, I've used 5mm screws, nuts and washers. The washers to increase ride height if needed and then Loctite the nuts because you can't tighten them if you want the bogie to turn and rock slightly. I've also used plasticard to make mountings for Kadee couplers. A bit heath Robinson I suppose but it works.

[Bigmet]

...I've picked up 4 similar bogies that have been cut out of their previous carriage leaving a rectangular piece of plastic above the bogey but it kinda seems wrong that the rivet can't be removed and replaced - they're in good condition and would be great replacement bogies. There must be a trick to this?

And the trick is to put the square of plastic in your bench vice and crush it. That stops the rivet spinning when the drill is applied to cut it out of the bogie.

[Bufferstop]

I find that drilling out the hollow rivet doesn't work well on old Triang models. The ageing of the plastic reduces the grip of the rivet in its hole, so trying to drill it fails. The drill bites but then the rivet just rotates in the hole. The softened plastic distorts leaving a bigger usually off centre hole. Hence my method of cutting the rivet.

[GeraldH]

I've done a lot of these as the BNR makes extensive use of old Triang coaches . As has been said one problem is the rivet rotating if it is drilled or cut. I have used a razor saw between the bogies and the coach while holding the ends of the rivet in the past. Now I drill out the top of the rivet with drill a little larger than the rivet head on a low speed. I stop the rivet rotating by holding something against the lower end of the rivet -blu tack might work or a tapered piece of circular wood. The rivet is brass so it's pretty soft. The trick is to get a drill bit that's sharp and just the right size to take off the crimped top. Just take it slow until you get the hang of it. Another alternative is to put new wheels in the old bogies using matchstick bearings (see my layout thread).