Locomotive wheels for the scratchbuilder

Rhinochugger

Rhinochugger

Retired Oik
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So, after my experiments at sprung axle boxes came to nought (I'm not allowed to name and shame the trader who took my money and hasn't delivered) I'm stuck with trying to find some wheels that are not solid steel and that give a semblance of reducing hard shocks (track joints, point work etc).

Most of the wheels available for scratchbuilt diesel chassis are all steel.

I used the Slaters wheels especially made for GRS (for use with the L&B Manning Wardle) when I made my 2-6-2, at that time they were £25 per axle.

They are now £46 per axle !!! >:( >:( >:(

No wonder nobody scratch builds chassis any more - even LGB would start to look cheap.

So, does anybody know of any soft centred loco wheels. I had used Tenmille carriage wheels on my 0-6-0 diesel, which quitened it down very successfully, but eventually they came unglued and slid along the axles (because I wasn't using the Tenmille shouldered axles). I must point out that it had done a fairly significant mileage before that happened.

So what does anybody know? Is there a supplier out there?
 
If you're looking for 'shouldered' axles there is a simple solution. Whatever you used previously is fine, but before you add the second wheel, insert the axle into a length of tube (brass or ali, whatever) cut to the required back-to-back, allowing for any wheel bosses. No need to fix it, but you can with super-glue if you like, the second wheel will hold it in place. If the axle-boxes are reasonably tightly spaced there is no need to even fix the wheels to the axle.
 
Yes, I had thought of that - rather belatedly in the case of the 0-6-0 dismal.

The other thing I have done to achieve the opposite of my earlier comments was to use solid steel uninsulated 32mm gauge, and saw them in half and re.join to 45mm gauge; did this to achieve heavy weight and current collection on the pilot of a bug mauler.

But no secret wheel manufacturers ? ??? ???
 
There used to be a Company near Norwich that sold G1 Castings. Also one called Walsall? in the Midlands. Wish I could remember more. But perhaps this will jig someones memory to put a name and even a link up.
JOND
 
So, what diameter wheels do you require? Are you wanting spoked or disc wheels? Are you after the extra weight or are you wanting resilient wheels (as fitted to PCC and Vambac equiped trams?

I know there are four questions there - it's being a little thick I suppose - just cannot picture exactly what you are specifically wanting.
 
At the moment, I'm looking for 30 mm (ish) diameter, plain wheels for a diesel with extended axles for outside cranks and, ideally, resilient wheels*


*do we need a definition of that?

Mine is that the wheels have a 'soft' centre (as in Slaters nylon/fibre mix) - I find these lessen the audible impact when the loco hits a rough track joint (not sure if it actually lessens the entire impact).

Strangely, the Tenmille wheels of similar construction that I used on the 0-60-0 reduced the noise even though the IP Engineering originals had nylon bushes for insulation purposes.

I suspect that we're moving into an areas of technical expertise of materials and forces. It would be so much easier if somebody were to make a sprung axle box - it must be possible in this scale, n'est ce pas?

I am still expecting someone to tell me to pay better attention to my track laying !! ::) ::) ::)

I have the raspberry machine ready :D
 
Rhinochugger said:
Strangely, the Tenmille wheels of similar construction that I used on the 0-60-0 reduced the noise
Click to expand...

That's a lot of wheels mate?

Bet it doesn't go round R1s....
 
Rhinochugger said:
At the moment, I'm looking for 30 mm (ish) diameter, plain wheels for a diesel with extended axles for outside cranks and, ideally, resilient wheels*


*do we need a definition of that?

Mine is that the wheels have a 'soft' centre (as in Slaters nylon/fibre mix) - I find these lessen the audible impact when the loco hits a rough track joint (not sure if it actually lessens the entire impact).

Strangely, the Tenmille wheels of similar construction that I used on the 0-60-0 reduced the noise even though the IP Engineering originals had nylon bushes for insulation purposes.

I suspect that we're moving into an areas of technical expertise of materials and forces. It would be so much easier if somebody were to make a sprung axle box - it must be possible in this scale, n'est ce pas?

I am still expecting someone to tell me to pay better attention to my track laying !! ::) ::) ::)

I have the raspberry machine ready :D
Click to expand...

I said I was a little thick - now I understand! Can I have cream with the raspberries please?
 
Gizzy said:
That's a lot of wheels mate?

Bet it doesn't go round R1s....
Click to expand...

I always said that I had a wheel fetish 8) 8) 8)

Must have confused this thread with the Leopold rail gun :o :o :o :o





Yeah, OK , the loco's an 0-6-0 (I think) ;)
 
You could try USAT brass coach wheels sets as they are 31mm diameter but you would need to order from the US.
 
Custom turned wheels from castings are going to be expensive however you look at it. Also they could have fine flanges and no insulation. You could look at solid wheels but try a different approach, like three point suspension. That way the axle with the gears on remains fixed to the frame, but the other axles can twist a little. BobG et al. can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you are only looking for a tiny amount of movement from the suspension.
 
David

Yes, three point equalisation would be an alternative which has been going through my mind.

I'd still prefer a soft centered resilient wheel, but...............


What I think this shows us is that, with a comparatively small clientele, there is very little provided for the scratchbuilder in our scale / gauge.

We fall between the well-fed smaller scales, and the larger ones of model engineers who make all their own kit (as Bob does)

The trouble is that people like me don't know one end of a lathe from the other :P :P :P
 
Well, manufacturers have got to sell product and how many scratch or kit-builders are there among the g-scale community? For myself, I'm not interested in anything less than 3 foot gauge so that limits my (vaguely British) interests to the IOM or Irish prototypes, so scratch building would be a lot easier in Gauge 1 with mainline prototypes.
 
Yes, I think you're right - and I don't think we're in a position to complain becuase the market simply ins't big enough.

And if you go back to my first post on this thread, the wheels made by Slaters specially for GRS are £46 per axle. So if you're building a six-coupled loco, you've spent £150 before you've bought any other bits and pieces.

When I scratchbuilt a 2-6-2 chassis with a bogie tender a few years ago (using those same wheels whne they were £25 per axle), I spent £120 on wheels alone (including the tender bogies). The funny thing was, that I built it to prove that it wasn't just LGB who could build a bomb proof chassis ??? ??? ??? ???
 
Re Chassis Flexibility. Back in the late 70's when I was doing '0' Gauge I used to scratch Build Chassis using Mike Sharman's Flexichas system. His small book on the subject was very good.

This link gives the principles.

http://www.mjwsjw.co.uk/Loco%20Diagrams%203S.pdf

There are many options to pick up the book, some even cheeper but here is a quick option that I found when I Googled it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flexichas-Build-Compensated-Locomotive-Chassis/dp/0853615012

JonD
 
Yerst.................


So is the problem something to do with the fact that I have ideas that are utside my skill sets? :-[ :-[
 
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