<<

Photography: GEORGE DENT 40 thatexperience it’s virtually impossible bitter from know will adrill with enlarged. be must holes bearing the case, this In idea. a good not is space original the into them to force trying and axles, longer slightly replacement wheelsets may have new. However, the in some pushing and old the out prising of task asimple be –should tear and wear of signs showing are that those –or wheels metal track. 100 Code but anything on chairs rail the along bounce or frogs point foul would that flanges over-scale hugely with often common, were wheels stock rolling plastic 1980s, and 1970s the in hobby. Back this in days T Anyone who’s ever tried doing this this doing tried who’s ever Anyone Upgrading plastic or coarse-scale reminded me of my early my early of me reminded (MR190) 1 coaches Mk BR Railroad new Hornby’s plastic he changed withtheaidofarather new nifty . GEORGE DENT wheels of

demonstrates how easilyrolling be can stockwheelsets • reamer • NEEDED vehicle per hour One TIME ESTIMATED DIFFICULTY Back-to-back DCCconceptsaxle Web: Trains. Mainly from available gauges Alan Gibson and Romford/Jackson wheels and back-to-back USEFUL SUPPLIERS

www.mainlytrains.co.uk wheelsets. It’s surprising how a little alittle how surprising It’s wheelsets. the to change need no see you if even accurately. and quickly done is job –the self-centring are – and once at ends both at cut reamers the As wheelsets. ‘P4’ or ‘EM’ to fit wanting those for essential also They’re gauge. ‘OO/HO’ for optimised they’re vehicles, different of arange on operation easy allow to ‘grip’ plastic adifferent with DCCconcepts. by offered one this as such job, the for tailor-made one reaming device, ause especially special to Far then, better, space. a confined such in horizontal exactly bit the to get This technique can also be beneficial beneficial be also can technique This each reamers, of a pair as Supplied Tel: 01278 741333. 741333. 01278

be hauled more easily. easily. more hauled be to trains longer for allowing locomotive, the on drag less much be will there axles, free-running With stock. rolling of item to any foundation crucial the forms wheels of set agood problems, other or to derailments prone less and smoother transform Quieter, running qualities. will Ultrascale or Gibson Markits, Romford, of likes the from wheels metal deep. too bored being holes bearing the of risk the reduces This axles). scale 1ft 4mm: of length common most (the length in 26mm over afraction at set are tools reamer the why hence quality, ride on effect have anegative can this as side-play much too introduce to not However, important it’s vehicles. most on effect have apositive can reamer DCCconcepts the of revolutions of acouple and running, freer much produce can axles the in play extra There’s no doubt that high-quality high-quality that doubt no There’s Model Rail Model opening out the bearings, bearings, the out opening wheels are available from from available are wheels budget prices, but turned turned but prices, budget myriad sources: Hornby, Hornby, sources: myriad Upgrading rolling stock offer upgrade packs at at packs upgrade offer more reliable running. metal wheels from the the from wheels metal will result in freer and and freer in result will likes of DCCconcepts, Dapol and Bachmann 198August 2014 Gibson, Markits and wheels, or even just just even or wheels, Inset: Replacement Romford are vastly vastly are Romford superior.

Subscribe at painting. require centres the although performance, and looks to difference a massive have made wheels Gibson These crossovers. and points over runs it how for out looking layout, your on model the test and bogies the Refit misaligned. be may axles the of one otherwise glass, the with contact in be should flanges four All glass. of to a sheet on them by placing correctly installed are axles and wheels new the that to check helps It reamer works. the while apart pushed being sides bogie the prevents axleboxes the Gripping underframes. or bogies different to suit ‘handles’ nylon different with supplied is reamers of A choice CHANGE ROLLING STOCK WHEELS HOW TO DOIT: evident in this view. this in evident are 1 wheels Mk Railroad Hornby the of flanges coarse The screws. mounting the remove to order in accessing need will body the not, If chassis. the from unclip simply bogies Most 5 3 1 7 www.model-rail.co.uk overall layout cleaningroutine. It’s nousecleaningyour locomotive wheels ifthehauledstockisgoingto keep spreading muckaround! Keep allrolling stockwheelsclean,treating ofyour themaspart

you’re happy. until reamer the of use the repeat simply stiff, they’re freely. If rotate wheels the that and bearings the into slot easily axles pinpoint the that checking Test-fit wheelsets, new your ‘EM/P4’ have their own specifications. own have their ‘EM/P4’ and ‘OO’ finescale whereas 14.5mm, be should For ‘OO’, this wheels. the of faces inner the between distance the is, –that measurement back-to-back the is to make check Another rotated to open out the bearing holes. bearing the out to open rotated and inserted be then can reamer DCCconcepts The necessary. if outwards solebars the stretching axles, the out prise Gently 6 4 2

Expert Tip Expert

good idea, so keep them in the the in them keep so idea, good a

employ 14.8mm. However, 14.8mm. employ there

are countless variationsto are countless up of

sets to an underframe, so a final final a so underframe, to an sets

WORKBENCH

Storecarefully, your reamers so

become blunt. Leavingto blunt. them become

depending on the width of the widththe of the on depending The back-to-back measurement back-to-back The measurement

between wheels on each axle is axle is each on wheels between

wheels and the obsessiveness obsessiveness the and wheels

some finescale ‘OO’ modellers modellers ‘OO’ finescale some

different be ‘grips’allowto them

an important factor forfactor reliable important an

DCCconcepts stockists, such as as such stockists, DCCconcepts

ESSENTIALS

used on a wide range of rolling of range wide a on used

on their axles while fitting the the fitting while axles their on

inadvertently shift the wheels wheels the inadvertently shift

for any dismantling, except forfordismantling, any

the removal of the wheels and and removal wheels the the of

per pair) per lifetime willa last and DID YOU KNOW? YOU KNOW? DID

stock types, without the need need without the stocktypes,

DCF-BR2 axle reamers (£14.95 (£14.95 axle reamers DCF-BR2

specification for ‘OO’ gauge gauge for ‘OO’ specification

flail around a toolbox is not not toolbox is a flailaround

16.5mm, ‘P4’ is 17.7mm‘P4’ is 16.5mm, and

that the tips do not not do tips cutting thatthe

track is 14.5mm, whilst the the whilst 14.5mm, trackis

are suitable for ‘OO/HO’ and for and ‘OO/HO’ are suitable

check with a back-to-back back-to-back a with check

A pack of two DCCconcepts DCCconcepts two of pack A

common ‘spec’ for ‘EM’ is is for ‘EM’ ‘spec’ common

Gaugemaster,OnTracks or

original packaging or in in or packaging original

gauge is important. The The important. is gauge

‘standard’ back-to-back ‘standard’

‘EM/P4’ gauges. The two two The ‘EM/P4’gauges.

a tenth of a millimetre tenth a of a

axles. Available from from Available axles.

running. It’s easy to It’seasy running.

AXLE REAMER AXLE

of the modeller! the of

TOP TOOL TOP

padded case. padded a

TOP TIP TOP Hattons.