Workbench Essentials

Expert Tip Keep all rolling stock wheels clean, treating them as part of your WORKBENCH overall layout cleaning routine. It’s no use cleaning your locomotive wheels if the hauled stock is going to keep spreading muck around! ESSENTIALS Upgrading rolling stock wheels, or even just HOW TO DO IT: opening out the bearings, will result in freer and CHANGE ROLLING STOCK WHEELS more reliable running. 1 2 Inset: Replacement wheels are available from myriad sources: Hornby, TOP TOOL Dapol and Bachmann AXLE REAMER offer upgrade packs at budget prices, but turned A pack of two DCCconcepts metal wheels from the likes of DCCconcepts, DCF-BR2 axle reamers (£14.95 Gibson, Markits and per pair) will last a lifetime and Romford are vastly superior. are suitable for ‘OO/HO’ and ‘EM/P4’ gauges. The two Most bogies simply unclip from the chassis. If Gently prise out the axles, stretching the not, the body will need accessing in order to solebars outwards if necessary. The different ‘grips’ allow them to be remove the mounting screws. The coarse DCCconcepts reamer can then be inserted and used on a wide range of rolling flanges of the Hornby Railroad Mk 1 wheels are rotated to open out the bearing holes. evident in this view. stock types, without the need for any dismantling, except for 3 4 the removal of the wheels and axles. Available from DCCconcepts stockists, such as Gaugemaster, OnTracks or Hattons. TOP TIP A choice of reamers is supplied with different Test-fit your new wheelsets, checking that the Store your reamers carefully, so nylon ‘handles’ to suit different bogies or pinpoint axles easily slot into the bearings and underframes. Gripping the axleboxes prevents that the wheels rotate freely. If they’re stiff, that the cutting tips do not the bogie sides being pushed apart while the simply repeat the use of the reamer until become blunt. Leaving them to reamer works. you’re happy. flail around a toolbox is not 5 6 a good idea, so keep them in the original packaging or in a padded case. DID YOU KNOW? The back-to-back measurement GEORGE DENT demonstrates how easily rolling stock wheelsets can be between wheels on each axle is changed with the aid of a rather nifty new tool. It helps to check that the new wheels and Another check to make is the back-to-back an important factor for reliable axles are installed correctly by placing them measurement – that is, the distance between wheels of to get the bit exactly horizontal in such extra play in the axles can produce running. It’s easy to he plastic on to a sheet of glass. All four flanges should the inner faces of the wheels. For ‘OO’, this Hornby’s new Railroad BR a confined space. Far better, then, to much freer running, and a couple of be in contact with the glass, otherwise one of should be 14.5mm, whereas finescale ‘OO’ and inadvertently shift the wheels Mk 1 coaches (MR190) use a special reaming device, especially revolutions of the DCCconcepts reamer the axles may be misaligned. ‘EM/P4’ have their own specifications. reminded me of my early one tailor-made for the job, such as this can have a positive effect on most on their axles while fitting the Tdays in this hobby. Back in the 1970s one offered by DCCconcepts. vehicles. However, it’s important not to sets to an underframe, so a final DIFFICULTY 7 and 1980s, plastic rolling stock wheels Supplied as a pair of reamers, each introduce too much side-play as this check with a back-to-back were common, often with hugely with a different plastic ‘grip’ to allow can have a negative effect on ride over-scale flanges that would foul point easy operation on a range of different quality, hence why the reamer tools are gauge is important. The frogs or bounce along the rail chairs on ESTIMATED vehicles, they’re optimised for ‘OO/HO’ set at a fraction over 26mm in length ‘standard’ back-to-back anything but Code 100 track. TIME gauge. They’re also essential for those (the most common length of 4mm: 1ft Upgrading plastic or coarse-scale One hour per wanting to fit ‘EM’ or ‘P4’ wheelsets. As scale axles). This reduces the risk of the specification for ‘OO’ gauge metal wheels – or those that are vehicle the reamers cut at both ends at once bearing holes being bored too deep. track is 14.5mm, whilst the showing signs of wear and tear – should – and are self-centring – the job is done There’s no doubt that high-quality TOOLS common ‘spec’ for ‘EM’ is be a simple task of prising out the old NEEDED quickly and accurately. metal wheels from the likes of Romford, and pushing in the new. However, some • DCCconcepts axle This technique can also be beneficial Markits, Gibson or Ultrascale will 16.5mm, ‘P4’ is 17.7mm and replacement wheelsets may have reamer even if you see no need to change the transform running qualities. Quieter, slightly longer axles, and trying to force • Back-to-back wheelsets. It’s surprising how a little smoother and less prone to derailments some finescale ‘OO’ modellers them into the original space is not gauge or other problems, a good set of wheels employ 14.8mm. However, there a good idea. In this case, the bearing forms the crucial foundation to any item GEORGE DENT are countless variations of up to holes must be enlarged. USEFUL SUPPLIERS of rolling stock. With free-running axles, Anyone who’s ever tried doing this Alan Gibson and Romford/Jackson wheels and back-to-back there will be much less drag on the Refit the bogies and test the model on your layout, looking out for how it runs over points and a tenth of a millimetre gauges available from Mainly Trains. Tel: 01278 741333. with a drill will know from bitter Web: www.mainlytrains.co.uk locomotive, allowing for longer trains to crossovers. These Gibson wheels have made a massive difference to looks and performance, depending on the width of the experience that it’s virtually impossible be hauled more easily. although the centres require painting. wheels and the obsessiveness Photography: Photography: 40 Model Rail 198 August 2014 Subscribe at www.model-rail.co.uk of the modeller!.

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