Flanged Centre wheels on Hornby Locos?

Hi all

Is it possible to easily get flanged centre wheels and fit them to locos? Also, what was the purpose of doing the un-flanged situation?

thanks

Steve

Reply to
mindesign
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To enable them to negotiate tight curves and points. In the 1980/90s Hornby used undersized wheels with small flanges that looked better cosmetically, but still didn't foul on tight curves. The new generation of steam locos are not recommended for use on first radius curves.

(Full-size 9F 2-10-0s had flangeless centre wheels.)

Reply to
MartinS

Hi Martin

thanks for responding. Do you know if I can replace them with flanged items and is this a practice that's "done"? or is it frowned upon? I am planning a layout that will have no radius less than 3 feet.

Thanks

Steve

Reply to
mindesign

Not quite true, RMartin. All sets of drivers on 9Fs had flanges. The outer drivers had normal flanges while the second and fourth drivers were a different profile to the outer ones. The centre drivers had very tiny flanges, but they were definitely there. In any modelling scale they would be negligible.

I once read an article which mentioned in passing that the author had met a chap who intended to build a model 9F which would replicate the different flange profiles. He intended to use OO wheels on the outer drivers and P4 wheels on the second and fourth drivers. The author of the article expressed severe doubts as to whether the thing would stay on the track. I wonder how it worked out.

Reply to
Enzo Matrix

"mindesign" wrote

Anything's possible, but you may have trouble finding suitable wheels to use. Hornby have traditionally used a non-standard axle diameter, so it's not just a case of going out and finding a suitable size wheel, you may also have to bush the axles to fit the axle holes.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

I guess it all depends on tolerances. Hornby locos running on Hornby/Peco track have much more axle sideplay and wheel-rail "slop" than the real thing. My new Black 5 will just negotiate 1st radius curved points, but it's very tight for both the loco and tender.

BTW "Evening Star" spent some time on the Worth Valley Railway, but I think they had to re-gauge the sharp curves after it left.

Reply to
MartinS

MartinS wrote: Snip

No problems with the Churnet Valley Railway track after last year's visit of Black Prince so far as I have heard.

Poor old David Shepherd is just having to pay for new tyres on 92203 instead. Must be the rails we use. :-)

Dave W.

Reply to
David Westerman

The flanges were not there when they were new, but the wheels would wear more in the centre so a worn wheel could appear to have a small flange. Keith

Make friends in the hobby. Visit Garratt photos for the big steam lovers.

Reply to
Keith Norgrove

Could be a curse? The loco was named by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands who died at the beginning of December.

(kim)

Reply to
kim

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