Replacing Tri-ang coach wheels

In message , Robin Bale writes

The bushes you require are called 'top hat' bushes, because they are shaped like a tiny brass top hat, although the 'top' of the hat is concave, rather than flat. These should drop straight in to the holes in the Tri-ang bogie, from the inside, perhaps held with a tiny amount of super glue. Modern pin point axles should then fit, although you may have to try a few, to find the optimum axle length. I vaguely recall that Lima axles are a good fit.

If yours are the metal bogies you can't use the top hat style pin-point bearings as the bogie won't flex to get the axles in, you need the rimless style of pin point bearing that can be pushed in from the outside after putting the axles in place. First drill out the axleboxes to a good fit on the bearings, then manoevre the wheelset into place and push in a bearing from each side, the recess left in the outside can then be filled flush. Alan Gibson can supply the required bearings as part no G4M63F, see

Keith

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

"Lozz" wrote

And I suppose if you're really lucky you'll get the axles in parallel and the stock will run true? :-/

John.

Matches do not make excellent bearings but they will at least stop the wheels falling out while the actual bearing will be on the 2mm part of the axle. If you want to have the free running benefits of the pinpoint axle you need correctly coned metal bearings. Easy to install as already indicated. Keith Make friends in the hobby. Visit Garratt photos for the big steam lovers.

In article , snipped-for-privacy@nospam.co.uk says...>

An old railway modeller once told me to glue matchsticks in the holes and then cut them off with a craft knife. Then put a dab of black paint on the exposed end. It really works and the matches make excellent bearings for pin point axles :)

OK not excellent... but that's apparently what a lot of people did in the good old days and they've always worked for me :)

Thanks for all the useful advice.

In the end, I purchased some Romford plain pinpoint bearings. However, they were a bit too small in diameter, so a little filler was used to keep them in place. A touch of black paint and nobody would know any different!

I liked the matchstick idea. Before I posted my original request, I had tried a similar idea with small pieces of insulation from lighting circuit cable. They were a pefect fit in the hole, but the wheels did not run very smoothly - which is why I posed the question.

Rob.

I have done many trucks by using the new Hornby wheelsets. Simply push/pull the wheels off the axles and then drive the old axle through from the outside of the bogie sideframes and through the two wheels into the opposite sideframe axle hole. You will need to adjust the B-B flange distance back to a nominal 14.5mm. You will find that the wheels are able to thrash sideways by a good 4mm causing the axle to poke out beyond the bogie sideframe. Simply cut off the excess length flush with the side frame on both ends and it runs perfectly.

I have a rake of 13 old Triang wagons all have cast bogies and all run perfectly over the most complicated of pointwork.

HTH

Andrew

PS. Anyone want (for the cost of postager only) several hundred old Triang Steamroller wheels and axles?