Exactoscale wagon sprung

[bordercollie]

Hi
I am wondering if anyone can help me out. I have the possibility of purchasing some exactoscale springing units.
There all have a code starting with CW.... Can anyone let me know if are the same type on units that are available from the scalefour stores. Some of the units do not have bearings. Will this be a problem?

Best wishes

[Guy Rixon]

It's impossible to be sure without pictures or full catalogue-numbers, but items coded CWxxx --- 3-figure numbers --- rather than 4CWxxxx are likely to be from the Weller & Cross era and are a different system. I have a catalogue from that era and can check if you care to post the full codes.

The old system and the newer one both use the same bearings (parallel 1.0 mm ID, 1.5mm OD), which can be got from the stores.

If they are the old-system units, I'd recommend getting them. They work better than the later kind. However, the old-system units can be hard to set up accurately without the jigs, which can't be bought nowadays. Anybody with a lathe should be able to make reproduce the jigs. Without a lathe it would just take a bit longer.

[Dave K]

From the Exactoscale underframe kits I have 4WC U06A is a RCH wagon chassis 9ft wheelbase 9in solebar (2).

If you look at the current stores list that code does not exist, but, 4WC006A is described as a RCH 9’ wheelbase 9” solebar which I think is the same.

I hope this thrown some light on things.

Dave

[Guy Rixon]

FWIW, this is an example of the mark-1 FASS from exactoscale.

IMG_8489.jpg

This is CW020, conversion kit for the MR fruit-van by Slaters.

The jig for spacing the axleguards across the vehicle is two light-alloy pieces per axle, each pair mounted on a 1.5 mm rod; it used to be an Exactoscale product. The collars with the set screws came from something else, probably a loco-chassis jig from the 2mm Scale Association.

[grovenor-2685]

See also https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=7431

[bordercollie]

Hi
The code numbers are CW007, CW023, CW032,CW033, CW036 CW040.
Will it be a big problem if can't get hold the jig? Are there alternative jigs that can be purchased?
Neither the seller or me have any idea what there are worth. Can anyone suggest a far price?
Best wishes

[bordercollie]

Hi

What is the difference between what is available in the stores now and the older variety (CW...) of exactoscale sprung items.

Regards

[Guy Rixon]

Hi
The code numbers are CW007, CW023, CW032,CW033, CW036 CW040.
Will it be a big problem if can't get hold the jig? Are there alternative jigs that can be purchased?
Neither the seller or me have any idea what there are worth. Can anyone suggest a far price?
Best wishes

From the old catalogue:

CW007 is RCH-standard axleguards, loose

CW023 is a conversion set for a MR 6-wheel carriage

CW032 is a conversion set for RCH 10' w/b or LNER AVB 10' w/b

CW033 is a conversion set for RCH 9' 9" w/b

CW036 is a conversion set for RCH 12' w/b or LNER AVB 12' w/b

CW040 is a conversion set for a MR 12-ton van of 10' w/b, from a Slater's kit (not the fruit van, which takes CW020)

The loose axleguards are just that: an etched part for each axleguard and you fix them to the back of the solebars. The conversion sets are as per my photo above. They combine two or three axleguards into a unit for one side of the vehicle (the pack has two such units, you don't need to buy two for one vehicle) with a flange that fits against the vehicle floor.

AKAIK, no compatible jigs are sold today, so you'd need to improvise.

The conversion sets should be manageable without the turned jig. You just need something that fits between the axleguards and spaces them 23.5 mm apart (I've just measured that from my jigs with callipers). The tolerance on that dimension isn't too tight, as you can take out play with 1.0 mm i/d washers.

To use the loose axleguards, you need a jig that clamps the axleguards in square to the solebars for fixing, and then an additional jig that sets the wheelbase. The lateral-spacing jig can be upgraded with collars to do the clamping. Exactoscale used to sell a wheelbase-setting jig that worked like the Brassmasters one but cut to fit over the 1.5 mm rods in the lateral-spacing jig. These jigs used together fix everything at once. A clever person could work out how to align an axleguard pair to fix to one solebar, then use the assembled solebars with the improvised lateral-spacing jig as if they were the conversion units.

The bearings currently available in the Stores are compatible. If any packs have lost their wire, you need really fine stuff, I think 0.15 mm steel, to fit the etches.

Price is whatever suits. There's no established market for these things to set a price. In 1997, they cost from £0.90 (4 loose axleguards) up to £2.20 for the largest conversion-sets.

[Guy Rixon]

Hi

What is the difference between what is available in the stores now and the older variety (CW...) of exactoscale sprung items.

Regards

The old and new systems share nothing but the wheelsets, bearings and gauge of spring wire.

The old-system parts are loose axleguards and conversion sets as outlined in my previous post. You have to fix the parts to something else to get a running chassis.

The new-system parts give you a running chassis in one pack. The axleguards fold down from a floor piece and are automatically aligned for wheelbase and lateral spacing.

The old-system spring-carriers trap the spring wire in a central mount, a little like the Bedford system, but without the 3-pronged clip. The ends of the spring are exposed and you hook them into slots on the axleguard when wheeling up.

The new-system spring-carriers have an internal pocket that entirely exposes the spring. A tab on the fixed axleguard enters the pocket through a slot to engage the springing.

The old system latterly included mounts for brake blocks on the spring hangers. The idea was that the blocks move with the wheel, so can be set very close to the wheel. I never tried that aspect.

The new system includes, as separate packs, complete sets of brake parts that can be soldered up to the chassis units.

The old parts are etched in brass, the new in nickel silver.

The old system is, IMHO, very easy to use. Once things are mounted, they tend to stay put.

The new system is a pig to set up, and the wheels fall out if you get it slightly wrong. I've not managed to get one of these chassis right yet. The brake system is stark torture to assemble (everything is floppy and loose and you have to align a dozen parts at once to fine tolerances; shudder) and I will never, ever try that part again.

[grovenor-2685]

The new-system spring-carriers have an internal pocket that entirely exposes the spring.

I think you meant "encloses" not "exposes".

In general, IMHO, anything Mk 2 in Exactoscale turned out to be more complex and harder to use than the Mk 1.

[Guy Rixon]

The new-system spring-carriers have an internal pocket that entirely exposes the spring.

I think you meant "encloses" not "exposes".

In general, IMHO, anything Mk 2 in Exactoscale turned out to be more complex and harder to use than the Mk 1.

Yes, I meant encloses, but the auto-incorrect in my browser wasn't having that.

One case where an Exactoscale product improved at mark 2 is the axles. The old adaptor-axles for mounting Gibson/Maygib/etc. wheels were harder to do right than Exactoscale's own wheels with their integral half-axles.

[Terry Bendall]

Are there alternative jigs that can be purchased?

so you'd need to improvise.

A piece of tube cut to the right length and the ends cut square to the length.
A long screw, or a piece of threaded rod plus some washers.
Or a piece of rod of the appropriate size with a thread cut on each end.
Or a length of plain rod and some collars of some sort.

Terry Bendall