Test tracks

[Tim V]

To start this topic off, and because this seems to raise some controversy here is the test track I expect my stock to traverse. It's an emulation of the track on Clutton. The track goes from a straight into a 3' curve, without transition and also straight into super elevation (bit of a mess I know!).

IMG_2551.JPG

The wooden peg you can see sticking out is used to adjust the super elevation.

Those are Maygib all metal wheels. Kindly ignore the Peco bag

IMG_2552.JPG

Ordinary C&L flexi track is used.

IMG_2553.JPG

Would your stock go round this? Mine does

[Rod Cameron]

Do you have a favoured make of wheelsets Tim, or any you avoid?

[Tim V]

Presume you mean stock wheels. I prefer all metal ones these days, however, all wheels are tested by spinning between centres.

With the Unimat almost any make loco wheel can be made useful

[Ashley]

Excellent test track idea that gains evidence from practice.

[Mike Garwood]

Tim

When you spin between centres, what exactly are you looking for? Might sound a stupid question - probably is - but I just want to be clear we looking and talking about the same things...having had a recent cull of coach wheels and settled on the Exactoscale wheels for all new coaches (building coach 7 of 8 as I type) and will be rewheeling the other 12 coaches as funds become available. Can I ask which wheels/brand, in particular, you use on your coaches?

cheers

Mike

[Tim V]

No problem Mike.

For all wheels, I put the wheels into a standard W iron, and spin them slowly looking for wobble and eccentricity. I look for minimum of either. It might not be the wheels, it could be the pin points are not machined centrally. I also look for the 26mm across points, and a proper pin point, no burrs or rough machining.

As for choice of coach wheels, I use the Branchlines all nickel ones. They are a little pricey, but out of a great many wheels I have NO rejects. As opposed to a large box of another make of plastic centred wheels.

I was looking at one of my coaches a couple of nights ago, and found the plastic centred wheels were badly wobbling. I went through about 30 sets of wheels in the scrap wheel box, found two just about acceptable ones (I've run out of the nickel wheels at present).

The Maygib all metal wheels are OK, but there have been rejects, and some of the flange profiles have been a little suspect.

There is no such thing as a "cheap" wheel.

For wagons, I can take a wagon that consistently derails, change its wheels for nickel ones, and turn it into a good runner.

Try this yourself. Take a standard Bachman wagon, and run it with plastic centred wheels. Remove wheels and replace with nickel wheels. Don't forget the wagon will need extra weight, but I can pretty well guarantee it will run better on the better wheels.

[Ashley]

When I use to model American outline, I use to routinely replace all the wheels for the best quality metal ones that I could get. If you don't get the basics things consistent then working to tighter tolerances leads to higher, not less unreliability.

[Mike Garwood]

Tim
Thanks for that, a useful ploy...Have you ever tried to return faulty wheels? I must confess to not having done this either. I pay good money for wheels that cannot be used and then hide in my corner sulking, rather than sending the offending items back! Anybody else complained about this and got a response and a result?
Sorry this is going off topic a bit!

cheers

Mike

[Tim V]

Good point Mike, how do you return Studiolith wheels?

[Mike Garwood]

Tim
Don't the words Daleks and Time Lord mean anything these days...honestly no imagination at all. Fortunately I don't have stock that needs a Time Lords assistance!
Mike