Coach wheel sizes

[TEZBEDZ]

What type and size of wheel were originally fitted to BR Mk 1 Coaches?

I am building a Comet kit as a practice piece before building my B Set, Gibson do a 3ft 7 1/2in or a 3ft 1 1/2in. Plain Disc or 4 hole

What type would have been fitted to a E147 B Set?

[Noel]

Generally, coaches had 3ft 7.5in, wagons 3ft 1.5ins [2ft 8.5ins for some special types]. BR Mk1 coaches had 3ft 6in wheels. Both BR and GWR E147 wheels were plain discs [actually the BR version had small holes in the disc, but very much smaller than the three (not four) in the 3ft 1.5in wagon wheels]. Wood-centred Mansell wheels had gone out of normal use before the 1930s.

[TEZBEDZ]

Thanks, that confirms my fears. Anyone know a supplier of 3' 6" coach wheels, or they will be fitted with 3' 7 1/2"

[jjnewitt]

I'm pretty sure Branchlines do 14mm coach wheels.

I've used Exactoscale wheels (14.4mm diameter) and Gibson (14.5mm diameter) under Mk1s before and you'd be hard pressed to notice they were oversize.

Justin

[Noel]

I agree with Justin, the 0.5mm difference is not likely to be noticeable even close up, let alone at normal viewing distances. In any event, the dimensions are nominal, since tyre wear and re-turning would reduce the diameter...

[billbedford]

Anyone make 3' 4" coach wheels for MET coaches? This is complicated by the fact that some coaches had spoked and disc wheels on different bogies.

[jon price]

Whilst the approach to "finescale" is an individual one, and not inherent in a decision to use P4 standards, it occurs to me that the differences under discussion, of sub millimeter size in relation to wheel diameter, will be far less visible than the difference in the deflection of the suspension between loaded and empty vehicles. Consequently the question is: Is this intended to be a showcase model, or employed on an operating layout? If a showcase model then absolute wheel size is rightly an issue, as is whether the model depicts a vehicle straight out of the carriage works, or one which has seen some service, and hence wear. If on an operating layout it is likely that stock will be used to depict both "full" and "empty" trains and this might well be a greater compromise with regard to ride height than an inch or so on the diameter of the wheels.