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Hornby Sentinel converted to P4


Captain Kernow

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A couple of weeks ago - or thereabouts - I noticed on the Ultrascale website, that they were developing a drop-in conversion wheelset for the Hornby Sentinel, in both P4 and EM. One of the features of both P4 and EM sets was the fact that narrower than normal/scale wheel treads had been used, which enabled the drop-in sets to be used without having to remove the outside frames and create more space.

 

For some reason, I read into their wording that these wheelsets might be available already, so I e-mailed David Rogers, asking to have a couple of sets reserved for me and Re6/6, in P4.

 

Mr Rogers e-mailed back almost immediately, asking if I'd be interested in trialling a set of P4 wheels. I, of course, replied immediately myself, saying 'yes!'

 

The P4 wheels arrived the following day by first class post! :D

 

Well, the whole job took about 20 minutes, if that. It was ridiculously straightforward... just remove the brake rigging (carefully, with a pair of tweezers), and then unscrew the three screws that hold the chassis baseplate in situ (these are crosshead types, of course, but a conventional screwdriver worked best, as they were very tightly screwed in).

 

Then remove the Hornby OO wheels, tweak the pick-ups out to the P4 spacing and place the new wheels in place. Replace the baseplate and test run.

 

I found it ran well enough like that, but stalled occasionally. I was considering adding a bit more weight, but then decided to give the chassis a bit of running in, particularly to bed the pick-ups in against the backs of the new P4 flanges. This was done by hard-wiring the power to the pick ups and running the loco upside down for 30 mins or so in each direction.

 

The photos then show the results, with the loco posing on Callow Lane. Once the pick-ups had been 'bedded in', the loco ran better, and I don't think I've been able to get it to stall since. The narrower-than-scale wheel treads certainly haven't been a problem. The loco is a lovely, smooth and slow runner on Callow Lane, and hasn't derailed anywhere. I'm really, really pleased with it.

 

When e-mailed my report and some photos back to Ultrascale, I asked what I owed for the wheelsets, but David Rogers most kindly said that there was nothing to pay, as a 'thank you' for my help. Apparently the EM ones also tested out fine, so a pre-manufacturered number of sets were advertised in both P4 and EM, and apparently they have all sold out already...

 

The new wheel sets in situ:

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The pick-ups being 'bedded in' with the loco under power, upside down:

blogentry-57-0-81570300-1393160659.jpg

 

The loco posing with a Bachmann GWR shunters truck, (which I'd also just converted using Exactoscale spoked wagon wheels and a lump of lead):

blogentry-57-0-30499000-1393160706.jpg

 

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blogentry-57-0-73721800-1393160750.jpg

 

blogentry-57-0-63914400-1393160761.jpg

 

blogentry-57-0-84990200-1393160771.jpg

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You ought to remove the NCBOE lettering and replace it with PBA. More suitable to go with a Western Region shunter's truck, perhaps? Port of Bristol Authoirity used this same livery on their Sentinels.

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  • RMweb Gold

Interesting, thanks, but this will actually be a NCB loco, albeit one allocated to a modernised Frog Lane Colliery, near Coalpit Heath. The livery isn't final, but I'll try to make the most of what's there. The shunters truck was merely being tested on the layout, as it had been converted at the same time.

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I was lucky to get a trial set of these in EM and am very impressed. My Sentinel was running on my EM layout at Risex and performed very well.

 

I have now bought another EM set (and a P4 set based on your video).

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I like the Sentinel P4 set,but is it possible to slim down a set of standard P4 wheels with a lathe? I wouldn't touch Ultrascale due to supply problems. Failing that,is it possible to move the side frames out enough to clear w standard P4 wheel? 

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi Catweasel - sorry but I've only just noticed your question. I don't see why you couldn't slim down a set of standard P4 wheels, or even turn down the existing Hornby ones (although I think you'd be left with a brass wheel tread, which I personally don't like). It is also possible to move the side frames out (and it wouldn't need to be by much), but the Ultrascale solution was designed to make it unnecessary. However, a friend has recently bought one and turned the existing Hornby wheels down for EM gauge and refitted them, without having to move the sideframes, I believe.

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