EM Gauge 14xx questions

[dougidle]

Hi All,

After a break for a while I've been experimenting with a bit of EM gauge and built a couple of wagons which I'm about to rewheel. It would be nice to have a loco to pull them and I thought I'd get an old 14xx body and build one of the high level kits chassis to go with it. I've built a few 7mm wagons and I'm fairly happy with the soldering. I do have some questions though that I was hoping someone could answer.

 

The kit instructions say to use Mashima 10/12 or 1424. Is anyone able to explain what the difference is with these please? Is it size or will one give better/smoother running than the others? A quick google suggests that Mashima motors are hard to get hold of now - are there any alternatives please?

 

Secondly, the instructions suggest Alan Gibson wheels and pickups. I can find the driving wheels (4862E) in his catalogue but not the trailing wheels (G4844). It looks like there are several versions of this code available. Which is the correct one please?

 

I've got a tired old body from ebay which I plan to detail and then  attach to the chassis.

 

Thanks for your help,

Doug

 

 

 

[Steamport Southport]

The Mashima codes are the width and length. I can't answer about alternatives as I've not used any. I'm sure somebody will have recommendations.

 

All should be explained here.

 

http://www.highlevelkits.co.uk/motorspage.html

 

For the wheels you need the 10 spoke for GWR. So 4844 without a suffix.

 

 

Jason

[PMP]

4844 plain (10)spoke is the type you need.

 

Regarding the motor Chris at High Level is very helpful, it’s worth dropping him an email as he will be able to advise which replacements are best suited, he can probably supply one too, and which gearbox will be appropriate.

[dougidle]

Thanks both for your responses. 

 

I hadn’t seen the motors page on the High Level site (or realised that they sold them too!) so I will contact Chris and see what he says.

 

Thanks for helping me out with the wheels too. I couldn’t actually find 4844 plain in Alans catalogue but I will contact him and see if he can help me out.

 

Thanks again,

Doug

[Captain Kernow]

Hi Doug,

 

Best of luck with the project!

 

Although the Alan Gibson wheels should be pretty spot-on for the 14XX, it occurs to me that some people may be happier with the Markits type of wheel and the self-quartering features it has on the axle ends. If you're not familiar with the name 'Markits', the design of the wheel and axle is essentially the same as the old 'Romford' type.

 

Markits do a bespoke driving wheel for the 14XX (also billed as suitable for the GWR '517' 0-4-2T).

 

When you speak with Chris Gibbon at High Level, he will no doubt explain the best combination of motor and gearbox. Different motors have different RPMs (and presumably torques, although that shouldn't be too much of an issue in 4mm scale). With the size of the driving wheel fixed, the motor RPM speed and gearing are the two variables that you can control, to ensure that the model runs at the kinds of speeds you want it to.

 

That said, the smaller Mashima motors (eg. the '10' and '12' series) have more than enough power for a plastic-bodied 14XX.

 

[RexAshton]

For detailing the body this is worth a look. I fitted one to an old Airfix body (same as the Hornby model) years ago when it first introduced by Iain Rice. It has eveything you need. As mentioned above Chris Gibbon is you man for motors. The main difference between the 10 and 14mm motors - apart freom size - is that the 10mm ones are much faster which might influence your coice of gearbox ratio particularly considering the relatively large diameter wheels on the 14xx.

[Siberian Snooper]

As an aside, if you're not proposing to use the loco on passenger duties, particularly auto trains you might consider numbering it in 58xx series as these locos were not auto fitted and used primarily on freight.

 

 

[DCB]

Markits / Romford are brilliant if you ever have to have the chassis apart, just undo the nut.  "Fine scale press on wheels never work for me.  Either the quartering  is wrong or they wobble.  The 14XX is a bit tricky for gearing.  On the Culm Valley they seldom exceeded 20 MPH whereas between Gloucester and Standish Junction they were timed at 80 mph.  Personally my only experience of a Mashima is that it was a bit uncontrollable and needed low gearing for slow speed which made it scream its head off on the main line. Power wise as long as it can lift 150 tons, that's 5 Mk1s up a 1 in 100 thats all the full size would normally be called on to do

Edited January 13, 2020 by DavidCBroad