source of coarse scale O gauge wheels

[sej]

Hi

I'm presently refurbishing a rather beautiful and very old scratch-built O gauge GWR 4-4-0 loco for the widow of the builder. The prototype had 6'8" ish wheels and I could go for Slaters as it needs a new (non-running chassis) but I believe a set of coarse scale wheels would be a much better fit. Does anyone know of a source of something that might do?

 

Cheers

Simon

[GRASinBothell]

Ace Trains offered a City class loco a few years ago. I think that was the size of wheels they had. You could try them (contact details on https://www.acetrainslondon.com/).

However, the locos were actually built by ETS in Prague (https://www.ets-trains.com/), so they might be a possibility.

Of course, those would only work if you are looking at a loco with outside frames. However Ace have offered locos with that size of wheel (like Castles) to, so if they have spares, those would work too.

Gordon

[sej]

Thanks Gordon, I'll take a look!

 

[Nearholmer]

Walsall Model Industries.

 

You will need to decide which of the several coarse standards to follow, which will probably be dictated by the age of the model.

 

Pre c1935, the most common was ‘greenly ordinary 1909’, which is compatible with tinplate track and ‘scale’ track laid to his 1909 standards (wide checkrail clearances).

 

C1935-late 1940s a rather finer version became popular, suitable for slightly tighter clearances, and LMC went even finer, and used even tighter checkrail clearances.

 

Eventually (missing out various other steps along the way) Gauge 0 Guild Coarse came to be the norm from the early-1950s. Wagon and coach wheels to this are still freely available, but loco wheels are a bit specialist, with Walsall being the usual supplier; they will turn to whatever spec you request.

 

Pity not to make it a working chassis, because once you’ve sourced wheels and axles the other bits are easy.

 

Kevin

 

(if you wade through my thread, there are tabulated details of these old standards somewhere in it)

 

 

Edited January 26, 2020 by Nearholmer

[sej]

Thanks very much for everyone's help, lots to think about and discover!

 

Cheers

Simon