Outside-frame cranks

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Does anybody know any brands who make outside cranks other than Markits and possibly Alan Gibson? I’ve got a LCDR small scotchman which just sheared the ancient Keyser ones it was using.
 

thanks

Douglas

Edited June 16, 2020 by Florence Locomotive Works

[Barclay]

Yes Alan Gibson make plastic cranks that are a push fit onto the ends of the axle, but I'm interested if anyone does know of another supplier, of preferably metal cranks as I have a distrust of the plastic ones. If you are using Markits wheels their latest cranks look really superb but I'm d@mmed if I can figure out how to use them with Gibson wheels!

[Florence Locomotive Works]

I’ve seen a lot of non Markits metal cranks on modernized Keyser kits, but never been able to figure out who makes them.

[Siberian Snooper]

If I remember rightly, Romford/Markits fly cranks screw on to an extended threaded axle, so the possibilities for fitting Markits cranks to Gibson axles is to drill out the fly crank to a smidgen under the diameter of the axle and try and press it on,  or turn down the Gibson axle ends and cut a thread as per the Markits axle.

 

 

 

[MarkC]

37 minutes ago, Siberian Snooper said:

If I remember rightly, Romford/Markits fly cranks screw on to an extended threaded axle, so the possibilities for fitting Markits cranks to Gibson axles is to drill out the fly crank to a smidgen under the diameter of the axle and try and press it on,  or turn down the Gibson axle ends and cut a thread as per the Markits axle.

 

 

 

Yes, correct. The Markits cranks are tapped 10BA and screw onto the extended axles. I lock the cranks in place with a 10BA nut behind the crank -you can get your quartering right, then nip the nut up.

 

As for turning down Gibson axles - yes, it could be done, but it's not easy. To be honest, given that you can't see the wheels easily in a double-frame locomotive, I'd just use Markits wheels/extended axles/cranks rather than that. Opening up Markits cranks to press onto the Gibson axle? Not quite as tricky, but again, it does seem like a lot of trouble to go to.

 

Mark