rapidotrains Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 Hi guys, The factory is asking us for exact wheelset dimensions for OO, EM and 4mm. I suspect this is like them telling us: "Here is can of worms. Please open!" The wheelset back-to-back dimension for HO scale is 14.55mm. This should be the same for OO gauge, if we are using "NMRA Code 110" (2.8mm thick) wheelsets. (That is our plan, unless there is a general chorus of disapproval.) Are EM wheelsets generally also Code 110? I think the factory wants to include EM and 4mm wheelsets in the box, but I suspect that many of the 4mm guys will want P4, which is more worms in the can. I am leaning towards including EM but leaving the P4 guys to turn their own wheelsets using a 1:76 lathe or whatever it is those guys do. One more thing: Are there accepted standard axle lengths as well? Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MPR Posted September 23, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 23, 2014 Hi Jason For P4, the wheel standards are available from the Scalefour Society web-site http://www.scalefour.org/resources/downloads# It might be worth posting on the forum guestbook to elicit further opinions, particularly regarding the target values for the dimensions. http://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=37 Best Wishes Martin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold John B Posted September 23, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 23, 2014 EM Gauge back-to-back measurement is 16.5mm 26mm axle length is standard for EM & P4 conversions.. Thanks for thinking of those of us with wider tendencies! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billbedford Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 One more thing: Are there accepted standard axle lengths as well? If the wheels are running in pin point bearing the axle length should be 26mm, bearing depth, and thus the distance between the frames is a whole new can of worms. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidotrains Posted September 24, 2014 Author Share Posted September 24, 2014 I've checked with our engineers and it doesn't look like 26mm is going to work for axle length. I suspect third-party wheelset providers will need to make custom axle lengths. All that being said, if we include OO and EM in the box, I can't imagine there being more than about three guys out there who would want to run the track on proper 4mm scale track. -Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billbedford Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 Given that the distance over the outside of a pair of RP25 EM wheels is about 22mm you can't us an axle very much shorter than 26mm and still get the coned ends. This is assuming that you are using 2mm ø axles, you will have more leeway if you use 1mm ø ones...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSpencer Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 I see Rapidos own HO wheel sets use a 25.78mm axle http://www.rapidotrains.com/wheels_ho.html Could the 26mm dimension be a rounding up of this figure? Just measured Hornby OO gauge wheel axle and those are about 25.2mm although I won,t claim my calipers were the most accurate in the world! I also suspect these days there are more people doing P4 than EM as the conversion process is probably just as difficult for both. The last and probably only time an RTR manufacturer included an EM conversion pack wheel set was Dapol in the late 1980s, early 1990s for their J94 steam loco (still made by Hornby but not with the extra wheel set anymore). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidotrains Posted September 29, 2014 Author Share Posted September 29, 2014 The great thing about our wheelsets (most of the time) is you can just spread them out to fix the gauge because the axle is separate. I'll see if we can do the same on the APT-E. The only troublesome ones will be on the power cars. -Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gary H Posted October 14, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 14, 2014 JSpencer, on 24 Sept 2014 - 22:55, said:JSpencer, on 24 Sept 2014 - 22:55, said: I see Rapidos own HO wheel sets use a 25.78mm axle http://www.rapidotrains.com/wheels_ho.html Could the 26mm dimension be a rounding up of this figure? Just measured Hornby OO gauge wheel axle and those are about 25.2mm although I won,t claim my calipers were the most accurate in the world! I also suspect these days there are more people doing P4 than EM as the conversion process is probably just as difficult for both. The last and probably only time an RTR manufacturer included an EM conversion pack wheel set was Dapol in the late 1980s, early 1990s for their J94 steam loco (still made by Hornby but not with the extra wheel set anymore). Interestingly, Exact Rails 'scale' wheel sets axles are a little shorter at 25.45 mm according to the conversion chart I used. https://www.exactrail.com/33-natural-nickel-silver-wheel-sets I'm quite surprised that a manufacturer is offering an "in the box" conversion with a model. Surely this would add to the cost of the model and leave a 00 modeller with a set of wheels he doesn't need? Would it not be better for Rapido to offer a set of EM or P4 wheels as a separate item for the model? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSpencer Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Interestingly, Exact Rails 'scale' wheel sets axles are a little shorter at 25.45 mm according to the conversion chart I used. https://www.exactrail.com/33-natural-nickel-silver-wheel-sets I'm quite surprised that a manufacturer is offering an "in the box" conversion with a model. Surely this would add to the cost of the model and leave a 00 modeller with a set of wheels he doesn't need? Would it not be better for Rapido to offer a set of EM or P4 wheels as a separate item for the model? I don,t think it would be worth Rapido selling EM and P4 sets per se as they are not really specialist players in these wheel sets. I think for them it will be an all or nothing scenario, either all sets come with these conversion packs or none at all. Remember Rapidos main market is HO and there aren't many people converting HO CN trains to run on 18mm + track! This explains a lot of discussion for a OO gauge model to readily convertible but left to after market specialists at the start of the project. Note such a decision can influence the design of the open ended bogies making the sides shallower in depth which would reduce their rigidity (we only have to look at Bachmann recent porthole coaches to problems that makes). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gary H Posted October 15, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 15, 2014 JSpencer, on 14 Oct 2014 - 22:13, said: Rapidos main market is HO and there aren't many people converting HO CN trains to run on 18mm + track! Really!!! You do surprise me! STBO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Colin_McLeod Posted November 10, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 10, 2014 With all the EM and P4 talk, lets not forget us OO guys. So long as the train is to 4mm scale 16.5mm gauge and runs on code 75 track without the flanges hitting the chairs, most people here will probably be happy. Hornby, Bachmann and Heljan wheel dimensions run happly on Tillig code 83, Peco code 100 and Peco code 75 so I would expect that Rapido can manage this too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 ... if we include OO and EM in the box, I can't imagine there being more than about three guys out there who would want to run the track on proper 4mm scale track. Well, I suppose Martin Goodall will be trying to use your EM wheels to run on his P4 layout..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kylestrome Posted November 11, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 11, 2014 Well, I suppose Martin Goodall will be trying to use your EM wheels to run on his P4 layout..... Andy Y, can we have a "groan/oh no, not this again" button, please? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.