Hornby Railroad Class 73 wheel flanges

[Phil-Essex]

Hello, I have received a Hornby Railroad GBRF liveried Class 73 R3911 as a present however it appears that the wheel flanges on this model are too deep for my Peco code 75 concrete sleeper track work with the flanges running along the chairs. Is there anything I can do to remedy this, new wheels?

 

Thanks!  

Edited November 3, 2021 by Phil-Essex
clarifying track work

[Going Spare]

I would have expected current Hornby to run ok on code 75 but Ultrascale offer a finescale replacement non-tyred wheelsets pack.

[dasatcopthorne]

Yes.

 

I have found a number of the ex-Lima products have retained deeper, but not as deep, flanges. I believe it's because there is no radius between the flange and the tread.

 

Check the axle size and possibly fit something from Alan Gibson.

 

Dave.

[pete_mcfarlane]

Alan Gibson do indeed do a rewheeling pack for the Hornby 73 (which has a different motor bogie from the Lima ones so the Ultrascale Lima conversion packs don't work).

 

It's sold as an EM Gauge conversion pack, but you can use it in 00 by either putting the wheels onto the existing Hornby OO axles, or using the EM axles with the wheels set to OO. 

[Phil-Essex]

Thanks for the information all. I will have a look at the Alan Gibson wheels. 
 

Really didn’t expect this to be an issue though!

[08221]

Wonder if it’s worth trying a set of the replacement wheel sets from Peters Spares.

 

They have transformed the running of a few of my Lima locos on my OO-SF layout 

 

 

[Going Spare]

The Ultrascale pack I referred to is for the Hornby version of the 73, not the original Lima model.

[Halvarras]

I find this problem a bit odd on a recent Hornby Railroad model, so I'll ask what may be a really stupid question, just in case - this IS a Hornby body on a Hornby chassis, and not a Hornby body on a Lima chassis - right? Because there has been an awful lot of swappin' goin' on! (I have two Lima bodies on Hornby chassis, bought them that way.)

[Phil-Essex]

It’s the Hornby Railroad Plus model purchased brand new and has a DCC ready chassis. Runs fine in my fiddleyard which is Peco code 100 and does run along the code 75 on the scenic section but rumbles along on the chairs/pandrol clips.

 

I see Ultrascale have replacement wheelsets available in brass or nickel silver, not sure which is better to be honest https://www.ultrascale.uk/eshop/products/view/CAT007/392 

[Phil-Essex]

Went to purchase the nickel silver wheels from Ultrascale however at checkout it states the delivery lead time is 8 months! Have to look at alternatives or maybe stick the loco on eBay

[Phil-Essex]

Took the wheelsets out for a close inspection and ran each down a length of concrete sleepered code 75 and it appears that the wheel with the traction tyre is the one hitting the pandrols as the profile is flat. I've added an additional traction tyre to each and wheel and this seems to provide just enough clearance.

 

It's running around the layout now and negotiating the points with no issues so fingers crossed that's sorted it. Need to figure out how to add lights now...

[Halvarras]

That's an interesting discovery, and an unlikely fix - but if it works, then it's fixed!

[DCB]

Is the original problem just undersize traction tyres?  It sounds like a quality control problem. I am doing my best to rid my layout of traction tyres but it is difficult when the drive gear is moulded into the wheel centre as in many Lima and Hornby power chassis.

[SRman]

On 26/11/2021 at 01:41, Phil-Essex said:

Took the wheelsets out for a close inspection and ran each down a length of concrete sleepered code 75 and it appears that the wheel with the traction tyre is the one hitting the pandrols as the profile is flat. I've added an additional traction tyre to each and wheel and this seems to provide just enough clearance.

 

It's running around the layout now and negotiating the points with no issues so fingers crossed that's sorted it. Need to figure out how to add lights now...

 

That's interesting. Glad you have figured out the cause.

I have been re-chassising (is that a real word?) all of my Lima 73s with Hornby chassis and motors, and haven't struck that problem. Although I don't have any concrete sleepered track, I do have some code 75 wooden sleepered track and some of the Peco bullhead track, and have not encountered the problem with any of the Hornby chassis - there are currently 11 of them.

Among the spares available, there are wheelsets from Hornby that don't have the traction tyres. If you could get hold of them, you would most likely need to add more weight, but it would probably be a better long-term solution than having double traction tyres.

Another possibility would be to file down the offending flanges. they do not have to be perfectly concentric because the loco is not running on the flanges (except, apparently on concrete track!!  ).

[Phil-Essex]

So in the end the double traction tyres didn't work out so well with the second tyre being spat out regularly. So today I plucked up the courage and took a Dremel to the flanges and this seems to have done the trick. Hopefully that has sorted the issue permanently.

 

Quite shocked at how little pulling power this model has though. It will spin its wheels to a stop on my third radius curves pulling anything longer than three coaches. Will try adding more weight.