Wickham Trolley

[Phil Parker]

Hoping that someone comes up with a heavy casting to replace the load which not only provides space for a decoder but also allows the traction tyres to be dispensed with.

 

Nothing to stop anyone modifying the top of the trailer to provide extra weight. If you are capable of hard wiring a chip in there, then this bit of modelling won't be taxing.

 

Traction tyres might be more of an issue as they will be on grooved wheels so you'll need replacements. Since this is only a single axle drive, I suspect all you'd gain is wheel spin. You might fit extra pickups, but the 6 already provided seem adequate. Personally, I'll stick with the tyres. At least a spare set is included in the pack.

[Removed a/c]

So I emailed Hattons (my earlier post was more of a statement than a question however) 

 

The reply :- 

 

Thank you for your email.

We are offering a DCC fitting service on the 32-993 Type 27 Wickham Trolley and trailer. The cost would be £28.00 to supply and fit the decoder.

[Pint of Adnams]

Apologies, I should probably have used some smilies in my post as it was meant to be tongue in cheek. If they had achieved such a feat then it’d be a splendid achievement. In general there seems to be a much greater willingness to believe conspiracy theories than to accept what I believe is the truth – that model companies are managed by decent people trying their best and that things go wrong because people are not perfect. I really don’t think that any of the companies are indulging in shady or distasteful practices, I might disagree with them and criticise certain decisions or statements but I certainly don’t think these things are part of a sinister conspiracy.

But you could be conspiring to deceive us into believing that there isn't a conspiracy - and no, I'm not suffering from paranoia (but only for as long as I think that they don't know where I'm hiding, and I'm not even telling me just in case!).

[Derekstuart]

'They' have got to Mr. York. He is now part of the conspiracy.

 

 

 

I have checked with Bachmann – the answer is they were never shipped to the UK so that no return journey was necessary.

 

There was a delay in the manufacturing process which delayed assembly and therefore shipping.

 

These things happen. No conspiracy theory was intended and delays can happen after the necessary advertising artwork had been submitted. Deadlines for advertising are completed well before the editorial pages are and in this case it was too late to change the advertising.

 

[Derekstuart]

I bet that someone has one of these running on a 3v micro motor by Christmas.

 

Finding a small enough motor won't be a problem (and there are people about on this forum who have the skills and equipment to make motors), the problem will be finding somewhere to put the resistor that the micro motor will need. But this has, I believe, been discussed already.

[Andy Y]

Move along; nothing to see here.

[Butler Henderson]

Nothing to stop anyone modifying the top of the trailer to provide extra weight. If you are capable of hard wiring a chip in there, then this bit of modelling won't be taxing.

 

Traction tyres might be more of an issue as they will be on grooved wheels so you'll need replacements. Since this is only a single axle drive, I suspect all you'd gain is wheel spin. You might fit extra pickups, but the 6 already provided seem adequate. Personally, I'll stick with the tyres. At least a spare set is included in the pack.

Um.. no purchase by me then as I have banned traction tyres due to their ability to spread muck all over tracks that otherwise would be clean - noticed that after an exhibition where some tracks were still relatively clean and others absolutely filthy and narrowed it down to where the sole loco with traction tyres had run.

[Market65]

I will not be making a purchase either with it being fitted with the dreaded traction tyres. I have rotten experiences of traction tyres, and I have banned them.

 

Regards,

 

Rob.

[jjb1970]

Traction tyres seem to be a bit of a marmite thing, many obviously hate them but I'm open minded about them and it is notable that European HO modellers appear to have little reluctance to use them.

[stewartingram]

Those dreaded words "coreless motor" have been mentioned too.

 

Stewart

[Removed a/c]

Are traction tires really that bad though? especially in this scenario. I imagine that for most it will be a novelty and is  hardly likely to go whizzing around and around on the mainlines. 

[Derekstuart]

There is an inexpensive solution for those who don't like traction tyres. It is a bit of a new idea but bear with me.

 

Try this: remove them. They don't do that much anyway. Certainly it will then do no worse than a similar model that was made without them in the first place (as clearly some people would prefer anyway)

[cctransuk]

I bet that someone has one of these running on a 3v micro motor by Christmas.

 

Finding a small enough motor won't be a problem (and there are people about on this forum who have the skills and equipment to make motors), the problem will be finding somewhere to put the resistor that the micro motor will need. But this has, I believe, been discussed already.

 

Try going back to my post #200 in this thread, and reading on from there.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Removed a/c]

There is an inexpensive solution for those who don't like traction tyres. It is a bit of a new idea but bear with me.

 

Try this: remove them. They don't do that much anyway. Certainly it will then do no worse than a similar model that was made without them in the first place (as clearly some people would prefer anyway)

My Vitrains 37 has been running for a while now without its traction tyre, unintentional as TBO I didn't realize it had any in the first place. Seems to run fine and can't say I have had any problems with it. 

[leopardml2341]

Move along; nothing to see here.

Not even a Wickham trolley?

[Butler Henderson]

There is an inexpensive solution for those who don't like traction tyres. It is a bit of a new idea but bear with me.

 

Try this: remove them. They don't do that much anyway. Certainly it will then do no worse than a similar model that was made without them in the first place (as clearly some people would prefer anyway)

Fine when the traction tyre is simply fitted over the metal tyre but most are fitted into grooved wheels which need to be replaced. Have done exactly that on my T9 and Schools. Suppose its quite likely that spare wheel sets will be available so it may be possible de-traction tyre this successfully.

[Derekstuart]

Thanks, Butler Henderson. I wasn't aware of that.. I don't think I own anything with a traction tyre (apart from some ancient Hornby stuff from years back, kept for sentimental reasons).

 

I don't quite understand the point of the tyres anyway as they are seldom needed and even more seldom actually work. I am re-wheeling to p4 standards and even with the much narrower tread there doesn't seem to be any problem with lack of adhesion.

[Dunsignalling]

Are traction tires really that bad though? especially in this scenario. I imagine that for most it will be a novelty and is  hardly likely to go whizzing around and around on the mainlines. 

It's also not going to be putting even 1% of the torque through those tiny wheels that a loco pulling a train does. 

 

That's what deposits the horrible mix of muck and material worn off the traction tyres themselves onto the track.

 

Given the light weight and minimal power involved, and so long as one doesn't use a track cleaning fluid that attacks synthetic rubber, I'd be very surprised if one of these caused any real problems.

 

John

[cctransuk]

Fine when the traction tyre is simply fitted over the metal tyre but most are fitted into grooved wheels which need to be replaced. Have done exactly that on my T9 and Schools. Suppose its quite likely that spare wheel sets will be available so it may be possible de-traction tyre this successfully.

 

You may wish that you hadn't !

 

Suffice to say that - from personal, and specific, experience in powering a PW trolley in 4mm. scale - you will struggle to avoid wheel-spin WITHOUT traction tyres. (If you doubt me - try reading from post #200 in this thread).

 

..... and if you succeed - do let me know so that I can copy your methods.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Dunsignalling]

Thanks, Butler Henderson. I wasn't aware of that.. I don't think I own anything with a traction tyre (apart from some ancient Hornby stuff from years back, kept for sentimental reasons).

 

I don't quite understand the point of the tyres anyway as they are seldom needed and even more seldom actually work. I am re-wheeling to p4 standards and even with the much narrower tread there doesn't seem to be any problem with lack of adhesion.

I don't doubt that the motor used in this model would be capable of moving it quite adequately without tyres but suspect that the lack of adhesive weight makes them necessary to prevent wheelspin.

 

The model as sold has to work reliably on track that comes with the same maker's name on the packet but the laws of physics apply in P4 as much as OO. 

 

John

Edited October 19, 2016 by Dunsignalling

[Signaller69]

Further to the other reasons given I would suspect the traction tyres are also provided to overcome the friction from brass wiper pickups bearing on the other, unpowered, very small wheels.

[Derekstuart]

Maybe, maybe not. Who knows. As for my comment about P4- the point I was trying to make was that standard wheel treads are more forgiving than true scale P4 treads, and traction tyres aren't required in P4 so why they  are needed in 00 (normal locos that is, this one is slightly different) I don't know.

 

Is this trolley driven from both axles or just one? Given that it cannot realistically be any lighter than a Tenshodo or Spud or similar, I cannot see how this is going to prove as bad as people are predicting.

I don't doubt that the motor used in this model would be capable of moving it quite adequately without tyres but suspect that the lack of adhesive weight makes them necessary to prevent wheelspin.

 

The model as sold has to work reliably on track that comes with the same maker's name on the packet but the laws of physics apply in P4 as much as OO. 

 

John

[Removed a/c]

Fine when the traction tyre is simply fitted over the metal tyre but most are fitted into grooved wheels which need to be replaced. Have done exactly that on my T9 and Schools. Suppose its quite likely that spare wheel sets will be available so it may be possible de-traction tyre this successfully.

Does it though? My ViTrains is running minus a traction tyre or am I unintentionally causing damage to it? 

[Dunsignalling]

Does it though? My ViTrains is running minus a traction tyre or am I unintentionally causing damage to it? 

If you run it like that for very long before replacing the tyre, the edges of the groove will have worn and the new one won't be a tight fit.

 

You probably won't be doing your track any good, either.

 

John

[micklner]

If its wheels are grooved it must be lopsided too? I had a B1 with traction tyres expired. That didn't go anywhere due to the deep grooves.