colmflanagan Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 I've just begun a project to build a number of these kits, they'll actually be "converted" to Northern Irish Belfast & Northern Counties (later MR NCC) style coaches, by "cutting and shutting" the sides. Not 100% accurate but close enough for my purposes. My query is this: the plastic wheels supplied with some of the kits have a lot of "flash" on them, and I am considering replacing them with metal ones. Can anybody help with what metal wheels and bearings would suit best to re-wheel the bogies? I'm using Peco Code 100 track. I expect this would improve running. Has anyone experience of doing this? Colm Flanagan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 Colum I asked a similar question a couple of nights ago. I brought a rake of 5 Ratio MR Clearstories with P4 wheelsets. Knowing the length P4 modellers go to so running is near perfect, I ignored a series of wires in the bogies thinking they were a form of compensation. They were there to stop the wheels falling out!! The bogies will benefit from metal wheels if only to add extra weight. Whilst on the weight subject my coaches have had added 50 grams of lead strip added to the floor in between the 2 bogies. Romford wheels are metal, but I brought a set of Bachmann SR bogies and these have metal wheels and they are quite heavy. So a packet of these might be good value. Without pinpoint bearings my older Romford wheels fit, with the wasted (smaller) bearings then modern wheels fit I think most people change the plastic wheels that are supplied in the kit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted September 18, 2010 Share Posted September 18, 2010 Get rid of plastic wheels on sight. The new Hornby ones are very good and relatively cheap. With pinpoint bearings you'll get much better running and far less gathering and spreading of dirt. That's if the plastic ones are even round.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Traxson Posted September 18, 2010 Share Posted September 18, 2010 Get rid of plastic wheels on sight. The new Hornby ones are very good and relatively cheap. With pinpoint bearings you'll get much better running and far less gathering and spreading of dirt. That's if the plastic ones are even round.... The Hornby wheels are very good but check the back to back before using them, as all the ones I have used are 14.2mm and they run much better when reset to 14.5mm, particularly if you are using code 75 track with finer flangeways. That said it is only a difference of turning good running to excellent! I've found Gibson Waisted bearings (code 4M63W) the best for using in the 'Ratio' bogies as they need less depth of cleaning out of the bearing holes than standard top hats with less chance of going through the front of the axlebox whilst doing it. Phil Traxson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlislecitadel Posted September 18, 2010 Share Posted September 18, 2010 Hi Colm, Forget about using the plastic wheels. I've used Jackson coach wheels in both the LNWR and Midland ratio kits and also some of the new Hornby ones in an LNWR model. Just fit brass bearings and they will be fine. Out of interest which NCC types are you tring to model? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colmflanagan Posted September 18, 2010 Author Share Posted September 18, 2010 thanks for all the useful info: I'll try the Alan Gibson bearings and mansell wheels for the first couple then maybe save a bit of cash and use Hornby for the later ones! One coach will be an all third using the two "compartment" sides from the ratio third, another will be a "saloon" using the "corridor sides", then a brake composite with guards compt moved to the end. None of them exact but they should look reasoably "BNCR -ish". I have a converted Ratio Johnson MR loco as BNCR/MRNCC 4/4/0 compound No 62 to pull them. Here she is pulling a Hornby clerestory on my layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Colin_McLeod Posted September 21, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 21, 2010 Hi Colm Nice picture. I take that the bridge is the Bleach Green Viaduct. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colmflanagan Posted September 22, 2010 Author Share Posted September 22, 2010 Hi Colm Nice picture. I take that the bridge is the Bleach Green Viaduct. Not intended to be an exact model of it but i wanted to try a "concrete viaduct" in that general style! Colm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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