S7'ing Dapol RTR wagons

[Wagonman]

Just today I kind of perfected the method for springing these wagons.

It involves a bit of carving and popping a spring about the existing brass collar in the axlebox moulding and using Slaters standard axles.

If I get a chance I'll write it up.

JB.

Yes please...

 

[Dog Star]

So now I am confused...

This quote from Simon's earlier post seems a good point from which to start this missive

To put some numbers on the table, the standard 7mm axle from Slaters, used for 0-FS and S7 wheel sets, is 1.875" over the pin-points (or 47.6mm). The axles available from Rob Thompson (@S7BcSR) or myself are 1.678" over pin-points (or 42.6mm).

We have had the shorter axle manufactured, in the style of a Slater's wheel set, so that we can use Slater's S7 wheels in the ex-Lionheart wagons which have been re-introduced by Dapol. As of today we do not know if our alternative axles are suitable for the Dapol HAA model... I shall know later this week when some 7mm HAAs arrive from Tower Models.

Well, now I know. The axles in the Dapol HAA wagon that I received today are 45.3mm over pin-points, I can just hear mutterings about consistency. Time to think again in regards to a S7 conversion of the wheel sets.

My HAA wagons are scheduled to arrive on Friday, I'm intending to convert them using Rob/Graham's replacement slaters axles and replacement slaters 3 foot 7 inch coach wheels.

I'll let you know how I get on.

I shall look forward to reading how you convert your HAAs.

Regards, Graham

 

[Dog Star]

Right, so... Back to my conversion, and Graham's request.

Simon, to complete the story please let us know the lengths over axle ends of the Dapol wheel sets.

 

[richard carr]

Graham

So far all I have managed to do is open out the exisiting wheels to the correct back to back.

I'll be test running a few this afternoon.

Richard

 

[Dog Star]

I have managed to do is open out the exisiting wheels to the correct back to back.

Good to know that widening the B2B of the existing wheels is possible, at least the wheelsets can be removed easily without damage to the underframe.

 

[richard carr]

So here's my experience with the Dapol HAA







Here's a finished one with the packaging, the packaging is abig improvement, secure with out being vastly oversized.











The Dapol wheels just pop out easily with out anything getting damaged



The wheel sets are insulated on one side and pressed onto a ribbed axle end on the other and are live ! All my wagons had live wheels on opposite sides of the wagon with the result that under test running the wagons were causing on and off shorts. I had swap them over so that the insulated axles were all on the same side, to avoid this. This will be a problem for finescale too.

To widen the back to back you can move the insulated wheel on the axle but you can't the live side, it is on rock solid, you need a wheel puller to do this.

Here's my wheel puller.





The original part that comes with the wheel puller is solid and presses right onthe pin point, which just then gets flattened, so I turned up this and drilled it out with a centre drill so it presses on the cone of the axle and not on the pin point.











The wheels need moving out 1mm each side, do the live side first then the insulated and check the back to back with a GO gauge.

The wheels just pop back in and rotate very freely. I have done 8 so far and the wagons run flawlessly, being reversed through a single slip and point without derailing. Each axle box is sprung.

These are very good wagons and a relative bargain at £46.75 each.

Richard

 

[Caggers]

Simon, to complete the story please let us know the lengths over axle ends of the Dapol wheel sets.

 

[Caggers]

I'll measure the original, 'old bog standard' wagon axles when I purshase the next one.

 

[NewportRod]

All this talk will be a lot more interesting when Dapol release their nine-foot wheelbase wagons!

 

[Dog Star]

Richard (@richard carr),

Much of the wagon frame appears to be plastic so where is the path between the live wheel on one side and the live wheel on the other side (of the wagon)?

 

[richard carr]

Graham

The chassis is die cast metal and the wheel bearings appear to touch it from time to time casuing intermittent shorts.

Richard

 

[AJC]

Very interesting indeed and at £46 (comparing to £18 for the 4mm version from Hornby which has a number of significant problems; I have a semi-revised one at the bottom of a box awaiting the determination to return), looks pretty good value for such a complex beast in 7mm.

Adam

 

[Dog Star]

Whilst the subject of this topic is converting Dapol wagons to run on S7 track, this post is about carriages, specifically the ex-Lionheart GWR Autocoach.

The length over axle points for the Dapol axles of this carriage are circa 43.0 mm and hence I have been able to use the Thompson/Beare "Dapol-Slaters" special axles (which at a gnat's whisker under 43mm are shorter than the Standard Slater's axle) with Slater's GWR Mansell discs or 3'7" disc carriage wheels (dependent upon period of the auto coach livery).

The "special" axles are available from both Rob and me.

 

[Dog Star]

... I kind of perfected the method for springing these wagons. It involves a bit of carving and popping a spring about the existing brass collar in the axlebox moulding and using Slaters standard axles. If I get a chance I'll write it up.

This is ... nothing more than a set of Slaters wheels and axle, and 4 no. wagon buffer springs..

Where's the spring?

In the top of the axlebox moulding pressing down on the axle bearing bush? What wagon is shown in the photo?

JB (@Scale7JB), you have posted a photo to intrigue us. Richard (@richard carr) and I have both asked for details of what you have done / what you have modified.

Chris Brown (@ChrisBr) and I have been considering possible approaches to the springing of both RTR stock and kits which do not originate in Darley Dale. We think that what you have done may be of direct relevance to some of our current projects (for example:- Minerva covered iron wagon).

Please enlighten us.

regards, Graham

 

[Caggers]

View attachment 92633

Graham I now have the missing axles, as you know I bought another wagon yesterday. Here is a comparison of the wheels supplied against Slaters S7 wheels. The Slaters wheels and axles use the Dapol bearings and fit without adjustment... I'll measure the axle length and finish the drawing later this week.

 

[Michael Osborne]

Can I ask please where you got the wheel pulley from ? It looks a very useful bit of kit.
Mike

 

[richard carr]

I got the wheel puller from here

Cogwheel/flywheel remover Modelcraft from Conrad Electronic UK

It really is very useful

Richard