jamiepage
Western Thunderer
A set of Slaters G3 wheels, which were to hand, have been modified to better represent this prototype.
The wheels are very good representations of those fitted to small Ruston and Hornsby diesel locos. For this loco however, the dished appearance needed unfortunately to be modified to a flat simple disc, four lightening holes needed filling in, and importantly, crankpins fitted.
A brass disc was let into the rear face of each wheel with 24hr Araldite; a generous quantity of glue was used to fill any voids between brass disc and the dished wheel centre as supplied.
Once dry, the front face was also flooded with Araldite, holes and all.
When fully hardened, the rear face was cleaned up and the front face turned with a round nosed tool to look more like the prototype. The Araldite turned quite nicely.
The photo shows some paint flooded on to highlight imperfections requiring filling.
Pads cut from 1/4 in. brass rod were then made up with ends reduced and threaded M6 for 2mm. Overall length of each pad matched the wheel's tyre width.
The wheels were then set up in turn, on a simple jig (to maintain quartering), and each drilled through, the brass disc tapped M6, and the Araldite/ plastic bits opened out to 1/4in. dia. (A quick plunge with 1/4in end mill did the job).
The pads were threaded onto the brass disc, again with Araldite to secure.
Finally, and again when fully dry, the wheels were returned to the jig and the pads drilled and tapped for Slaters crankpins.
The pads could have been drilled/ tapped for crankpins before mounting on the wheels but it seemed logical to mount the pads first then drill/ tap, to reduce the possibility of things drifting off register.
Again this photo shows the wheel blown over to show up imperfections.
I really don't know whether the original wheels did have this sort of round pad arrangement but it is feasible- and will be largely hidden by coupling rods anyway.
The wheels are very good representations of those fitted to small Ruston and Hornsby diesel locos. For this loco however, the dished appearance needed unfortunately to be modified to a flat simple disc, four lightening holes needed filling in, and importantly, crankpins fitted.
A brass disc was let into the rear face of each wheel with 24hr Araldite; a generous quantity of glue was used to fill any voids between brass disc and the dished wheel centre as supplied.
Once dry, the front face was also flooded with Araldite, holes and all.
When fully hardened, the rear face was cleaned up and the front face turned with a round nosed tool to look more like the prototype. The Araldite turned quite nicely.
The photo shows some paint flooded on to highlight imperfections requiring filling.
Pads cut from 1/4 in. brass rod were then made up with ends reduced and threaded M6 for 2mm. Overall length of each pad matched the wheel's tyre width.
The wheels were then set up in turn, on a simple jig (to maintain quartering), and each drilled through, the brass disc tapped M6, and the Araldite/ plastic bits opened out to 1/4in. dia. (A quick plunge with 1/4in end mill did the job).
The pads were threaded onto the brass disc, again with Araldite to secure.
Finally, and again when fully dry, the wheels were returned to the jig and the pads drilled and tapped for Slaters crankpins.
The pads could have been drilled/ tapped for crankpins before mounting on the wheels but it seemed logical to mount the pads first then drill/ tap, to reduce the possibility of things drifting off register.
Again this photo shows the wheel blown over to show up imperfections.
I really don't know whether the original wheels did have this sort of round pad arrangement but it is feasible- and will be largely hidden by coupling rods anyway.