Coach wheels

[Caz]

I'm looking for replacement wheels and axles for the Dapol "B" set coaches so that I can fit lighting in the coaches as the existing wheels are not suitable.  I've tried using Farish Mk1's but the axles are too long and lock solid in the axle box, here's their respective axle lengths.

Dapol "B" set axle is 14.76mm
Farish MkI axle is 15.16

Suggestions or alternative ideas most welcome.   

[EtchedPixels]

Do the Dapol Gresley bogie wheels fit as you could then use lightbar ready Dapol wheels from that.

What specifically makes the B set wheels unsuitable ?

[Caz]

The wheels on the B sets have plastic axles (as do all Dapol coaches I believe) and I was hoping to use coupling springs or similar for current pickup from the axle itself.  The bogie wheel base of the B set coaches is quite a bit shorter that the either the Dapol Colletts or Farish Mk1's or I could have used those bogies at a pinch perhaps, I don't know about the Gresley ones as I don't have any of them.

I did look at the Romford wheels (N/092) which are 6.2mm dia (B sets are 6.5mm) but the axle length is too long as they are the same length as the MK1's.   

This problem has been bought about as all my Farish panniers which had their own non sound decoder but with a separate sound decoder fitted in the first coach that provided sound and coach light control by being wired directly from the loco are now being replaced with sound fitted Dapol versions. This will enable me to realistically run the "B" sets with auto uncoupling at either end of their journey and do loco changes etc more easily.

[EtchedPixels]

All the standard axles used in kits and Farish etc RTR are 15mm. Peco are a shade under but plastic so won't help. The other types you can get hold of are mostly 13mm and 12.25mm which won't help either.

Some US ones are about 14 or so but the wheels are too small as well.

If that's the problem then Gresley ones won't help. To pick up off Dapol axles then yes you need to pick up off the back of the wheels even on the lightbar ready ones. The plus side is its easy to pick up off both sides using bent phosphor bronze wire (unlike copper it stays springy)

Stick a couple of small brass screws/pins into the bogie itself  and then use phosphor bronze wired shaped like the old Triang OO ones.

See

http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=9152

for the shape of the sprung wire and how it fits around the screw and wheels


Fiddlier but works far better than axle pickups IMHO.

RoS stock Dapol GWR bogies including autocoach and B set so you can always doctor a new pair and then swap them.

Alan

[Caz]

Thanks Alan, very useful, I'll have a go but mechanical things are not my strong point.  I have seen some pickups on Modellers Mecca & RoS (Lok Sound) which look similar to the pickups on Dapol Collett coaches in that they fit onto the end of the axle, will have to look a bit closer at them as well, picture below.