Parkside Dundas slate wagons

[Tony Clarke]

Has anyone fitted bearings to these wagons? I have found that they are so light that when I push them into a siding they ride up on the next wagon's coupling and derail. I have put a plastic slate load in to increase the weight slightly. I think brass bearings would make them run better and may solve the problem but I do not think the axle boxes are substantial enough to be able to do this.

[Isle of Stoner]

I have the same problem so if someone has an answer that would be great.

John W

[Ozymandius]

I have cut and shaped lead sheet (from Eileens Emporium) and glued it to fit below the floor and around the wheels, chamfered at the edges so it can't be seen very easily.

Alas because I don't currently have a layout (building baseboards as we speak) I haven't been able to test run this solution except on my test track - the additional weight helps keep them on the track, they are flighty creatures otherwise!!

Hope this helps

Tony

[Bassendale]

Hi Tony / Hello John,

Yes !
I have a rake of 5 Rodney Stenning Talyllyn slate trucks (same as PD)
and to solve the "poor" running I have also applied small lead weights under them.

I used some from a Fish shop (not the battered variety but the aquarium type)
It was the perfect width and just needed cut to length.
I'll try to get a picture when I get home.

Update: it's called Supa Plant weight and comes in a box of 10 strips;

http://www.supa-aquatics.co.uk/products/aquatic/aquarium-aids-accessories/plant-weights/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003NEXO6C/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B003ZG353K&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=1CT4HK771RS547MK1PQT

Oh, and it was quite cheep,

[Isle of Stoner]

Hi

sounds ideal, I might give that a try. I've also got some Talyllyn wagons which I've used a wire link within the rake but they don't shunt any better so maybe the combination might make a difference.

I'll let you know.

Cheers


John

[Ozymandius]

The Aquatic lead supply from Amazon must be a top tip. 

I recently bought 1m of self adhesive lead strip (from a supplier that will remain nameless) and it cost the same amount (roughly) for 1m.  I think it was intended for making imitation leaded pane windows, which meant it had a slight curve to the outside - which meant you couldn't layer it up very easily.  This stuff seems to be both flat and cheap.

Excellent advice.

Best regards

Tony

[B.Meldon]

This sounds like good stuff and as is common it is even cheaper on e-bay! (Including postage.)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180596226678

Brian Meldon

[Bassendale]

Here's some snaps (I hope)

the first is the packet & the strips;



The use;
the top row are the originals I bought from Andrew Wright,
below are my "copies" with the strips in use;

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6c60b0moqJ5jnpIaGfh7DqaEWAeP7vpr7Dl7GNoHDUU?feat=directlink

having troubles posting pictures, any ideas? please
Stuart

[Isle of Stoner]

Good stuff chaps, just ordered some from ebay. I'll let you know how I get on.

John W

[Tony Clarke]

Thank you for your replies. My original question was whether anyone has successfully fitted bearings. I think the axle boxes are too small to fit brass top hats.

Tony Clarke

[Alan Feldon]

I don't have any PD slate wagons,but have fitted Andrew's 2mm bearings in many different types of his chassis.You will need 2 small drills:-
1) the diameter of the shoulder of the bearing and 2) one smaller the diameter of the cup.
Very gently drill into the axle guard with the small drill first and then even less with the larger drill .Insert the bearing and grip this and the axle guard with a small pair of pliers so the bearing disappears in the guard and insert your axles.
Assuming you have used metal axle wheel sets,if the wheels do not revolve freely,then place the chassis on its side with the guard on a piece of metal and gently tap the top axle guard with a light hammer a couple of times(what you are doing is seating the bearing in the axle guard).It should then revolve freely-if not a couple of more taps.

[Alan Feldon]

One point i forgot to mention/ask Tony is how free running are your wagons anyway?
Before you go to the trouble of buying brass bearings just lightly push the wagons along a length of track-if they freewheel o.k. leave them alone.If not try my trick with the hammer.You will sometimes find with plastic moulding that there is a surplus bit left on somewhere which may produce wheel drag.

[Tony Clarke]

Alan,

They are not very free running so I will try your suggestion to see whether it frees them up. I assumed that the poor running was a result of a metal axle in a plastic hole although I have several Parkside coaches and they run reasonably freely. Thank you

Tony

[Tigger]

The comments on this thread are all very useful.  I've quite often had wheelsets not revolving freely in a number of different kits of various makes - my solution was merely to ease the axlebox with an appropriate drill by hand.  A bit of ballast will indeed keep the lightest vehicles down on the rails where they belong anthough I've not found it necessary because my rakes of slate wagons are never shunted - they only ever get pulled round the railway!  The other thing to remember is that there is far more side-play in any of these these short wagons (whoever the manufacturer is) that the prototypes ever had and this doesn't help with shunting, especially with side-buffered models.

[Alan Feldon]

You sometimes find with plastic moulding that perhaps one of the holes in the axle box is not quite so deep,or there is small piece of un-neccasary plastic (which can easily be taken off).
Despite what i have said about fitting brass bearings ,with the best will in the world,it is impossible to drill the holes horizontally.Therefore if you can get away with it the hammer trick is probably best.
Some of the early kits had peco wheels in a plastic chassis,and again if they dont run very freely ,take out the peco axle and insert a metal axled wheel set and do the hammer trick,after reinserting the peco axles it should run more freely.