Wheels for a 5 inch gauge battery loco

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Wheels for a 5 inch gauge battery loco

This topic has 7 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 25 January 2019 at 11:48 by Pete White.

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24 January 2019 at 17:42 #392787
Pete White
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@petewhite15172
As above, I have four 16 mm thick billets machined up with axle hole bored true to face.

I started to think about final dimensions and pulled up this drawing. AALS standards, whatever they are. My question was about the back taper 0 – 8 degress being a bit open ended. Then I pulled up a wheel drawing from a mag,for an Atlantic and found it to be quite different, only 9/16 thick including a 1/16? thick flange. Very different !

I have done some google and found nothing to help, I am out of control here, lol.

What should I be doing here ?

With Thanks

Pete

Edited By Pete White on 24/01/2019 17:47:39
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24 January 2019 at 17:42 #9493
Pete White
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@petewhite15172
Dimensions
25 January 2019 at 10:03 #392879
Pete White
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@petewhite15172
Well it appears that 153 viewers don't know the answer, lol, so I did some more research .

I found the GL5 standards to add to my confusion ! …………..the.0.038 tip radius made me smile. I was beginning to think that I was over thinking this until I saw that, serius stuff, ……….or maybe I am over thinking it lol

And then I looked back at the Atlantic details. that 1/16 flange isnt much, but a big radius behind it wth no dimensions or taper………..does it all matter

Pete
25 January 2019 at 10:44 #392894
duncan webster 1
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@duncanwebster1
There is also the SMEE wheel standard, which is detailed in Tubal Cain's workshop handbook, and I think is the same as **LINK**. The profile on your Atlantic drawing doesn't look right. If you want to be adventurous you could use the profile in Dennis Monk's articles in ME some years ago (issue 4189 et seq), but they are a lot more difficult to make.
25 January 2019 at 11:23 #392905
Paul Kemp
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@paulkemp46892
Pete,

Well you have already found the answer – well some of them! There are multiple 'standards' as you have found and THE answer is really dependent on where you want to run the loco, what rail is fitted, the radius of the curves and whether there are any points, crossovers and check rails! If you are intending to run on a raised club track that is just a simple circuit do they have proper rail section (and there are various sizes in use) or flat bar on its side? That being the case you can choose what you want and the back to back distance and the rear profile is unimportant. If it's a ground level set up with points it's a different ball game as the back to back distance and thickness of the flange becomes important as if the back to back is too small or the flange too thick rather than passing between check rails you may ride over them and derail, conversely if too large on the back to back or the flanges too thin the check rails will not provide the guidance and you may still derail because the check rails do not give guidance but if the radius of the point curve is large that may not matter. So the real answer is dependent on where you want to run it! If it is a club it is likely they have a set of wheel standards geared to their track so worth asking. If you are just going to build your own track in the garden then you can pick any standard you like but when you build the track / points you will have to size to suit what you pick! Remember there are also differences between narrow and standard gauge standards!

If I remember correctly there is a decent set of general dimensions on the Ride on Railway's web site that will probably fit most cases.

Hope that is some help. (I did read your question yesterday but thought there would be some railway 'experts' making comment!).

Paul.
25 January 2019 at 11:40 #392910
Perko7
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@perko7
The AALS (Australian Association of Live Steamers) standards for 5" gauge actually have two options, 16mm wide wheels for models of standard gauge locos and 20mm wide for models of narrow-gauge locos.

The profile is suitable for running on either 'proper' Vignole section rail or flat bar rail as often used in miniature railways. The wider flange allows for smoother operation through pointwork built for dual 5" and 7-1/4" gauge ground level railways having a common rail, as the flanges on wheels for 7-1/4" gauge stock are wider and the associated flangeways in the points are naturally wider as well, causing narrow wheels on 5" gauge stock to 'fall in' when crossing the flangeway.

So Paul Kemp is correct in that you need to decide where you are going to run your loco, and make sure the wheel profile you choose is compatible with the track construction it is going to run on.
25 January 2019 at 11:42 #392911
Bazyle
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@bazyle
The Atlantic dimensions will be finescale for use on good quality extruded aluminium track. You want fat wheels with the thickest flange that fits the 5g standard keeping the back to back correct in case you run on track with check rails. When running on steel bar track the flange will wear on the square edge of the rail and you want a wide tread to allow for less than perfect track gauge.

Edited By Bazyle on 25/01/2019 11:43:03
25 January 2019 at 11:48 #392912
Pete White
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@petewhite15172
Well those two answers are exactly what I was looking for, lots of very good points and the link, many thanks to you both

The Atlantic offering was taken from the series in M.E.March 2010, that was the one that didn't look right to me.

I am at the stage of joining a local club, will talk with them.

Thank you for your time both.

Pete

Edit Just saw other two answers which appeared whilst I was composing, lol thank you also gents

Edited By Pete White on 25/01/2019 11:51:04
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