Older locos on modern track

One way forward is to modify the wheels to suit current RTR track. I have done this 'by eye' on my older items using nothing more sophisticated than a power drill, a collett made from a nut and bolt, and an old tool stone, to cut down the height and depth of the flanges. Retaining the original wheels maintains the character of the older locos in a way that bushing the chassis and fitting modern replacement wheels does not: but that is another technique that is available.

Reasons for adapting the older locos and stock to current track, as opposed to using older standard track: running is much more reliable, appearance is much superior, when stock is taken elsewhere it will usually encounter fairly modern track. Unless you are able to set up completely separate tracks, going to an earlier coarser track standard to accomodate the older items will cause problems with running some of your newer items: the finer wheels left completely uncontrolled in the larger flangeways derailing regularly on facing points for example.

QUOTE (borsdeganis @ 10 Mar 2008, 08:59) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I have a number of older Triang and Hornby locos such as L1, Sir Dinadan, A1A-A1A, Winston Churchill and the like and they don't take kindly to Peco track and leap all over the place.

What is the best track to use? Does modern Hornby accomodate these larger flanged wheels? or is there some other make?

I also have modern locos such as Merchant Navy, Bachmann Nelson and the like.

Hello.
What type of Peco track are you using ?
Is it Code 100 or the finescale code 75 ?
They won't run on code 75 but they may run on code 100.
I am building a layout at present & before I layed any track I tried some old Triang coaches on code 75 & code 100. They wouldn't run on code 75 because the coarse wheel threads of the Triang coaches wre hopping along on the sleepers but they were fine on code 100 track.

Regards.
Tony.

QUOTE (ben100 @ 10 Mar 2008, 15:37) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Tony
I have a tri-ang princess elizabeth and various coaches and rolling stock, and was wondering wether they would work on code 100 track.
So do you think they would work?
Thanks
Ben

Hello Ben.
As I said above I'm just building my layout at present. What I did was to try some old Triang coaches on Peco code 75 & code 100 track. What I did was to push a coach by hand along a length of rail. On the code 75 rail no way,it hopped & bumped all over the place. On the code 100 they seemed to be all right.
I have now layed a good length of code 100 track,about 10 to 12 feet with points down an incline & I have tried the experiment again with the following coaches all with origional plastic wheels.
R226 Sr utility van. Result No good. Wheels catch on sleepers.
R332 GWR Composite. Result as above. No good.
R427 Caledonian 1st/3rd Comp. Result Ran ok even through points. Even if they all ran perfectly I would not use plastic wheels on my layout so in my case the experiment doesn't matter.
In summary the very old Triang won't run on anything but old Triang track.The newer Triang stuff will run ok on code 100.
My advice to you or anyone else who wants to run this old stock is to either reprofile the wheels or re wheel the items with modern steel wheels. Wheel sets are quite cheap to buy so it may give some Triang stock a new lease of life. On the very old Triang stock the axles are not pinpoint but round. This presents a new problem to which the only solution might be to use new bogies on them. If your Triang stock is of the round axle variety you will have to decide whether to re bogie them or sell them off on e bay. Maybe someone has a way around the problem with the round axles on the very old Triang stock. I don't know as I haven't tried.
Regards.
Tony.

QUOTE (ben100 @ 10 Mar 2008, 15:37) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Tony
I have a tri-ang princess elizabeth and various coaches and rolling stock, and was wondering wether they would work on code 100 track.
So do you think they would work?
Thanks
Ben

I have some experience of these especially the Triang Princess Elizabeth. By and large locos will run on modern code 100 track Hornby/Peco etc. BUT the driving wheel flanges will just touch the sleepers (actually the rail-chairs) and lift just a few 'thou', which is enough to cause an electrical arc which deposits 'dirt' on both wheel and rail. It then only takes about 10 minutes (or less) of running to affect the electrical pick-up and running becomes eratic before ceasing. Unless you like cleaning loco wheels and track I recommend turning the wheel flanges down (and thinning) slightly as mentioned earlier. Replacement wheels for wagons/coaches etc are suprisingly cheap although if it is very early Triang with open axel boxes you will need to find a source of bearings for pin-point axels. Romford do two types.

Regards
David Y

I have been very interested to read all the points made and comments in this topic.... much food for thought raised.
Some of the locos I have are vintage Triang, including a Princess and a "Jinty".....all still give sterling service but I have observed that on some new track (Peco Streamline Code 100) the Jinty with its fat drivers and deep flanges tends to stall at slow speed and I now realize that this is no doubt due to the flanges touching the chairs ( or lightly ' kissing them' !!)
Elsewhere under the heading "00 scale " I posted a thread today in which I made reference to my home made points. These are customised to accommodate all wheels and flanges from the coarse old stuff to even fine scale but I have found that Peco points are equally tolerant of the coarse scale wheels if a flat needle file is gently applied for a few strokes between the stock rail and it's adjacent check rail.
I am very much impressed with idea of reducing the flange height of Triang wheels as indicated by 34C ...a great suggestion.

Regards
Tiebar

QUOTE (Dinwiddy @ 11 Mar 2008, 15:44) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I have some experience of these especially the Triang Princess Elizabeth. By and large locos will run on modern code 100 track Hornby/Peco etc. BUT the driving wheel flanges will just touch the sleepers (actually the rail-chairs) and lift just a few 'thou', which is enough to cause an electrical arc which deposits 'dirt' on both wheel and rail. It then only takes about 10 minutes (or less) of running to affect the electrical pick-up and running becomes eratic before ceasing. Unless you like cleaning loco wheels and track I recommend turning the wheel flanges down (and thinning) slightly as mentioned earlier. Replacement wheels for wagons/coaches etc are suprisingly cheap although if it is very early Triang with open axel boxes you will need to find a source of bearings for pin-point axels. Romford do two types.

Regards
David Y

Hi David.
Do you know what these Romford bearings are called or do you have a catalogue number for them ? If you use these bearings can you use any pin point wagon & coach axles ?
Regards.
Tony.