[coldcarpaccio]

Hi everyone.

Just about to start doing some modelling in 7mm/ft gauge and I am wondering whether to go for Standard O gauge or to go the whole hog and work within the finer Scale7 parameters.

Anyone have any experience of Scale7 that they can pass on. I am curious about whether there are enough resources for a new S7 modeller at the moment, like enough wheel sets and track kits.

Any opinions appreciated.

Regards,

Jonathan.

 

[mikeg]

QUOTE (coldcarpaccio @ 1 Oct 2007, 12:21) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi everyone.

Just about to start doing some modelling in 7mm/ft gauge and I am wondering whether to go for Standard O gauge or to go the whole hog and work within the finer Scale7 parameters.

Anyone have any experience of Scale7 that they can pass on. I am curious about whether there are enough resources for a new S7 modeller at the moment, like enough wheel sets and track kits.

Any opinions appreciated.

Regards,

Jonathan.

It depends wheather you are a good scratch builder as the tolerances are much tighter, if you join the Gauge O guild you will find that scale 7 is very much still a minority section, about 500 out of nearly 6000. The trade support is mainly for finescale but is growing for scale 7. The scale 7 society are having wheels made for them and the range is increasing.

Personally I model in finescale and at exhibitions can very rarely spot an S7 layout from the track alone. There is a faction of the guild that use 31mm gauge for straight track but 32 for curves giving gauge widening to allow better running, seem a lot of work for very little gain unless you have a large layout, which most people do not have room for, my layout is 22ft long by 2ft wide and has a fiddle yard almost the same size reached by a 5ft radius curve, not good but it works, could not have that with scale7 in my information on their curves is correct 8ft recomended, 6ft min.

hope the above helps you make a choice

regards

mike g

 

[JimG]

QUOTE (coldcarpaccio @ 1 Oct 2007, 12:21) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi everyone.

Just about to start doing some modelling in 7mm/ft gauge and I am wondering whether to go for Standard O gauge or to go the whole hog and work within the finer Scale7 parameters.

Anyone have any experience of Scale7 that they can pass on. I am curious about whether there are enough resources for a new S7 modeller at the moment, like enough wheel sets and track kits.

The support for Scale 7 is quite good. Most rolling stock kits will convert to S7 with little or no work - just put in S7 wheel sets. In fact a few kit suppliers like Slaters and Parkside will supply their kits with S7 wheels instead of FS standard wheels.

Track will have to be hand built using components from suppliers such as C&L, There is no ready made track although you can probably get bespoke track made for you.

The main problem can be locomotive kits and wheels. A lot of kits are designed for fine scale 'narrow' standards and when you substitute S7 standards, there's a lot of space behind the wheels. So you have to widen the frames to avoid this, and in a lot of kits that means doing a bit of surgery to achieve this. A simpler way round this problem is to apply something like black Plastikard to the outsides of FS frames to 'pack them out'. Also, with the finer wheel standards, you really need to have some form of springing or compensation on a loco chassis, so you might have to modify a kit chassis if no provision has been made for this. There are components available to allow you to do this and you can use the 'springy beam' type of springing which is probably the easiest way of applying springing.

Loco wheels can be a problem, but the Scale7 Group has commissioned the supply of specially made S7 wheels and two prototypes are available now. There is also a wheel turning service supplied by the group which will re-profile the Slaters FS standard wheels. Slaters also supply washers which will pack out wheels on their axles to S7 B to B standards. If you've got your own lathe, the S7 Group can supply a form tool for wheel making.

Jim,

 

[JimG]

QUOTE (flubrush @ 1 Oct 2007, 16:56) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The support for Scale 7 is quite good. Most rolling stock kits will convert to S7 with little or no work - just put in S7 wheel sets. In fact a few kit suppliers like Slaters and Parkside will supply their kits with S7 wheels instead of FS standard wheels.

Track will have to be hand built using components from suppliers such as C&L, There is no ready made track although you can probably get bespoke track made for you.

The main problem can be locomotive kits and wheels. A lot of kits are designed for fine scale 'narrow' standards and when you substitute S7 standards, there's a lot of space behind the wheels. So you have to widen the frames to avoid this, and in a lot of kits that means doing a bit of surgery to achieve this. A simpler way round this problem is to apply something like black Plastikard to the outsides of FS frames to 'pack them out'. Also, with the finer wheel standards, you really need to have some form of springing or compensation on a loco chassis, so you might have to modify a kit chassis if no provision has been made for this. There are components available to allow you to do this and you can use the 'springy beam' type of springing which is probably the easiest way of applying springing.

Loco wheels can be a problem, but the Scale7 Group has commissioned the supply of specially made S7 wheels and two prototypes are available now. There is also a wheel turning service supplied by the group which will re-profile the Slaters FS standard wheels. Slaters also supply washers which will pack out wheels on their axles to S7 B to B standards. If you've got your own lathe, the S7 Group can supply a form tool for wheel making.

Jim,