Drop in wheels

Easy to install drop-in wheels for converting N gauge ready to run locomotives to 2mm track/wheel standards. Available from January 2010. These are designed as replacement axles for the N-gauge items, and include control bosses on the rear of the wheels to limit side-play movement. The range initially covers Bachmann-Farish with some Dapol items where it is convinient to produce. The fully assembled axle consists of steel wheels, insulated axles, brass gear wheel.

2FS drop-in, 7.5mm diameter on left, Farish N Gauge original from Class 24 on right

In Production, Check stocks with 2mm Shop 3:

• 3-070 - 7.5mm dia wheel, 16 tooth pinion, outside framed bogies
  • Farish diesel classes 24, 25, 40, 44, 45, 47, 56
• 3-071 - 7.0mm dia wheel, 16 tooth pinion, outside framed bogies
  • Farish diesel classes 20, 31, 37, HST, 55, 60, 66
    (note, not suitable for types with visible external face, such as Warship, Western ).
• 3-072 - 7.0mm dia wheel, un-driven.
  • Farish diesel class 40/44/45/46 unpowered lead wheels (see footnote on diameter of these wheels at base of page). Contact shop for special order 6mm diameter undriven wheel (parts available for manufacture from 1st June 2010).
• 3-073 - 6.0mm diameter, 15 tooth pinion, outside framed bogies.
  • Farish DMU, recent 2-axle drive mechanism, classes 108 and 150/x, require 2 geared axles, plus undriven axles (below).
  • Farish DMU, older designs including 101, 158, 159, 170, GWR "Flying Banana", require geared 4 axles, plus undriven axles (below).
  • Believed to fit Dapol Class 73, but not tested, require 4 axles.
• 3-074 - 6.0mm diameter, undriven split-axle, 14.2mm over pin-point ends for electrical pickup.
  • Suitable for Farish class 108 - 6 un-driven axles required, plus 2 driven axles. Three car unit also requires four axles of 2-217 for centre car.
  • NB. Class 150/x requires slightly different pin-point axle length, this is under development.
• 2-020 - 6.0mm diameter coach/wagon wheel on 15.2mm pin-point axle.
  • Suitable for undriven cars on Farish classes 101, 158, 159, 170, and the centre car of the three-car 108 units.

Under consideration by development team (wait for availability announcement):

• Unpowered pin-point axles for Farish Class 150/x DMU.
• Pin-point split-frame driven axles for Dapol DMUs with "low profile" drive.
• Farish Voyager multiple unit.

Please note that anything in development could be dropped if an unexpected problem crops up, so don't base your plans around a product which hasn't yet been confirmed as viable. Diesel shunters (03,04,08) have an option of replacement finescale chassis kit in Shop 3 (from Jan 2012).

If wanting lots of data on diesel wheel sizes, bogie dimensions, etc, then try the Clag Website.

Fitting Notes - Bogie Diesels:

Check new wheels are clean, if not clean, a quick scrub with meths and a stiff brush should remove any traces of the retaining compound (adhesive). Wheels manufactured since summer 2010 have a revised cleaning process, so should be cleaner than the first production batch.

Dismantle bogie (usually remove keeper plate and side frames as one piece), remove original N wheels, and carefully adjust pickups so they will rub on rear of 2FS replacement wheels. After adjusting, a pair of reverse-acting tweezers can hold the pickups against the chassis whilst the new 2FS wheels are pushed into place. Re-assemble bogie and test run.

Footnote on Scale Diameters of Unpowered lead wheels in Farish 40/44/45/46.

Those with an eagle eye on prototype specifications will note that the 1-Co-Co-1 BR designs had 3ft unpowered wheels and 3ft9in powered. So, prototype scale diameters would be 6mm and 7.5mm respectively. But, Farish' bogie design is not to scale, the supplied N wheels are 6.3 and 6.85 respectively. Having decided to recommend scale (7.5mm) driving wheels, if a scale undriven wheel (6.0mm) is fitted the wheel will hover above the track. So, the recommended "drop-in" solution is to accept a compromise on the lead wheel and fit 7.0mm. A scale solution requires modification to the Farish bogies to make the undriven wheel ride lower; this may be possible, but hasn't been tested by the wheel development team. An unpowered axle with 6mm diameter wheels can be produced to special order if required. Alternatively, wagon wheels with the pin-points ground off may fit.