Triang Royal Mail Wagon Wheel Axle's too short

[Smudge617]

I've discovered a Triang Royal Mail wagon in a box of odds and sods I was given by a friend, (the one with the two levers underneath that operate the pickup/offload system) it's in good condition, and I would like to use it on my layout, unfortunately it has plastic wheels which I hate, and they have something I can only describe as a half shaft on each wheel that cover the axel and when removed simply slide off the axle, the axle itself also has blunt ends and not needle points, so I am assuming this is an very early model. I would like to fit metal wheels but the usual sets I use (R8096) don't fit, as the axle length is too short. I've tried the 14.5mm wheels as well, their also too short. I've tried looking online, but the description only gives me the wheel diameter not the axle length, Does anyone know which wheels would fit.

Thanks.

[Pete172]

I think you need to use some brass pinpoint bearings, those will allow you to fir modern metal wheels with pointed axles. There are various fitting details on the web, for example :-

Replacing old Triang Wheels | Platform1mrc.com

 

Hope this helps, let us know how you get on.

[Smudge617]

Thanks, brilliant video, definately know what I have to do, ordered the bearings, I'll post you how it works out. Thanks again

[ColinB]

I have one of these that I modified. The solution is much easier than adding brass bearings. What you do is take the plastic wheels off but keep the orginal axles. Now go and buy Hornby replacement wheels of the right size (Hornby ones seem to be the only ones that work). Now pull the new wheels off their Hornby axles and push them onto the saved old axles. It is a bit of a push but they will fit. I did this with my Royal Mail Coach and my Triang EM2 where I was replacing the wheels on the dummy bogie. Much easier soloution than messing around with bearings, I tried the replacement bearing thing doing that on my other Triang EM2 and it was much more difficult as it is not that easy to get the drill square with the bogie.

[Rana Temporia]

Be careful when removing the original axles, the plastic may have gone brittle. I have done this on a number of old Tri-and coaches and on some the bogies have disintegrated as soon as they have been put under any strain. Others have been fine and there doesn't seem to be any rule of age of the coaches.