Replacing flangeless wheels on pony truck.

[wairoalbany]

Hi all I am looking at buying the new Hornby Merchant Navy and I was wondering could the flangeless wheels on the pony truck be replaced with a flanged set of wheels?

I foresee myself putting this locomotive on display when not running. So when on display I would like it to have flanged wheels. I don't why Hornby stopped providing both flanged and non-flanged wheels with these steam locos.

Thanks all for your time.

[JJ73]

Can't see why not - I've got mine on display most of the time with flanged wheels - mind you - it did come with flanged wheels - so never been a problem!!! 🙂🚂🚂🚂

[wairoalbany]

Brilliant. That settles it. I know what I shall be buying tomorrow. Thanks for the quick response.

[atom3624]

If it didn't come with a 'spare set' of flanged wheels then I'd be careful.

Some of the new tooling locomotives don't come with them, and some have tried to fit flanged, finding there's no longer room for the flanged wheels - just enough without the flanges.

Background: Most/all 'recent older' Super Detail locomotives came with a spare set, with flanges, permitting the owner the option of changing for flanged wheels, for 'display purposes'.

Al.

[96RAF]

My boxed set MN came with both. A pity the loco couldn’t be modified so the truck could articulate and the flanged set used on track. I know the prototype didn’t pivot, but modellers licence covers bodging it.

[ColinB]

I think Bachmann took a different approach, the pony truck moves from side to side, I don't know if it works any better. The Hornby system seems to work. I think several people on this site have tried changing the wheels to flanged and found that it doesn't work. The new Merchant Navy loco in blue is wonderful although the one in black doesn't have quite the same appeal (my one looks a bit plastic). I have the City of Edinburgh in black and the finish looks tons better.

[Buz]

Hi wairoalbany

Is the flange-less wheel by design or the tyre seperating from the wheel.

If it is by design like the Coronation Scot set locomotive DON'T the trailing truck doesn't pivot which is why its flangeless so it will go round the curves the wheel will also be thicker than normal.

I would rather have the old Triang design of flange-less center driver and pivoting bogies and trucks.

It looks more believable.

If however the cause is damaged wheels go for it and make sure the replacement is suitable and won't cause problems.

That's my 50c worth on it.

regards John

[atom3624]

The now-older Bachmann approach is the fixed Cartazzi / pony truck, apparently slightly bigger than scale to permit floating flanged wheels - works well, and hadn't noticed the moulding to be that much overscaled.

New Bachmann - see the new, yet-to-be-released V2 - has non-flanged wheels on the pony truck.

I suppose if the layout's big enough, radii large enough, all can be flanged!!

Al.