One of our new club members has a lot of Hornby stuff. They run OK on code 83 rail, but not through the trunouts (there are a lot of turnouts on the layout). The wheel flanges on the locomoitves are not RP25 and the lfnages are not only too deep, but too thick.
Are there replacement wheel sets for these Hornby trains?
The locomotives are powered by powered trucks consisting of wheels, gear sand motors assemble as individual truck units. How can these be converted to RP25 type wheel sets?
Both Romford & Gibson make replacement scale wheels for Hornby locomotives. This problem has been rectified on the newer loco drive units.
Matthew
I did not think it was worth converting my Hornby locos, so I am not running them on my new layout. Not sure how old the ones you are talking about are - mine were from the 1970’s. To be honest - as well as the problem with the wheels going through the switches, they did not run nearly as well as the new locos you can buy.
some of them are collector items. The easist ones to convert would be the high speed passenger train unit. he really wantes to convert some of them. to buy new ones would be costly prohibitive. The traoins he has run quite well, the non-compliant wheelset problems not withstanding…
I don’t know much about the value of old model railroading equipment, but I have to ask the question: are they really collectors items or are they E-Bay or Hallmark collectors items?
What’s the difference? A true collectors item is something that retains a marketable value because there really are people out there who have collections of this stuff, and are willing to pay good money to acquire a piece that they don’t have already. Yes, there are always people who are looking to acquire cheap stuff, but if they’re not using it as part of a collection (as in, “Come over and see my collection of Hornby Trains / Matchbox Cars / Beer Bottles / Baseball Cards / Stamps” etc.), then it’s not really a collectible.
An E-Bay collectors item is something that is just old, with no intrinsic value unless someone falls for the ploy on E-Bay. I have lots of Hornby stuff in this category.
A Hallmark collectors item is something that has sentimental value to a few people. Some of my Hornby stuff is in this category because my late father gave it to me. But that doesn’t make it worth anything (they are on my layout as decoration in unused sidings).
I don’t know if there are replacement wheels for hornby locomotives, but your problem is nothing unique. I have the same problem too.