Spoked Driving Wheels

[BrownMouse]

Greetings!
I have recently come to the conclusion that if I want a decent HO 4-4-0 I will have to build it myself. Accordingly, I am busy gathering the information (plans, suppliers, etc.) necessary.

One thing I have not found so far is driving wheels. Do any of you know a source for 1860-80 era spoked driving wheels, other than cannibalizing another model?

 

[Russ Bellinis]

I think the most likely source would be English Model Railroad Supply at www.bowser-trains.com. They sell the drivers used in their Bowser locomotive kits. I don't think they make a 4-4-0, but would the drivers from the Pennsy E-6 work?

 

[jim currie]

don't know if model power is selling parts of the old mantua line but they has some nice older looking spoked drivers.

 

[doctorwayne]

Bowser is probably your best bet, their catalogue shows lots if possibilities. If you're near a well-stocked hobby shop, preferably an older one, you might find some Model Die Casting / Roundhouse drivers. You used to be able to buy anything they made direct from MDC, but Horizon doesn't seem to be doing this at this time. I did hear somewhere that this may change, but who knows when; it took them almost 3 months to answer a letter, SSAE and all.
There's also a company called Greenway Products ( www.greenwayproducts.com ) (sorry, I'm not familiar with doing the link business; computer newbie). The latest ad that I can find for them is in the December 2004 RMC. They look good in the photo, lots of different sizes, but pretty pricey at $18.00 per driver set. Hope this is of some assistance.

 

[BrownMouse]

Well, thanks. Unfortunately, drivers from Mantua are not available, and I don't think that either Bowser or Greenway will do either, although Greenway's 56" with a "straight counterweight" might do, depending on what a straight counterweight is. (why don't they give a picture, I wonder...) The problem is the counterweights. The crescent shaped counterweights only came in around 1890 on more modern styled locomotives. Previously, counterweights looked more like a quarter-donut or curved rectangle. A crescent-style counterweight on a 1860's loco would look really bad, I think.
I am looking at these http://www.scalelink.co.uk/acatalog/Locomotive_Driving_Wheels_.htmlhttp://www.scalelink.co.uk/acatalog/Locomotive_Driving_Wheels_.html They're from Britain, but the guage is the same, they closely correspond with 54" (16mm) and 62" (18mm) HO drivers, and I can add my own counterweights. The only thing I don't really like is that they don't have that teardrop shape connecting the axle and the rod holes.

 

[hminky]

Try this Alan Gibson in England. I have bought his S scale drivers and they are nice.

http://www.scalefour.org/ag/index.htm

Most American drivers will be too thick at the axle.

Just a thought
Harold

 

[sumpter250]

You might also try:
www.greenwayproducts.com/
Pete

 

[BrownMouse]

Well, thank you all. I think I will go with Alan Gibson's wheels.