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MODELS AVAILABLE
This section details currently available ready to run rolling stock and
their prototypical basis where such information has been found. I have
included full details of discontinued ranges, including the former Lima and Hornby Minitrix offerings in the survey as these will continue to be
available second hand.
To assist people planing to kit-bash their own
wagons I have included details of the chassis provided, all dimensions are
given in millimetres. 'OH' is length over headstocks (length over
buffers is dependant on the buffers used), 'WB' is wheel base, and
'OA' is the amount of track occupied when the wagon is in a train. This
latter figure is intended to enable some degree of planning prior to obtaining
the stock.
If you apply British N standards divide the figures quoted
in millimeters by 2.05 to give dimensions in feet (or multiply by 148 to get
full size in millimeters), if your are modelling to 2mm fine-scale, which is
1:152, simply divide by 2 to get dimensions in feet.
Continental N
gauge models use a scale of 1:160, or 1.9 mm to the foot, the British loading gauge (tunnel and bridge clearances) being
smaller than the continental standards the engines are smaller so the British came up
with their own scale to accommodate the continental loco mechanisms in British
outline locos. One slight benefit is that bogies from
continental manufacturers, with the smaller wheels, look better on Freightliner
Conflats than those produced by British manufacturers using their standard
wheels.
All ready to run items use a variation on the standard Arnold
coupler, and will link up without serious problems. One tip is to avoid curves
of less than 12 inches radius as this does seem to upset couplers from
different manufacturers on occasion.
Peco offer an electromagnetic
uncoupling system for use with their un-sprung Else type coupling based on an
original idea by the well known N Gauge modeller George Nutter. This comprises
a small metal clip which fits on the coupling itself and an electro magnet
which is fitted under the track. Seep have produced a version designed to
operate sprung couplers such as those on Graham Farish and continental models
for which a stronger electromagnet is provided. This is a little more obtrusive
than the Peco type, but is said to work well.
There are alternative
couplers, the best known is the Mike Bryant tension-lock type which was
designed to use a permanent magnet fixed on top of the sleepers but they can be
used with electromagnets. The Americans offer the Kadee coupler, which allows
you to uncouple two wagons over the electromagnetic uncoupler, them push them
further along the track. This is handy in that it allows you to position
individual wagons in locations where there is no uncoupling magnet.
There are problems with all the alternative coupling types, obviously they
add to the cost and you usually need to modify the wagons to carry the new
couplings. In the case of bogie stock this latter issue can present
difficulties. Also modified wagons will not then couple to standard ready to
run items (I am told the American Kadee will couple up to standard couplings
but I have not tried this myself and I suspect it would be liable to fail).
Parkside Dundas have now released a range of spoked, three hole and
disc wheels to fit Peco chassis, these will fit Graham Farish chassis but this
entails fitting them and running the wagon back and forth to free up the
bearings. You may also be able to use these with other chassis however I have
not tried this myself.
Private owner wagons usually had spoked wheels
whilst the railway company stock had in the main changed to three hole or disc
wheels by the mid 1930's. As a general rule steel bodied wagons were all fitted
with discs. Some coaching stock, notably the Graham Farish ex-NER horse box,
were fitted with 'Mansell' wheels, which had a brown wooden centre with a steel
tyre. Having said which British Railways still operated quite a number of
vehicles with spoked wheels as recently as the 1970s, when modelling a specific
prototype it is best to look for a photograph.
General livery
information along with notes on livery modifications and painting and lettering
kits and modified vehicles, has been discussed under Livery earlier, however
any errors noted in the ready to run models are mentioned in the relevant
entry.