Would you model in 21mm if RTR track and models were readily available?

[Mol_PMB]

2 minutes ago, murphaph said:

You cannot currently buy 21mm wheelsets for either IRM or MM locos as far as I know, certainly not from the manufacturers as you can with Accurascale locos. You would need to either extend the axles with bushes or replace them entirely.

The IRM bogies are not a plug and play replacement for the Cravens. At least some modification is required. The original bogies can of course be cut in half and a spacer installed to widen them.

The IRM stock that is 21mm ready is trivial to regauge. Just use a wheel puller to ease the wheels out on the axles and get a back to back gauge to push them back in to.

I believe at least some, maybe all of the SSM kits can be made in 21mm. The Provincial Wagons RTR models that I have are not really regaugable as they are based on GB models. I don't know if the kits are but @leslie10646 can answer that definitively for sure

Many thanks, that's really helpful. Is there a list somewhere of which of the IRM stock is '21mm ready' and which is harder work? 

I've seen some threads on regauging IRM A class and MM 141/181 which don't look too difficult given the right ingredients.

Cheers,

Mol

[DJ Dangerous]

14 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

Many thanks, that's really helpful. Is there a list somewhere of which of the IRM stock is '21mm ready' and which is harder work? 

I've seen some threads on regauging IRM A class and MM 141/181 which don't look too difficult given the right ingredients.

Cheers,

Mol

 

Everything from IRM that's not on the "Ballast" chassis is 21mm-friendly.

The first run of Ballasts needed to be cut and widened to go 21mm.

The second run of Ballasts, and everything else on that chassis, can bewidened by filing the insides of the frames.

Haven't tried it myself, but there was a video interview of @Garfield and @Warbonnet a few years ago where they were asked about it.

[Mike 84C]

I have a couple of SSM vans, deffo; ok for 21mm, mine look a bit narrow gauge on 16.5mm. Only downside I think is they are whitemetal and very heavy.

[Mol_PMB]

11 minutes ago, DJ Dangerous said:

 

Everything from IRM that's not on the "Ballast" chassis is 21mm-friendly.

The first run of Ballasts needed to be cut and widened to go 21mm.

The second run of Ballasts, and everything else on that chassis, can bewidened by filing the insides of the frames.

Haven't tried it myself, but there was a video interview of @Garfield and @Warbonnet a few years ago where they were asked about it.

So, the "ballast" chassis is presumably the 1960s/1970s 12'0" wheelbase 20t vac fitted chassis as also used on the following prototypes (not sure if IRM have made all of these):

• Plough vans
• Cement bubbles
• 4-wheel flats 25436-25982 and 27101-300
• Barytes opens
• 4-wheel zinc ore opens
• Oil tanks 26570-89, 26628-31, 26723-28 and 26730-40
• Magnesite hoppers
• Dolomite hoppers
• Pallet cement wagons

Which might explain why some people are hoping for 21mm-ready cement bubbles in future?

Cheers,

Mol

 

 

[murphaph]

I'm pretty sure @Garfield said that all the "ballast chassis" based models were complete with the release of the magnesite wagons.

[Garfield]

Pallet cements, etc. ran on different chassis.