I do not machine castings for customers apart from plain wheels for diesel locos.
Different machinists have their own preferred methods of mounting wheels:
Walsall Model Industries can machine my castings and mount them on their square ended, self quartering axles. Insulation where required is inserted across the individual spokes.
Steve Ross uses Tufnol or Delrin hub insulation where required, mounting the wheels on round-ended, telescopic jointed axles quartered and kept in position with a taper pin.
His contact details can be supplied on request - From 27 Feb 2005, due to a vision problem Steve has ceased to accept new orders, for now at least.
CASTING MATERIALS:
Castings for Gauge One and larger when made in cast iron suffer from a small number of random, unpredictable rejects due to crumbling of the ceramic casings for the thicker castings. Test castings in 2024 in mild steel produced a similar amount of rejects, not from crumbling casings but from voids caused by trapped gasses. It is possible that the trapped gasses could be released by making all new tooling with additional offset feeds. Two grades of low carbon steel were tried. Both are harder to machine than cast iron. Steel Grade CLA 1A is the softer of the two but is less machinable and not suitable for form tools. Grade CLA 8 is slightly harder but is more machinable. CLA 8 tyre profiles can be cut with a form tool but with lighter cuts than with cast iron.
For now at least, new castings will be made in grey cast iron Grade 250. It is self lubricating during machining and does not form burrs. There may be some delays if failed castings have to be replaced in a following batch.
RECENT ADDITIONS
July 2024
NE 4-4-2 Worsdell V/LNER C6 at 7 mm/ft.
SR 4-6-0 Lord Nelson at 7 mm/ft.
Oct 2024
GWR 2-6-2T 45 xx Small Prairie for Gauge 3.
GER 4-4-0/LNER D14-16 Claud Hamilton at 7 mm/ft.
Dec 2024
GER 0-6-0 Y14/LNER J15 (Pass) and (Goods) at 7 mm/ft.
GER 0-6-0 N31/LNER J14 at 7 mm/ft.
GER 0-6-2T L77/LNER N7 2,3 (with pony trucks) at 7 mm/ft.
GER 0-6-2T L77/LNER N7 1,4,5 radial tanks at 7 mm/ft.
GER 2-4-2T M15/LNER F4,5,6 at 7 mm/ft.
GER 0-6-0T R24, S56/LNER J67, J69 Passenger and 12 and 15 spoke shunters at 7 mm/ft.
GER 0-4-4T S44/LNER G4 at 7 mm/ft.
GN Gresley 2-6-0 H2, H3/LNER K1, K2 at 7 mm/ft.
March 2025
GWR 2-8-0 42xx at 7 mm/ft. Waits casting.
GWR 2-8-2 72xx at 7 mm/ft. Waits casting.
IN THE PIPELINE
GER 2-4-0 T25, Intermediates/LNER E4 at 7 mm/ft. Waits casting.
GER 2-4-0 T19, Standards. at 7 mm/ft. Waits casting.
GER 4-4-0 T19R/LNER D13 at 7 mm/ft. Waits casting.
LBSC, GER and others 2-2-2 Jenny Lind at 1:32. Waits casting.
GWR 4-4-0 Armstrong at 7 mm/ft. Waits casting.
SR 4-4-0 L1 at 7 mm/ft. Waits patterns.
GER 0-6-0 F58, G58/LNER J16, J17 at 7 mm/ft.
GWR 0-6-0 Dean Goods for Gauge 3. Waits patterns.
Revised 22 March 2025.