HOW TO REPLACE WHEELS ON OLDER MODELS
While many models from my younger days have long-since been retired, I still have a few Lima and Hornby locomotives that I’m especially fond of. Some of Lima’s late 1990s releases don’t even look too out of place beside more contemporary products, especially after some extra detailing work.
I’m not in a hurry to dispose of some of my traction fleet due to the amount of work that went into upgrading their looks. Furthermore, they’re all still decent runners. Emitting a satisfying growl and a distinctive smell, those Lima ‘pancake’ motors are simple to maintain. Plus, as many modellers of my age will attest, finding a sweet-running example could be akin to finding a golden ticket in a Willy Wonka chocolate bar! So, parting with them is not easy.
The big drawback of these models, however, is the reluctance of their chunky wheels to negotiate live frog points without causing short circuits – extra frustrating on DCC layouts. Also, the large wheel flanges inevitably rattle over the chairs of Code 75 track. To address this, a cheap and easy means of upgrading the wheels has just been launched by Peter’s Spares.