20-Sep-2008 17:46

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The CPL fully sprung bogie kit comes in a flat pack envelope containing etches and very comprehensive instructions, including excellent diagrams.

They look complicated but in fact are quite simple to put together, provided one reads the instructions first.  You do however need some additional items not provided; piano wire of different gauges for the springs, some 8 & 10 BA nuts and bolts and wheels.  The units are designed to take cosmetic side frames that are fixed to an outer brass frame while the wheels, with cut down axles, run in inside bearings.

The kit will make up into any size of bogie from 6' to 11' in 6 inch increments however, there is a way also to produce 3 inch increments.  Springing is attained both for the axles and bolsters and the ride height can be adjusted after the bogie is fitted.  The bogie pin on the coach chassis is simply an 8BA bolt soldered in place.

This fold-up base frame is the basis upon which the whole system works.  The slots allow one to produce bogies with a wheel base between 6 to 11 foot centres in 6 inch increments.

Most of the parts have been assembled on the basic frame with some temporary guitar wire as the first set of springs in the absence of piano wire.  The size has been set here for a 9' wheelbase.  The horseshoe shaped fitting on top are the locating holes for the bolster springs.

The same unit upside down with the wheels temporarily dropped in.  The two bolt heads hold the clamping plate for the wheels springs.  the instructions suggest 12BA but the holes are quite large and I found that 10BA was both easier to fit and less fiddly to use.  Once one is ready to fit the wheels permanently, it is a simple matter to solder some 0.5mm wire across the bearings.

Right side up with the wheels in temporarily.

These two pictures shew the parts for springing the wheels ready for assembly and a part assembled bogie with both wheel and bolster springs fitted.

The completed bogie with bolster plate resting on top.  This is held between the bogie and a toothed device to allow setting the right height as shewn in the next picture.  The bogie itself is held in place with an 8BA nut.

Bogies fitted to an underframe.  The first without side frames fitted to shew how the parts go together and the two sets of piano wire springs.  The second is ready for the body (to push the axles boxes down) and painting.

An excellent kit of parts that makes up into a robust unit that will support quite heavy weights (this carriage is in excess of 2lbs) depending upon what gauge of piano wire is used.  It is not beyond that ability of anyone with a modicum of experience in etched brass construction.  My only concern is the potential to wear out the journals rather rapidly.  However, time and running will answer that question.

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