Self-Assembly Axle Boxes by Colin Edmondson

Self-Assembly Axle Boxes by Colin Edmondson

 

A set of axleboxes designed by the revered Colin Edmondson for use under wagons and light locomotives. Perfect for new-build projects or refitting existing rolling stock, these axle boxes follow the same design philosophy used in the popular Scamp loco and many years of reliable service have proved a testament to the quality of their design.

 

Kit Contents (4 Axle Boxes and  Mountings Per Product) - Supplied Unpainted

 

- Parts to make 4 axle boxes

 

- x4 horn guides (pre-welded by MRW for horizontal version)

 

- x4 horn keeps

 

- x4 rubber vibration mounts (thread to be cut to 3mm length by customer with hacksaw)

 

- 1 fret of 4 rubber vibration mount retainers

 

- 20 x 42 x 12mm sealed roller bearings (4 off)

 

- Required bolts for assembly - mounting bolts to be sourced by customer

 

Available in two mounting methods, either bolted to the side or bottom of a chassis, these kits are supplied as nests of parts with bearing, damper and bolts included (bolts to attach to chassis to be determined by customer, holes are suitable for M8). The bearings are held captive in the axleboxes, designed originally by Colin over 10 years ago, as the answer to the poor quality control often seen in cast take-up bearings commonly used for miniature railways.

 

The horizontal mount option for bolting to the flat underside of a wagon or loco, is welded by MRW before despatch. This therefore means that the kit requires no special or expensive tools to assemble and install. We recommend using 20mm bright round bar for the axles, with wheels from CMD Engineering as per Colin’s recommendation. Parts are supplied unpainted, and whilst the majority of the components are of minimum 3mm thickness steel, we highly recommend painting these to prevent corrosion setting in in the long term.

 

Key Dimensions

 

Vertical Mount

 

Axle Diameter: 20mm

 

Height: 136mm

 

Width: 123mm

 

Depth: 30mm at max points

 

Key Dimensions

 

Horizontal Mount

 

Axle Diameter: 20mm

 

Height: 114mm

 

Width: 150mm

 

Depth: 50mm

 

When fitting to rolling stock take great care to ensure that the horn guides are square relative to each other and well aligned. This will ensure the best performance, reduce the premature wear on the bearings and decrease the chance of binding which could lead to derailments. It is also important to consider wheelbases when installing these products. Too long will cause premature wear to the bearings if curves are commonly traversed. Too short may cause instability. 

 

We recommend no more than 200kg be placed through these products in an even and distributed manner across the item of rolling stock. The product is a kit and therefore the quality of installation and determination of fitness for use is the responsibility of the user. MRW does not take responsibility for this or failure of the product. We strongly recommend consultation before fitting to any rolling stock for passenger carrying purposes especially for public running.