AS THE COST of replacement wheelsets continues to rise, along with limited availability, the wheel conversion methods employed by ‘EM’ gauge modellers are becoming ever more creative. Every time a brand-new model is released, the design of wheels, powered bogies and current collection systems can differ, making conversion projects interesting to plan and execute.
This article covers the new Heljan Class 47 which has a little twist in having a completely floating middle axle on both bogies which requires some attention if the model is to work on fine scale track.
The conversion of Bachmann third rail slam-door EMUs has been undertaken before and explained in a past article. The previous method used was to completely abandon the stub or end of axle current collection and fit traditional wheelsets and wiper pick-ups. Whilst the Bachmann EMUs are sufficiently powerful to work with friction wiper pick-ups, they are not ideal, and will increase drag throughout the train. It is with the 4-CEP (and similar Bachmann EMU bogie designs) that the workbench starts
