Subject:
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Re: Question on Train Wheel Diameter, Minifig Scale
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Mon, 18 Apr 2005 16:32:19 GMT
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Viewed:
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1816 times
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> > In lugnet.trains, Tim David wrote:
> > >
> > > Standard gauge Track 4' 8 1/2" = 1435mm
> > > Lego track = 38mm
> > > Thus Lego track is about 1/37.8 scale
> > >
> > > Lego wheel = 18mm diameter
> > > At 1/37.8 scale this scales to be about 640mm = or 2' 2 3/4"
> > >
> > > In the UK at least a standard wagon (truck) wheel is in the 3'2" region, with
> > > coach and loco wheels bigger so the Lego wheel is pretty undersize compared to
> > > the track, at least for the average vehicle. (you do get low ride-height
> > > vehicles with small wheelsets) However the overscale flanges (should be about
> > > 2mm as opposed to the 4mm that they are) on the Lego wheels do make them seem
> > > considerably bigger than they are so you can get away with it without it LOOKING
> > > too out of proportion.
SNIP
In lugnet.trains, Larry Pieniazek wrote:
> The prototype measures from the inside edge, IIRC since rail cross sectional
> dimensions vary.
>
> I agree that the wheels are under-diameter in relation to track gauge (Working
> some US numbers: a typical US non low profile freight car wheel might be 36"
> which is 3 feet, the (US) track gauge is 56.5" or 4' 8 1/2" (UK is 4' 8" IIRC)
>
> However other toy systems (Lionel O 27 for example) suffer from the same
> problems (underscale wheel diameters, overscale flanges) if I am not mistaken.
>
> Interesting topic.
>
> ++Lar
Tim/Lar/John thanks for the info. I suspected the wheels were undersized.
Ignoring the track, I'm curious now which ratio is more prototypical: LEGO
wheel-diameter to 6-wide locomotive/rolling-stock or LEGO wheel-diameter to
8-wide? I guess this could vary around the world and across equipment, but I'm
most curious about modern North American stuff.
I'm thinking that wheel diameter is one of the main constraints on LEGO train
modeling, although perhaps less discussed than the track gauge and the curve
radius. I suspect the wheel diameter has a dominant effect on a designer's
sense of "looks right" when they set the height of their models, even if they
aren't thinking it.
I also think that the wheel diameter would start looking wrong sooner than
track-width as someone increases the size of their models. With my hypothetical
of building a freight car for transporting the Ferrari Truck, I would think the
wheel size would look wrong before the track-width would. Of course you could
model some sort of low profile piggy-back car with smaller diameter wheels but
then whatever locomotive you designed to pull it would not be able to have
wheels that look right.
Alternately you could build a steam locomotive, in which case you can use larger
non-LEGO-train-specific wheels for the drivers. This leads me to my next
question: Has anyone ever considered a way to design larger wheels into a
modern diesel-electric or electric locomotive using some non-train wheels
aesthetically and then hiding the standard train wheels inside some
undercarriage detail just to keep it on the tracks? I'm thinking of the tricks
folks use for steam locomotives.
Has the topic of alternate train wheel diameters ever come up in discussions
with TLG? (besides in the context of asking for steam drivers)
Thanks to all for considering my questions. I've been thinking about this topic
for a while but never found time to ask.
Regards,
Paul
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Question on Train Wheel Diameter, Minifig Scale
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| (...) The ferarri truck is six wide, IIRC. So an 8-wide car would look best IMO. (...) (This point has already been brought up by ROSCO at JLUG, but I'll say it again here.) The small BBB wheels would look good enough for disels/elctrics, although (...) (20 years ago, 19-Apr-05, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: Question on Train Wheel Diameter, Minifig Scale
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| (...) In most of my engines I use wheels that do the functional job, leaving the aesthetics to the facias on the bogies. The Peak is a good example: (URL) Each bogie has 4 wheelsets, the middle 2 being the motor, the inner ones a 9V wheelset and the (...) (20 years ago, 19-Apr-05, to lugnet.trains, FTX)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Question on Train Wheel Diameter, Minifig Scale
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| (...) The prototype measures from the inside edge, IIRC since rail cross sectional dimensions vary. I agree that the wheels are under-diameter in relation to track gauge (Working some US numbers: a typical US non low profile freight car wheel might (...) (20 years ago, 18-Apr-05, to lugnet.trains)
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