FS and S7

BrushType4

Western Thunderer
My local club are building their first 7mm layout and its to be based on a wharf.

I was wondering if we could accommodate s7 and FS rolling stock on the same track by relaxing the back to back. As its a wharf layout with infilled track I don't think it will look wrong. Of course the straight track will be no problem but I'm thinking about the points.

Any thoughts?
 

adrian

Flying Squad
Sorry but I think it'd be a non-starter. Back to back and check rail gauge(? position) is critical so I can't see how you can mix and match them.
 

BrushType4

Western Thunderer
Sorry but I think it'd be a non-starter. Back to back and check rail gauge(? position) is critical so I can't see how you can mix and match them.
Well I'm not so sure. Basically I would be building FS track but at 33mm. The majority of FS wheels will still ride on the track, so the question is, will s7 run as well? I don't think a slack back to back will cause derailments on the points.
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
If you are proposing to use, for example, Slater's S7 and Slater's F7 wheelsets without alteration then what do you propose for:-

a) the flangeway at the common crossing;
b) the check gauge opposite to the crossing vee;
c) the flange clearance at the heel of the switch.

You are going to have to make a change to a) or b) to get F7 wheels to negotiate a crossing... the F7 wheelset is either going to ride up on the crossing nose or hit the end of the check rail.

Without some change to c) a F7 flange is going to have a tough time when running through an open switch, the wheel might run on top of the switch (from the heel) or strike the end of the switch (from the toe).
 

richard carr

Western Thunderer
In theory it could work so Long as the check rail gauge is set for fine scale wheels ie at 30.2 mm. That assumes a 1mm flange thickness.
The problem will be will s7 stock still take the correct route at the crossing nose because the check rail isn't going to guide it.

I don't think that will work somehow

Richard
 

demu1037

Western Thunderer
The problem is the excessive slack in FS, ie 29.2mm b2b (2.8 mm less than 32mm gauge), v 31.3 in S7 (1.7mm less than 33mm gauge), so the s7 wheel wont be 'checked' and taking the right route will be luck

Andy
 

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
Won't work mate :D, a slack btb will cause problems for S7 especially with the finer flanges.
I think it would be easier to convert the F/S guys to S7 :D or even better get the Guild to accept 33mm gauge as "the" 7mm scale standard.

Col.:)
 

JimG

Western Thunderer
As an idle thought, I was wondering if S7 wheels set at F/S back to back, would work on 31.5mm gauge?

I think I remember Brian Lewis using Scale7 wheels on the 31mm variety of narrowed FS gauge but the 31mm gauge track standards are virtually Scale7 minus 2mm, so it made sense in a way but moved away somewhat from the original intention of narrowing the FS gauge. :) But, as Steph says, the S7 tyre width could cause problems at crossings in 31.5mm gauge, but possibly no worse that the finer variety of FS wheels on 32mm gauge. :)

Jim.
 

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Tell you what, I could build to 31.5 and glue plastic card in the Vees:)

I've got some S7 wheels that I shall try on 31.5 to find out.

If the following doesn't produce instant dismissal, I am considering cutting a S7 chassis straight down the middle front to back, and then using a chassis jig to put it back to F/S standards:eek:, maybe using perspex spacers to produce a split chassis. Bodgery at its best:p

Richard
 

OzzyO

Western Thunderer
IIRC someone did build some track for F/S using S7 wheels, I think that the point work was built to 31.2mm. The down side was that most 32mm wheels sets would not run through them because of using S7 standards for the check rails ETC.
 
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