A fellow modeler was lamenting the lack of drivers available for the fabricator or kit basher.
Apparently the prototypes didn’t have a good supplier either…
So we bought the kit;
Easier than paint by numbers they said…
1 down 7 to go! If we can get tires, seems that’s the biggest expense.
John
Wow. . . . Thanks for posting.
That’s cool thanks
Gee John, you’ve been digging up some interesting stuff lately. It would be neat to see a picture of the finished product. Looks like it gets a plate covering over the front too, so you won’t even see the spokes. Might be a good way to make a driver for a 1.5" or 2.5" scale project. 1/2" plate would probably be as wide as a lot of spokes would scale in that range. Cool post.
Hey there ya go.
That’s great. I keep looking for driver sources for an F scale project I have in mind. Looking at those photos I’m now considering fabricating them myself.
This seemed like a good place to put these two other Wheel shots…
You’ll notice these wheels are white hot for forging.
Being able to stand to the side is a good thing!
Here’s another example of nothing new, a kit bashed gondola, notice all the car ends…
I love the variety of ends…
Happy Rails
Thanks all for the interesting posts 
Wasn’t there a website that sold drivers in different sizes?
I have been collecting Bachmann Big Haulers to use their drivers for projects. Ok, that isn’t why I started collecting them, but that’s why I haven’t thrown them out. And that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)
I went through my bookmarks, and many of them don’t work anymore. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif)
But I did find Cumberland Model engineering is still up, and they do custom work(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif), but they aint cheap. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif)(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)
http://www.cumberlandmodelengineering.com/index.html
X
Printing centers is feasible, but the tires need milling for true fillets and contour. That’s the rub, 4-8 tires doesn’t justify set up costs…
You might look up ‘Prototyping’ services. If I can find the link (on another puter) there is a shop in central Florida that will 3D print, and do lost wax casting from the 3D print, so what ever you heart desires is obtainable. Pricing is another issue.
John - I am not sure how long a ‘Printed’ driver would last. Resin cast with a metal center and tire might be another story. Have been considering that option for some time, just haven’t gotten into the resin casting part yet…
John is correct. Wheels are not the problem. Tires are the problem. I have some very nice printed drives that are waiting for wheels. I have a source now and he will do them reasonably but most will charge a fortune for one off tires.
I read an article once where a guy turned his own tyres from some metal tubing. The issue he had was the seam where the sheet was fused together to make the tube.
An interesting thread, I thought till now that all driver centers were cast and looking at the fabricated one doesn’t inspire confidence. I have to assume that the disk is welded to the spokes adding additional strength.
Bob “IA3R#7” Cope said:
-snip- Pricing is another issue.
Pricing is the only issue! I have 7/8ths of a casting shop right now, but it isn’t cost effective to hire the electrician to wire it to code. Plus a supply of waxes or plastics to burnout. In jewelery I could shoot waxes for pennies after the vucanizer and waxpot were bought, but printing each ‘wax’ (I can burnout plastic in my oven as good as lost wax) will be too much money.
Waxes are not uniform enough (to me) for precision wheels so a printed wheel adds to the cost.
John - I am not sure how long a ‘Printed’ driver would last. Resin cast with a metal center and tire might be another story. Have been considering that option for some time, just haven’t gotten into the resin casting part yet…
They want to print a steel bridge! Time to update your thinking. methinks.
John
Gary Buchanan said:
An interesting thread, I thought till now that all driver centers were cast and looking at the fabricated one doesn’t inspire confidence. I have to assume that the disk is welded to the spokes adding additional strength.
Gary, many times the driver wheel centers were cast. But they used a wooden master to make the sand mold that the driver was cast in. That may be what we are seeing. But the Boxpok driver were built with box spokes instead of solid spokes, and they were assembled from parts as in the picture, so it may be one of those. The Boxpok driver was lighter then a cast driver, and so they were used on high speed locomotives, where having lighter drive wheels would be an advantage.
Edit, I went back and looked at the picture again. Yes, they are welding the parts together, so its most likely a Bospok driver.
John, I will let you be the first across that printed bridge… I think we have a LONG way to go before that becomes a reality.
Tell you what… I’ll go first, but I’ll need air fare AFTER things cool down over there.
They can print the powder for sintering and my guess will be laser printing soon…
Keying the axle is more important than a center of metal in the resin or plastic wheel. Hartland 4-4-0 Drivers are plastic w/ metal tires.
John
