Grovenor Sidings, Railway Modelling Pages by Keith Norgrove
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Masokits Pin-point sprung bogies

Michael Clark introduced these bogies at Scaleforum 1999 and I bought a pair to try out on an LMS 42ft. luggage van found on the bring and buy stall.

The packet has comprehensive instructions along with the etched fret and parts for completing the spigot and springs.

Etched fret

Additional parts needed are wheels, bearings and cosmetic sideframes to taste. Wheels and bearings I had in stock, a set of sideframes for the LMS 9ft. bogies came from MJT (Item 2233) via the Engine Shed at Leytonstone.

Assembly followed the instructions to the letter and was generally straightforward. The photos show the various stages, I used solder paint and an RSU to do the assembly.

Photos:

 Main components folded up
1.  Main components folded up.

Assembled bogie and stretcher, top view
2. Assembled bogie and stretcher, top view.

Assembled bogie and stretcher, bottom view.
3. Assembled bogie and stretcher, bottom view.

Bogie with prepared cosmetic frames.
4. Bogie with prepared cosmetic frames.

Bogie with cosmetic frames in place.
5. Bogie with cosmetic frames in place.

Stretchers glued to coach body.
6. Stretchers glued to coach body.

Bogies in place.
7. Bogies in place.

Masokits Drawings:

These two sketches from the instruction sheet show the method of fitting the springs and bearings.

Spring wire assembly,
8. Spring wire assembly,

Fitting axles and bearings.
9. Fitting axles and bearings.

At step 12 in the instructions I found that the axles had excessive sideplay without spacing washers and were tight with washers. This was resolved by thinning the washers to half thickness which gave a good fit. Each washer was temporarily soldered to a piece of fret to hold it while filing.

Preliminary ride trials showed a correct height with a single spacing washer between body and bogie bolsters and smooth running on the layout. I added an additional lead weight to the original steel one to bring the total vehicle weight to 160g.

After fitting cosmetic side frames to the bogies and buffers and couplings to the vehicle running on the layout has been very satisfactory so far.

Downsides? The only "problem" seen so far is the increase in width over the bogie frame resulting from the need to accommodate the springs. The distance between insides of the cosmetic frames is 25mm where the prototype LMS bogie would scale to 24mm. This may be an issue with certain bodystyles, or if you have to fit bogie footsteps.

I am certainly pleased with it and shall be buying some more.

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Copyright Keith Norgrove.
Last revised: July 10, 2011