Just looking through the back pages of the latest Gazette and the adverts, MSC Models caught my eye and the SM double reduction gearbox can also be supplied with an SM1532 motor? Also what advantages are there between a helical box over a double reduction box?
Hi Paul In the absence of any other replies to date here's my penny worth Bit like comparing apples and pears and I presume you are talking 7mm scale so my answer is general rather than specific. Helical gears can provide a smoother transition from tooth to tooth, also quieter than straight cut gears drive in line or at right angles or even skewed between 0 and 90 degrees if singular cause sideways reaction forces, if double, left and right handed pair balance each other Double reduction box could contain straight or helical gears straight cut gears would not generate side thrust as would a single helical gear provide a higher gear ratio between input and output than a single pair of gears can place greater distant between the motor and loco driven axle I am sure Rob P could cite actual manufacturers products. Jim
Thanks for the endorsement Jim but actually I am not sure that I am the right person to be advising on this beyond what you have already suggested. All my commission builds have been fitted with Helical gearboxes from ABC, MSC, Slaters, and Portescap (who of course were really the forerunner of helical gearboxes) with all but one, being supplied by the person commissioning the build. That odd one was an MSC Ron Chaplin unit which I selected primarily on the basis of good recommendations and my personal struggles with getting ABC gearboxes without having to wait for 6 months or more. - As it happens with my moving house part way through the build, I could have waited, but that's another matter. I have to say that I have been impressed by all the above albeit the Portescap was a bit noisy which is a known issue with them. The reason that I am not sure that I am the right person to advise is that my own personal locos do so little running that what motor and gearbox is in them is largely irrelevant. Hence my looking into making my own gearboxes (besides the challenge of making them of course). In my stash I have a number of helical units which are mostly ABC with one San Cheng and the recently obtained Shogun units are double reduction and seem to run smooth enough as well as a number of the more basic worm and wheel arrangements. What I do plan to do is to convert some of those into double reduction units so watch this space as they say.
Thank you Gents for the feedback, I'm not sure about ABC as they take an infinate time to arrive abate they are a very good product. I think I will give MSC a ring to see what they can do. cheers Paul
