Wagon suspension systems

Having bought a set of MJT and Scalefour Society etched W-iron wagon compensation units, I'm nowthinking of going for springing instead! There are several reasons for this:

• I don't like the fact that rocking W-irons require the springs at one end of the wagon to be seperate from the solebar - a minor detail maybe, but enough to be noticeable.
• For open wagons (without loads) I like to fill the whole underside of the wagon with liquid lead for additional weight (particularly important with plastic wagon kits). Fitting a rocking W-iron would mean less space for this.
• According to several members of the P4_talk discussion group, rocking W-irons tend not to perform as well as sprung, or even rigid wheelbase wagons. Of course, how 'scientific' the tests that back up this statement have been I don't know!

Interestingly, last night I happened across sheet 42.4.6 in the Scalefour Digest which outlines a couple of alternative methods of suspension including the Severs system of compensation which avoids the need to remove the existing moulded W-irons on plastic wagon kits. However, it's a bit of a bodge job, requiring a V-shape to be filed into the bearings at one end, and a piece of bent wire used as a pivot for the axle.

So I'm going to get hold of some Bill Bedford etched sprung W-irons and see how I get on with these.