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motorising a k's Rover class


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I recently aquired a part built Ks kit for a broad gauge rover class loco, and how to motorise this beast eludes me, removing the rear six wheels allows only a small gap of insufficient size to fit any suitable sized motor, I feel I'm going to have to dissasemble the bodywork to some degree, has anybody else experience in motorising this kit?

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Even I can see the argument for tender drive in this case! Or possibly motor in tender with shaft drive to driving axle.

The space inside the tender is plenty wide, but the depression for the coal takes up half of the length, whereas the loco boiler has plenty of space for a decent motor with a flywheel, besides, I don't generally beleive in tender drive
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Nor me.  How about mounting the motor facing backwards in the boiler and drive down through the bottom of the firebox, then back forward (can you write back forward with the words together like that) to a gear on the driving axle; by that time the drive shaft might be underneath the axle!  You would need 2 separate 90 degree drive joints, and I am only offering the idea as a suggestion, not claiming it to be a practical solution.  Some sort of belt or rubber band system might work as well.  

 

I'm getting desparate now; please do not attempt a working model of Harrison's 'Hurricane' as the real one didn't work either and that would be a serious challenge to hide the motor and drive on...

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It has just occurred to me that you might, given the size of the beast, be able to vertically mount a motor in the firebox and drive the trailing axle; how much traction this would give you is a moot point.

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There are kit gearboxes that will enable the motor to lie horizontally in the boiler, take a gear train vertically down through the firebox, and then turn the drive forward to engage the driving wheel axle. Scheming it out within the constraints of the K's components, especially the part assembled body, will be the challenge. Apply to kit gearbox suppliers for their poop sheets to work up a layout (Branchlines, Comet, High Level, come to mind).

 

Edited to add: Having seen the photo, you will need to cut a fair size access through all that whitemetal! I take it from the description of the two wheelsets either side of the driver being in trucks, that it has a truly original 1-1-1-1 configuration, and is effectively a rigid four wheeler running on the front bogie wheels and the drivers, with the two other wheelsets just along for the ride? If so, then to use the suggested scheme will probably require an alternative plan for provision of the trailing wheelset pivot.

Edited by 34theletterbetweenB&D
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Motorising the Rover ( loco ) has been done in the past, but a better solution is to use the tender motorising kit which was produced by Kay Butler owner of KEYKITS.

I'm not certain if it is available through the Broad Gauge Society but may well be through KEYKITS.

 

I helped with the concept and trial of this many years ago with Kay and successfully motorised the tender which was chipped with a Lenz decoder about 10 years ago. Due to the weight of the locomotive it holds the track and is pushed by the tender without any problems.

 

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Hope this of some use.

 

( Usual disclaimer etc. )

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Having looked at the KEYKITS site after posting the above it would appear that all of the "kits and components " are marketed through the BGS and the Rover comes as a complete kit.

Sorry if I have mis-lead anyone with this.

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