Sixties Snapshots - 00 scale

Interesting to see how light the Hornby coaches are. I wonder why? Is there a secret cost benefit to making light coaches, because transport costs per unit are lower? But the bulk would be the same.

 

Anyway, they do look good in their right livery (not GWR I mean). The difference in the roof profile is amazing, and says a lot about the benefits of a well-moulded modern RTR coach, I think.

Greetings Mikel, Just had a thought.  The full brakes (and the GUV) are made without plastic seating units - so this would account for say c20 gm?

 

Regards Ray

I thought American HO modellers worked to an approximation of 1oz per inch of model (28gms - though 25gms makes it easier to calculate for some of us). In the practices I've had this works out a bit heavy for long coaches and a bit light for short vehicles sometimes.

 

However, I have taken to buying lead shot. If you put this in cling film or small plastic bags, you can squeeze it into odd shaped places depending on what's available in the model.

Thanks Metr0Land,

 

60ft = 240mm = c10 inches = 250 gm of lead.  That would nearly double the weight of most coaches.  With seven coaches in a rake and 'steam' haulage, trains can only just get up my gradients. 

 

Yes I too have used lead shot, however i just happened upon a supply of sheet lead when we took out our oil fired central heating boiler.

 

Regards Ray

Hi Silver Sidelines, afraid my memory was playing tricks. The HO (NMRA?) rule of thumb is 1oz per car, plus 1/2oz per inch which should make your stock easier to pull! (I have no inclines except where the track sags....)

That sounds better - Bachmann Mk1 almost spot on.  (I know the feeling - sagging!)

 

Ray

I have a modified Bachmann Thompson BG that tips the scales at 157g.

 

It is lowered on its bogies and fitted with Roger Keen sprung corridors and Close coupler units with Kadee #19 heads.

 

All underframe detail (except the truss rods) has been replaced with MJT castings. No extra ballast has been added and it runs very nicely.

 

The Hornby Gresley seems a bit 'bouncy' by comparison and has derailed once or twice. I think it may be a bit too light to keep the Close-coupler linkages properly under control and intend to bring it up to about the same weight.

 

John

I have a modified Bachmann Thompson BG that tips the scales at 157g.

 

It is lowered on its bogies

 

Thanks John

 

I wondered about the ride height of the Bachmann Thompson Brake - at first glance of my picture above it looks fine - but close up the buffers don't line up with the Hornby Gresley Brake and the Bachmann corridor connector looks high.  Sounds as though I will have to go inside the Gresley BG with some bits of lead - not surprising as I find most of Hornby's super detail coaches too light weight for long trains.

 

Regards

 

Ray

Hi Ray,

Lowering is quite simple and replacement bogies are available in case of error! My method is:

 

1. Remove the bogies and cut off the tags on the mounting bosses that limit their rotation.

 

2. Cut two pieces of 40 thou plastic sheet the same size as the crossmembers of the bogies. Make holes in the centre to fit over the (now circular) bosses.

 

3. Enlarge the original holes in the bogies so they will clear the wider part of the bosses.

 

4. Glue the new parts on the bottom of the bogies and refit. I add some small (Peco) fibre washers to the screws to prevent pinching. The coach will run best if one bogie is fairly 'floppy'.

 

The coach will ride lower by the thickness of the bogie crossmember.

 

Depending on curves and gradients on your layout it may also be necessary to remove the protrusions on the top corners of the bogies to prevent fouling.

 

Hope this helps

 

John

John, Thank you for the details. I will have an investigate. Just for clarity are your instructions for the early bogies with moulded on couplings or the more recent with the screw on mini couplings? Perhaps it doesn't matter - same theory and all that.

 

Regards

 

Ray

Mine were the older type. I haven't seen the new ones so don't know if there are any other differences.

 

John

John

 

Thanks - the two types of bogie / underframe are not interchangeable. The centre plate across the new bogie is raised by about 0.5mm and the pivot on the underframe is modified accordingly. Quite annoying if you buy the new bogies to fit an old coach.

 

Regards

 

Ray

Ray

 

Not sure if this would actually work out but it occurs to me that, by fitting old style bogies on to a new coach, the height might come out right without any other mods?

 

John

John - yes I had the same thought after I replied last night. I will have a look tomorrow and report further.

 

I have a complete rake of BR maroon Thompsons of the eary variety which I have fitted with the latest Bachmann metal wheels - a difficult exercise since the modern Bachmann axle appears to be ever so slightly longer than the original axle with the plastic wheels. By accident I came across a little tool from the US which can be used to ream the plastic bearings in situ - vey useful. Some early attempts at fitting pinpoint wheels were a disaster and produced some coaches with a very high rolling resistance. As a result I have quite a few spare bogies of the early variety, some with enlarged pivot holes that were 'new' off eBay.

 

Regards

 

Ray

Ray

 

Not sure if this would actually work out but it occurs to me that, by fitting old style bogies on to a new coach, the height might come out right without any other mods?

 

John

John

 

Don't know what I was thinking about - the old and new bogies would appear to have almost identical dimensions - see my latest Blog