Bachmann chassis in Lima J50

[SteveyDee68]

Hi

 

Bay of Fleas has a Lima J50 body mated with a Bachmann 0-6-0 chassis. Looks good but seller has no info. Can anyone suggest what might be a suitable chassis to do this? Realise it won't be "accurate" but intend to turn it into a heavy industrial tank loco anyway!

 

Any other suggestions of suitable RTR chassis welcome!

 

Cheers

 

Steve

Edited July 8, 2019 by SteveyDee68
Typos!

[DCB]

7ft 3" + 9ft is an awkward wheelbase.    ( 29mm + 36mm)      Jinty is 8ft + 8ft 6".(  32mm + 34mm)    Hornby Jinty 8ft + 8ft 3". (32 + 33mm)  the same overall wheelbase as the J50 but with the centre axle further forward for some bizarre reason on the J50.

That Lima body has a huge open space inside so I would use a Jinty Chassis and turn a blind eye to a couple of the wheels being in the wrong place.

If you really want an impressive industrial shunter fit the J50 Tanks to a shortened Bachmann 04, lengthen the bunker and cab and make a Thompson Q1 0-8-0T   Now that is seriously impressive.   

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

As above , there isn't a Bachmann mechanism that is right for a J50. The best looking option that can definitely be made to fit is the 57xx/8750 mechanism, as this has the correct spacing for the 7'3" leading to centre driver dimension. (The rear driver is too far forward, but with no splasher and some infelicities of the Lima body shell this is not glaringly obvious.)

 

But I feel what you are really asking, is whether the mechanism - whatever it may be - would well suit a heavy industrial tank loco? My opinion 'not so much'. Most industrial tank locos were built for small radius curve capability, with shorter wheelbase than typical of railway company designed six coupled locos. The well known Hunslet 0-6-0T design selected as the basis of the WWII 'Austerity' tank loco, later classified J94, gives an idea of what is typical. Likewise, the SR's 'USA tank' if an outside cylinder 0-6-0T is what you would really like. The small fairly short wheelbase mechanisms from Hornby's new terrier, or Hattons P class, could be useful.

 

Or there is the Bachmann 2-8-0 mechanism from the O4, shorn of its pony truck. This will fit under the Lima body, though you get a cab full of motor. The motor can be turned to lie forward (Corbs has demonstrated elsewhere on this site) if you are really up for it! Looks both  ugly and properly husky as David suggests...

[SteveyDee68]

Thank you David and 34theletterbetweenB&D for your responses. I suppose what I have in mind are the Manchester Ship Canal Hunslets, with their sloping tanks, albeit much smaller locos overall. Thinking cap on, as I'd like to do something "brutish" as opposed to British!! LOL The Lima loco was an impulse purchase for my cousin's boys but I do like the sloping tanks!

 

(This freelance lark is strangely addictive ... currently pugbashing a Lima 0-4-0 American "switcher" into a kind of four wheel variant of the SR USA class dock shunter! Interesting times...)

 

Steve

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Well, freelance! If you can find one, the little Electrotren/Golden Valley 0-6-0T (it's HO) will supply a small wheel short wheelbase outside cylinder mechanism. The body being HO means that it can largely be retained - just fouling parts cut away - with an OO body shell such as from the Lima J50 cemented over it. That provides for the simplest possible mounting of the new body onto the mechanism.

[jcm@gwr]

There is a Bachmann option, the Junior/Rusty starter locos

have quite a short wheelbase, but again, if you can find one!

[chris p bacon]

I did these for myself and have them in the classifieds.

 

I made one on page 31

 

[Traintresta]

7 hours ago, chris p bacon said:

I did these for myself and have them in the classifieds.

 

I made one on page 31

 

 I also built one in this thread.  

 

[The Johnster]

Almost any other chassis in the world ever would improve on the Lima J50's if the loco is to be used as a J50, but as has been said an industrial freelance based on the bodyshell really needs a shorter wheelbase chassis with smaller diameter wheels (I'd go for the Electrotren).  This abomination of a chassis was also used on Lima's 94xx and I have done the 'Limbach' conversion to this with a 57xx chassis pending the arrival of the new Bachmann loco.  It's not quite correct for the Lima 94xx either, which has infelicitous (thanks, 34, lovely word) splashers, so both the wheel spacing, 'angle of dangle' of the brakes, and the frame profile are wrong.  A 94xx derives it's frames from the 2251, and they are longer and differently shaped to the 57xx/8750s.  

 

The Lima plastic chassis is just irredeemably awful.  It has a very poor mech which fills the cab with motor and is difficult to keep clean and control smoothly or at low speeds.  The gear train is visible on the right hand side below the firebox, the wheels have incorrect spokes and no balance weights, and the centre pair are not even connected to the coupling rods, which are incorrectly fluted and parallel for a 94xx, they simply do their own floaty thing and don't drive anything.  It is crude and toy like, an opinion that I'd have had of it as a child with a Rovex Black Princess train set.  The model has imperfections above the footplate as well, but can be worked up into something acceptable to the 3 foot rule.  The kindest thing to do to the chassis is to offer it the opportunity of an exciting new career in the landfill industry...

 

I wouldn't use a 57xx chassis to go under a J50, as it has GW type fishbelly coupling rods, but a current generic Hornby 0-6-0 or the Bachmann Jinty/1F would be less unacceptable.  I like the J50, especially the hopper bunker variant; modern looking steam main line 0-6-0 tanks are thin on the ground.  Wheel spacing is an issue and IIRC the Lima chassis was ok in this respect for the J50, which came out before the 94xx, but you'd end up with something certainly no worse than my Limbach 94xx.  

 

The best option is of course to buy the current Hornby J50, a very good model that performs very well.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

1 hour ago, The Johnster said:

...The Lima plastic chassis is just irredeemably awful...  The kindest thing to do to the chassis is to offer it the opportunity of an exciting new career in the landfill industry...

Or, send it to me and I will joyfully redeploy the only good piece - the large block of lead* - and award you a full philanthropy, (or any other attractive word that appeals).

 

* That had to be illegal, even at first time in production, even in Italy

[AMJ]

The MSC 0-6-0T locos were a bit smaller than the J50.  I joked on about repainting the Hudswell Clarke MSC tank loco as a J50 clone but the cab is a different shape etc.  This is one of the Hunslet tanks for MSC (note outside cylinders).

  

 

This is 70 one of the MSC HC tanks (inside cylinders)

[The Johnster]

On 10/07/2019 at 16:04, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

Or, send it to me and I will joyfully redeploy the only good piece - the large block of lead* - and award you a full philanthropy, (or any other attractive word that appeals).

 

* That had to be illegal, even at first time in production, even in Italy

Sorry, mate, they're already hard at work in the landfill business...

[Thane of Fife]

Good morning all

 

Alan Gibson Workshop does milled chassis frames for the J50.

 

Comet (from Wizard) do a N2 chassis kit, which would only require cutting the pony truck end. Also you get some good coupling rods.

 

Malcolm

 

[Flyingscotsmanfan]

I used Bachmann Pannier tank chassis under my two, this was before the Hornby J50 had even been announced, to be honest as I live with 00 gauge as a compromise I’m quite happy to live with the wheel spacing differences too.

These are pictures of the second one I did