Hornby Class 101 as Two Car Unit

[drgj]

I have a three car Hornby class 101 but the ones I remember in North Wales in the 70s were two car. Would these have been a powered car and a driving trailer? The Hornby ones are both the powered type. I suppose maybe I am being a bit pedantic!

 

Dave

[cheesysmith]

If you need a power trailer combo just swap the underframe for a trailer one and remove the exhaust pipes. Not totally accurate but better.

[drgj]

Thanks, cheesy.

[Merfyn Jones]

Loads of these units ran as just 2 power cars. Essential for the Blaenau branch

[drgj]

Thanks.

[ianmacc]

The Hornby one was the old Lima model I think. Does that mean Lima perpetuated their ‘lazy’ approach they did with the 117 by making just one end car variant and using it twice in the set? Was glaring in the 117 as it had two brake compartments! Especially in blue and grey. I bought a centre car just tonsisguise it a bit. Hornby got it right with their 110 by making all three variants in a three car set and it was better for it.

[Merfyn Jones]

The Lima 101 was a big step forward from their 117 with proper coaches for the set. Improved no end when Hornby worked their magic on the chassis.

[drgj]

Has anyone got a picture of a driving trailer underframe  (maybe the Bachmann one)?

 

Thanks

Edited July 12, 2020 by drgj

[drgj]

Finally finished my two car unit. I couldn't bring myself to do anything to the boxed Hornby class 101 I had so I used a green livery Lima version. I found some pics of a Chester based  one and copied it as much as possible. I got hold of a trailer chassis and used it to make a driving trailer composite.  I only removed the footboards at one end as they weren't  needed.  I removed the gutters leaving just the bits over the doors. I cut out and flush glazed the destination windows/ blinds. I repainted with an airbrush in blue livery and applied the numbers for this set from a custom set ordered  from Railtec.  The prototype had the set number on a little board inside the front windscreen so I copied this. I fitted some small couplings as the Lima ones were a bit of an eyesore. I still need to find some headcode transfers.

 

Basically it just looks like the Bachmann version and was a hell of a job as it kept going wrong but this was considerably cheaper.  I have a proper Chester set- not totally accurate- but i like it. It runs surprisingly well but noisier than the Hornby version

Edited November 7, 2020 by drgj

[Covkid]

Nice job on that.

Very fond memories of the CH allocated two car sets which came down the Cambrian to us. We mostly had Met Camms but also the Park Royals and the Derby units as two cars - nearly all as power trailer sets apart from the small allocation of Derby power twins for working the "GC" between Wrexham and Bidston. The three car units we got were the Swindon Cross Country (class 120) sets, and very occasionally a Gloucester Cross Country (class 119).  The three car units had separate diagrams and rarely ventured up the coast line from Dovey Junction. 

[drgj]

I used to see them at Rhyl  (Grandfather lived here) and Aber  (Great Uncle here )  on the  main line to Holyhead.  

Dave