Any Way to replicate the Airfix motorized Wagon? ("Static" Loco kits)

[Max's Model Railway]

Hello, I'm wondering if it would be possible to replicate the old Airfix Motorized wagons? What modifications would I have to do to a Boxvan By Dapol to get it to move under its own power? Also would I have to weigh the Dapol Locomotives down, by How much? I'm Looking to get another Pug eventually by Dapol and I want it to eventually be pushed by a powered wagon, any suggestions are welcomed! Thanks!

[friscopete]

High level do a motorised chassis I think .its called a flyshunter and I,ve just checked and its still made by the look of it .Being High level it will be the bees knees.

Edited February 5, 2020 by friscopete

[andyman7]

On pedantic note the motorised van was a Kitmaster product; AIrfix never made one.

[FoxUnpopuli]

http://www.highlevelkits.co.uk/flyshunterpage.html

 

[BernardTPM]

Yes, Kitmaster, as shown here. I saw one of these secondhand in Beatties, Holborn (the old Bassett-Lowke premises) sometime in the mid-'70s. The actual motor part was very like a Tri-ang motor bogie. There was also a motor bogie version for the Blue Pullman kit.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

10 hours ago, Max's Model Railway said:

... I'm Looking to get another Pug eventually by Dapol and I want it to eventually be pushed by a powered wagon, any suggestions are welcomed! ...

How about 'don't do it that way?'. Those kits were practically 'no roll' when made in Kitmaster/Airfix decent plastic: in the soapy goo Dapol now mould with, replacement loco wheels running in metal bushes will be required if you want it to be pushed about long term.

 

The obvious thing to do if committed to constructing a mechanism, is to build one for the loco...

 

10 hours ago, BernardTPM said:

Yes, Kitmaster, as shown here. I saw one of these secondhand in Beatties, Holborn (the old Bassett-Lowke premises) sometime in the mid-'70s. The actual motor part was very like a Tri-ang motor bogie...

Think I still have one kicking around somewhere, in its box, an accidental acquisition with a lot of assorted s/h some years ago. It's horrible. The dogshit brown soft plastic from which the axles and integral gear were moulded, probably confers a life of a few months if enthusiastically used; and the rest of the construction is of similar quality. The original owner never got it running and had attempted some repairs...

[Gordon A]

High Level do a chassis kit including gearbox for the Dapol / Hornby Pug.

http://highlevelkits.co.uk/pugpage.html

 

Gordon A

[Phil Parker]

11 minutes ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

How about 'don't do it that way?'. Those kits were practically 'no roll' when made in Kitmaster/Airfix decent plastic: in the soapy goo Dapol now mould with, replacement loco wheels running in metal bushes will be required if you want it to be pushed about long term.

 

I'd agree. If you want to go down this road, build the Pug and make it push-alongable. That's a far harder job than building a powered van to move it.

[cctransuk]

40 minutes ago, Gordon A said:

High Level do a chassis kit including gearbox for the Dapol / Hornby Pug.

http://highlevelkits.co.uk/pugpage.html

 

Gordon A

 

Not a kit for the less experienced; (said he - having just built one and having another to do).

 

Nothing wrong with it whatsoever - it's very nicely designed and produced, and runs a treat - but there's a fair range of skills needed in its construction.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[russ p]

37 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

I'd agree. If you want to go down this road, build the Pug and make it push-alongable. That's a far harder job than building a powered van to move it.

 

If you can make these kits push alongable how long would they actually last? Would have thought plastic side rods and crank pins would wear pretty fast

[St Enodoc]

41 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

I'd agree. If you want to go down this road, build the Pug and make it push-alongable. That's a far harder job than building a powered van to move it.

Or use a Peco Perfecta motorising kit...

 

http://www.kitmaster.org.uk/PerfectaKits.htm

[hayfield]

33 minutes ago, russ p said:

 

If you can make these kits push alongable how long would they actually last? Would have thought plastic side rods and crank pins would wear pretty fast

 

Russ

 

You make a couple of interesting points here. The Airfix kit itself needs quite a lot of detailing to bring it up to standard, then you would need a decent set of wheels, quite likely the plastic chassis will need brass bearings, plastic coupling and connecting rods and crossheads will need replacing. By the time you finish why not buy a S/H model, just go on eBay and find a cheap one (it may even work !!)

 

An alternative is to find an old Airfix Pug motorising kit available in the 60's, had romford wheels etc

[Cunningham Loco & Machine Works]

I would advise just buying the Hornby RTR pug.

[Il Grifone]

Having done this, I would advise against it.

 

I made the mistake of buying the Kitmaster van back in the day. Basically a crude copy of the Tri-ang motor bogie under a plastic moulding almost identical to the Dublo van even down to the raised panel for the number. A modern equivalent would require a 10 foot wheelbase motor bogie. and a van body either Dapol's  or the Dublo /Wrenn version. The Kitmaster van is here (the solebar/axleguard unit ismissing) :

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/359293/kitmaster_km2_po_motorised_box_van_kit_pre_owned_sold_as_seen_non_runner/stockdetail.aspx

 

As previously stated the plastic kits, though mobile, are not likely to last long, although a Pug would last reasonably due to operating at low speed . Use the Kitmaster or Airfix version of the kit. The kit is incorrect as the prototypes had dumb buffers and enclosed slide bars (for safety in street working).

 

The Pug motorising kit I built around the  same time was a failure. The friction caused the motor (a Romford Terrier) to overheat sufficiently to melt the plastic and into the bargain was only capable of pulling three Dublo wagons.

[33C]

I have used the Kitmaster van motor as a tender drive and it works fine. As for the loco wheels, just a light sand and polish of the axles allows them to roll very freely with no modification and only the lightest of lead in the framing to keep the centre of gravity as low as possible. The tenders other 2 axles are dummy if you look closely.... failing that i did experiment with a slimmed down Triang class 31 motor bogie in the Dukedog which wasn't a complete success looks wise!