Modern Hornby motor bogies

[Talltim]

I'm looking for a way to motorise a narrow gauge railcar (1/64 running on 16.5mm track) relatively cheaply. I was first wondering about cutting a shutting the chassis of an 00 or Ho railcar or MU, but looking it appears that most actually take a lot of room in the body, So I started thinking about motor bogies, as the car has a luggage compartment at one end. Spuds , Bullants etc are good, but a bit dear. However I've discovered that Horby still use individual motor bogies quite a lot (I've been out of UK RTR since the 90s and had though that most stuff had gone to central motor, all wheel drive). Most of them look very similar in design, just with different cosmetic frames.

So, the questions are, do they run better than the old Ringfield/pancake motors? Do they pick up on all 4 wheels? Can you get good slow running out of them?

Edited September 25, 2020 by Talltim

[RFS]

 

You could try the motor bogie for the 2-HAL/2-BIL EMUs (X6575). Available from a number of suppliers but very cheaply from Lendons of Cardiff.

 

http://www.lendonsmodelshop.co.uk/index.asp?redirect=&q=X6575&searchwhere=On-Lendons-Website&condition=or&highlighted=on

 

EDIT: their website is a bit slow to load!

Edited September 25, 2020 by RFS

[Talltim]

Wow, they are far cheaper than other places, thanks

[Bill Radford]

I have a pair of Class 153s (both pre-used) and the current RAF Class 156.

 

Not comparable to Ringfields - so much better.

 

They pick up on all 4 wheels.

 

Slow speed control is excellent on DC.

Edited September 26, 2020 by Bill Radford
spelin

[JDW]

Yes, I agree with the above. I wouldn't hesitate to use something like a class 153/156 motor bogie in a small railcar, they are smooth and achieve good slow running.

[Bill Radford]

BEWARE

 

I'd only looked at the 153 bogie before posting above. Just looked at the 156 - there are diagonal traction tyres on the motor bogie.

[JDW]

Are you sure it was the right one? I have three 153s and two 156s (all Hornby) in front of me right now and none of them has tyres. Maybe there are different versions?

[Bill Radford]

This is the latest RAF livery one...

 

The 153s don't have tyres.

[cheesysmith]

You can buy ones with tyres and ones without. The different versions are available as spares.

 

If you are doing a free lance model, so are not too bothered about which bogie to use, I suggest finding the cheapest. The one from the javelin is not much cash.

 

The ones from the DMU/EMU are more expensive, but to be expected as they can be used on lots of BR models.

[JDW]

1 hour ago, Bill Radford said:

This is the latest RAF livery one...

 

The 153s don't have tyres.

 

Interesting, didn't know that. Seems a backward step but no doubt there was the usual half the [modelling] population moaning it didn't have enough power and now the other half will moan it has traction tyres! I've never found it to be lacking for a two car unit without tyres, I doubt it would handle a long train but that's not what it was designed for. Definitely for a small railcar no tyres and maximum pick ups needed!

[Bill Radford]

I must say that it suprised me that it had regressed to having tyres. I always thought that the 153s were grossly overpowered!

[Mike Buckner]

I have a Hornby Class 153, bought new in 2009. It definitely has no tyres.

 

I have a Hornby Class 156, bought secondhand in 2014. I imagine it was a few years old then. It has 2 tyres on one side of the motor bogie. They are pale grey and slightly difficult to distinguish from the metal wheel.

 

I have a replacement bogie for the Hornby Class 156, namely X9687M, bought this year. This has 2 dark grey tyres, one either side on diagonally opposite wheels.

 

Hornby Service Sheet 303B (2008) shows that the Class 156 has been sold in some models without tyres, and in a greater number of models with tyres.
It states that the replacement bogie with tyres is X9687M. The replacement bogie without tyres is X9687 - if you can find it.

 

The replacement bogie I bought in in 2020 has the same part number X9687M as the 2008 Service Sheet - despite being quite different in design. It has dark tyres, they are on opposite sides, and it dates from after the demise of Hornby's supplier Sanda Kan. It's also a little noisier than the original motors.

 

All motor bogies have pickups fitted to all 4 wheels - but the tyres are non-conductive, so it depends which part(s) of the wheel contact the rail.

 

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by Mike Buckner
Afterthought

[Talltim]

On 25/09/2020 at 17:39, RFS said:

 

You could try the motor bogie for the 2-HAL/2-BIL EMUs (X6575). Available from a number of suppliers but very cheaply from Lendons of Cardiff.

 

http://www.lendonsmodelshop.co.uk/index.asp?redirect=&q=X6575&searchwhere=On-Lendons-Website&condition=or&highlighted=on

 

EDIT: their website is a bit slow to load!

Damn, thought about it too long and now out of stock.  Although it was the other bogie I was trying to work out, the motor one was a given

[Sol]

How does one remove the bogie from R3575.? I got the PCB off & see it is a clip that springs out to hold the bogie in place but squeezing together seems not to be enough to let it drop out.

[SRman]

1 hour ago, Sol said:

How does one remove the bogie from R3575.? I got the PCB off & see it is a clip that springs out to hold the bogie in place but squeezing together seems not to be enough to let it drop out.

 

Brute force, Ron. They can be very tight, but you are on the right track to removing the bogie.

[Sol]

Thanks Jeff, I got it out after brute force as you suggested.