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Tri-ang and Hornby 0-6-0 chassis notes.


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Most of this comes from another thread on RMweb, but should also be posted here I think.:)

 

The first type of “Jinty” chassis had two cast metal blocks, one either end, sandwiched between plate frames.

The body fixing was two prongs on the chassis, and a screw down the chimney, into the front block.

 

From 1961, the chassis was a cast block. This had a hole in the front part to accommodate the Seuthe type smoke unit.

The body fixing was two prongs on the chassis, and a screw through the side of the boiler, just in front of the side tank on the “Jinty”, into the side of the chassis casting.

 

From 1964 the chassis was modified. The front of the chassis casting was made into a flat platform to accommodate the Synchrosmoke type smoke unit.

The body fixing was two prongs on the chassis, and a screw through the side of the boiler, just in front of the side tank on the “Jinty”, into the side of the smoke unit casting.

 

Also, the third variant...non smoke fitted locomotives.

 

The post 1964 chassis removed the original side fixing screw location. The chassis was also used for the Diesel Shunter.

 

This did not have a smoke unit, as the chassis is used “backwards”.

 

The body fixing screw on the Shunter is through the cab back plate, into a special bracket that fits to the chassis.

 

To accommodate the Shunter, and non smoke fitted locomotives, a cast metal weight block was made, that is fitted to the Chassis, replacing the Synchrosmoke smoke unit, and providing a tapped hole for the Side fixing screw on steam locomotives. Another special plate is used for the Diesel Shunter body fixing screw.


The version of the Diesel Shunter with the automatic uncoupling device fitted to the cab end uses the B12 type chassis block, with a substantial plastic base plate incorporating the uncoupling feature.

 

The body has two slots at the cab end, and a single clip at the front, radiator, end.

No screw is used.

 

More recent versions, and current Railroad inside frame models, that are fitted with the SSPP chassis, and later derivatives, have a special plastic adaptor that fits inside the body. This allows the body to fit the later types of chassis, without the body mountings having to be retooled.

 

And, yes, the chassis is fitted to the shunter “backwards “.

 

The 1970s new 0-6-0 chassis started with the front wheel drive version, using mainly the New Type X.03 motor.

From this chassis on, clips are used to secure the bodies. Not always very robustly.

 

This chassis was replaced by the Super Strong Pulling Power chassis, with a sprung rear (on steam locos) axle and traction tyres on the centre driving wheels. These use a disposable motor.

 

Later, the sprung rear axle was changed to rigid, and still later, the centre driving wheels gained partial low profile  flanges.

 

The pick up arrangements have also seen changes.

 

The most recent version has no traction tyres, and proper flanges on the centre driving wheels.

As the wheels are insulated both sides, pick up wipers are used in both sides.

 

A wiring harness to take a special 4pin DCC decoder can be fitted to this 0-6-0 chassis.

 

 

Edited by Ruffnut Thorston
Second section added…
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The0-6-0 electric chassis was designed for the "Jinty" R.52, but Triang used it for other models as it allowed them to expand the range without the expense of tooling up for a another new chassis.

 

In addition to R.152 the "Diesel Shunter" as mentioned above, it was also used on R.153, the "Saddle Tank", and R.251 the "Deeley 3F". It is important to remember that these locos were intended as toys not scale models, and to be low cost to produce to allow a low selling price.

 

But this electric 0-6-0 chassis as described by Ruffnut wasn't the only Triang 0-6-0 chassis.

 

In the mid-1950s Rovex also developed an 0-6-0 clockwork chassis as they saw clockwork as a lower cost way to attract customers. Clockwork wasn't new to Triang, they had acquired the Trackmaster tooling back at the start which included R.51 the clockwork 0-6-2T, which was never sold with an electric motor. They saw clockwork as a way to attract new customers who could not afford the higher priced electric range. The clockwork locos ran on the usual Triang track of the period, and had the same couplings which let the buyers (or their parents and relatives) buy items from the Triang range in the knowledge that they would work with the clockwork locos with no problems. And there was the hope that the clockwork loco would eventually be supplemented with electric locos from the rest of the range.

 

The new clockwork 0-6-0 chassis and mechanism was used on R.151 the "Saddle Tank" and R.154 the "Diesel Shunter". These two clockwork locos also appeared, with different liveries in the Primary Series range as R.255 and R.256 respectively.

 

The same tools were used to produce the body shells of the clockwork/electric versions of the two locos R.151/R.153 and R.154/R.152 respectively, but with a pin inserted into the moulds to create the opening for the key. The shape of the bodies of the "Saddle Tank" and the "Diesel Shunter" were particularly suitable for the space needed for the clockwork motor, so, arguably, the electric versions of the two locos are almost a by-product of the decision to produce clockwork locos to replace the original R.51 0-6-2 Trackmaster clockwork tank. The consecutive sequence of the R numbers 151-154 tells us that they were all planned at the same time.

 

The existence of Triang clockwork locos is easy to forget, but it explains why, when you look at the catalogues up to the 6th edition for 1960, the descriptions below the pictures of the locos in the main range include "Electric" or "Clockwork" of 12/15 volts DC. The "Electric" or "12/15 volts DC" used in the 6th edition was dropped from the descriptions of the locos in the main range in the 7th edition of 1961, but continued to be used in for the Primary Series locos and sets as the Primary series included the clockwork versions of the Saddle Tank and the Diesel shunter as well as the electrically powered maroon liveried R.252 Steeple Cab and the electrically powered R.359 0-4-0T both these locos sharing the same 0-4-0 electric chassis first used in 1959 for the Steeple Cab, which itself has almost as long a lifespan as the 0-6-0 electric chassis.

 

The 0-4-0 chassis, or rather its descendants after the X.04 motor was replaced with a can motor, still forms the basis of Hornby's cheapest 0-4-0 locos.

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Hi all,

Just a quick note on the Triang split metal framed chassis used on the likes of the early Triang 0-6-0 saddle tank etc. It is not a straight fit the bodies of the later Triang. The locating lugs on the back are spread slightly further apart. So a little bit of fettling is needed.

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If you look closer, you will find that the lugs on the plate frame chassis are thinner than the lugs on the cast metal chassis.

 

Therefore, to fit an early body to a later chassis, the holes need enlarging slightly.

 

Later bodies should fit the early chassis Ok.

 

The Clockwork 0-6-0 chassis also uses thinner frames, so the same applies, if fitting a clockwork body to a later, post 1961 electric chassis.

 

The reversing 0-6-0 Clockwork chassis suffered from being “too good” (expensive) so was dropped and replaced by the cheaper non reversing 0-4-0 clockwork chassis, that is very similar to other clockwork locos being made in the early 1960s...;)

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11 hours ago, Ruffnut Thorston said:

If you look closer, you will find that the lugs on the plate frame chassis are thinner than the lugs on the cast metal chassis.

 

Therefore, to fit an early body to a later chassis, the holes need enlarging slightly.

 

Later bodies should fit the early chassis Ok.

 

The Clockwork 0-6-0 chassis also uses thinner frames, so the same applies, if fitting a clockwork body to a later, post 1961 electric chassis.

Enlarging the lugs on the cast chassis makes sense, as cast lugs of the same dimensions as on the plate frame would not have been as strong as those on the plate frame.

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The wheels on the early chassis are the coarse solid spoke Tri-ang type. Along with the smoke units, they became 'see through' but still of the type the Italians call, "Millerazzi" (thousand spokes).* Unlike the early wheels, which have a reasonable profile, these are uncompromisingly  square.

Hornby, with the chassis redesign, introduced a much improved wheel with the correct (for a Jinty) 15 spokes and to HD standards. At the same type the gear ratio was altered from 20:1 to 28:1. I have retrofitted these to most of my earlier chassis to their (and my) benefit.

 

* As with track, which always has too many sleepers (ignoring the H0 scale), this surfeit of spokes does not seem to make sense economically, as more material is required for the extras.

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