bertiedog Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share Posted February 28, 2010 If the Ernie chassis is to long for the basic roundhouse, it could have new pilot ends and platforms added to stretch the design, I got a pair of nearly suitable ends from Ebay the other day, really for a GP, but not that different......... Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share Posted February 28, 2010 Nothing received - you have email I have sent E-mail instead, thanks! the PM system seems out at moment. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 This is the chassis from the Underground Ernie set, the bogies are narrower than the inspection vehicle version, and it may be possible to use as is, with the compensating beams added to the outer faces. The axle boxes need to be moved as well, they are not level with the axle ends. I think the length is about right for the Roundhouse Box cab body, it would need a shorter motor to reduce the length of the chassis, but if over long platforms and new pilots can easily be added, as per the slightly larger box cabs. It will need a new floor to surround the chassis, and support the box cab structure. The chassis has a rubber tyred wheel and pulls quite well, the Bachmann wheels conform to NMRA RP-25 specifications as they stand, and are black anodised finished. The chassis leaves the cabs pretty clear, easier to add crew etc., and there is quite a bit of space for adding ballast weight. Any chassis is better than the Roundhouse one, decent motor, but used a badly executed gearbox and drive shaft system, very noisy. If the Ernie chassis proves to fast in operation, it could have a gearhead motor added quite easily, there is the space available. At present, it seems quite good at slower speeds on a feed back controller. Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Stephen - is the chassis for UE a generic one for all the trains, or are they all different - If so which one is this - it might work with one of my spare bodies! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 I have two....bought for less than a fiver each, new, from a local cheapo shop...there is a dummy trailer chassis included....which can be powered as well...just needs a set of gears inserted into the dummy trucks.. the truck sideframes are a push-fit, and can be removed....new one's could be fabricated from whatever material takes your fancy. The main problem is disposing of the ''rolling eyes'' mechanism, although knowing your skills, {JAck] maybe you'd find a good use for them?? [waving driver?] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 a bit more to add..have dug out my boxycab motor...and two UE chassis.... MIne looks slightly different to Stephen's chassis, but only as far as colour is concerned. The individual truck wheelbase is slightly shorter than that of the MDC boxcab truck.....the UE truck looks to be about the same wheelbase as those Bachmann used in their [early....which is all I have] 44 tonner trucks. The UE wheel sets have a very plain [large centre boss] look, mine aren't black at all... Sizing up on the boxcab shell, the actual UE frame[without the surrounding bodyframe....which actually secures parts of the underframe together]....is a tight squeeze, length-wise, into the MDC shell....however, if prepared to cut-'n-shut the actual [black] chassis moulding, behind the motor, the unpowered truck could be moved inwards a bit. Can one of you tell me what all the gubbins on the PC board is all about? Mine have two black and two red wires in, and an orange and a grey wire out, of the pC board..[the latter go to the motor..which already has blobs soldered to it].....these aren't cheapo DCC-equipped, by any chance..? {I hope not].... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Regretably we don't have cheapo shops apart from Poundstretcher, and TK-Max who wouldn't know what a loco looked like if it jumped out of the box and bit them, so I'll have to have a poke about on Ebay Not quite rolling eyes, but moving anyway ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 I think all the Ernie Bo-Bo chassis are the same, I do not remember which version this chassis came from. The eyes mechanism removes easily, and the green PC board is a DCC connector, not a DCC Chip. It looks as if platforms ends maybe the best way of getting the body to fit, and adding the middle door to the cab ends. The windows remain the same, the door is quite narrow, with grab rails etc., each side. So it only needs a flat slab with the cut out for the chassis, and the Roundhouse to stand in place over the slab footplate, made about 8mm longer at each end plus the Kemtron cast lost wax brass GP pilot ends and draft gear, which add a touch of weight as well. The GP end has the middle section of handrail fitted with chain, with a passageway through the handrail as per the Boxcab ends with the doors. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 The Inspection chassis is completely different, a smaller motor, and direct drive, and the frames are set further apart, with boxed ends, with the same moulded on outer frame details, with axleboxes out of line vertically with axle ends. Two of these units could be used I suppose, for an all wheel drive, but they would need slimming down on the width. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 This shows the width problem with the inspection car, no trouble with 016.5, but too wide for HO standard gauge. It fits the clearances gauge, but only because of the shallow detail mouldings. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 That was the one I originally thought you were using, with a second bogie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 There are lots of differences with the two types of Ernie chassis, the one for the inspection vehicle is much wider, and has outside electrical pickups and "pin point bearings", with a smaller motor and direct drive to the worm and spur gears. The outer frame is solid and runs all round the bogie like a fence. The Bo-Bo chassis has inside electrical pickups, no pin point axles or outside bearing plates. The outer frame plate has the same details moulded on, but is much nearer the face of the wheels, making the bogies much narrower, a bit nearer scale thickness, bar adding proper axle box mouldings. There is an open end to the bogie, no cross member at all. It also has a larger motor, driving the worm in the gearbox, via a tiny universal joint, although it does not pivot, it is just used to join the system up. One of the wheels has a rubber traction tyre fitted as well, increasing puling power a lot. Despite the two designsBachmann have made both with axle boxes moulded out of line with the axles! But the Boxcab will need a compensating bar added, so I can add boxes in the correct place. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 Purely using the grey sided bogie to make it clear in the picture, the alterations bring the bogie much nearer the real thing, with new axlebox details in line with axles, and the compensation beam cross the two axleboxes. The black sides have the same detail moulded on, but are shorter and have open ends looking a bit more realistic than the grey ones from the inspection car. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 I have just measured up the Bogies, and the Bo-Bo wheel base is 1mm shorter and although the same general detail, the outer frame is different, and definitely better on the black Bo-Bo one. Quite why the Hong Kong designers did two types is beyond me!, you would think they would standardise on such an item. I have a Bachmann 44 ton Bo-Bo switcher in need of a chassis as well, as it is one of the early ones with the cracked and very wonky gears. I have another spare Ernie power car, so I will measure it up. Somewhere stored is a MEW 44 toner as well. It is the diecast and brass version, it took a KTM vertical motor with coil drive to worms, not the best design, based on Suydam's design for Interurban Cars and Trolleys Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 I have a Bachmann 44 ton Bo-Bo switcher in need of a chassis as well, as it is one of the early ones with the cracked and very wonky gears Is that the version with the twin power trucks? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 In the meantime....there is a high trestle bridge to do as well, I have a couple of old jigs, but this one is a different design, and is virtually un-braced, apart from horizontal boards, I should think this one moved fore and arf a lot under load! Pretty standard construction, I will read up to find out if cross bracing would have been added if the bridge had survived into the post war era. The wood will be Canadian white rock maple and oak strip, all cut on my bench band saw tomorrow! There a few feet to do! the sizes are easy, there are only about three cross sections through out the whole bridge. Now to reveal a deep trade secret about building wooden trestle bridges, and getting a truly flat surface for the trackbed......should I tell everybody??....well it is to build the bridge upside down!!! The top is laid on a flat surface and you work upwards towards the bottom. The result is instant accuracy, you simply cannot go wrong. When the glue is all set hard the whole bridge is flipped and set on the final board and adjusted by setting the post bases in epoxy, no stress or warping as it sets, I leave a straight batten clamped to the top during this just to make sure all remains dead flat and true. These days I use a combination glue, one side of the joint has a thin film of art grade PVA waterproof glue, and the other side superglue, instant grab, and very strong, and gap filling. The PVA reacts with the superglue and goes off in moments. The idea comes from aeromodellers who want quick strong repairs. Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 Is that the version with the twin power trucks? It was a pair of the early ones, I think the late 1980's, Bachmann really scored badly, the gears were wonky and cracked due to being push fitted to the shaft to hard. It had both bogies powered. They ran at first quite well, but then the gears went and every ground to a halt. The current ones are a new design, I am told that they run OK. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 Clearer shot of the Bo-Bo bogie with the black frames and open ends. Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 The sideframes are a push fit onto the stubs that retain the pickups, which also acts as the wheel bearings, the axles being split frame type. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tebee Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Not many people know this but there are two variations of the Roundhouse box cab body, one with an end door and one without. I think the end door variety is what is fitted to the track cleaner, but am not sure. If you want something different there is a brass version of the box cab on ebay UK at the mo - Red Ball? or Kemtron possibly? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HO-gauge-Japanese-etched-brass-Ford-Rail-Car-kit_W0QQitemZ190376788770QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Trains_Railway_Models?hash=item2c53574322#ht_3431wt_1032 Tom Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davknigh Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Funny you should mention the brass boxcab, Tim Warris uses one on his Bronx Terminal layout which can be found here; http://www.bronx-terminal.com/?p=5 Very compact and it works! I've seen it in the flesh, so to speak, and it is a marvelous model. Cheers, David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted March 2, 2010 Author Share Posted March 2, 2010 Not many people know this but there are two variations of the Roundhouse box cab body, one with an end door and one without. I think the end door variety is what is fitted to the track cleaner, but am not sure. If you want something different there is a brass version of the box cab on ebay UK at the mo - Red Ball? or Kemtron possibly? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HO-gauge-Japanese-etched-brass-Ford-Rail-Car-kit_W0QQitemZ190376788770QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Trains_Railway_Models?hash=item2c53574322#ht_3431wt_1032 Tom Thanks for the ref, yes, a Boxcab, Tenshodo for Red Ball/other importer, 1960's at latest, not Kemtron, they made US produced cast items. Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Not many people know this but there are two variations of the Roundhouse box cab body, one with an end door and one without. I think the end door variety is what is fitted to the track cleaner, but am not sure. If you want something different there is a brass version of the box cab on ebay UK at the mo - Red Ball? or Kemtron possibly? http://cgi.ebay.co.u...#ht_3431wt_1032 Tom Thanks for that info about the MDC/Roundhouse Boxcabs - I have just looked at my bodyshells awaiting work, and I have both varieties - never noticed before Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tebee Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Thanks for the ref, yes, a Boxcab, Tenshodo for Red Ball/other importer, 1960's at latest, not Kemtron, they made US produced cast items. Stephen Yes, I was thinking of Ken Kidder, but the wrong name came out ! encroaching senility I'm afraid..... Though, having thought about it again, what Ken Kidder did was box cab electrics, which I think where JNR prototype, thought there where some similar ones in Chile. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted March 2, 2010 Author Share Posted March 2, 2010 It's an early brass Boxcab,50's/60's, only one axle drive, very, very poor haulage power, it would need spur gears coupling the axles added or a Hollywood Foundry conversion, like the Suydam Terry Spring Coil trolley drive ones do. The Ebay seller has other brass locos for sale at present, but all are "broken gears" or "missing axles",or "motors", lots of hard work to replace with the right types. Looks like they all came from the same source. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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