Lima/ViTrains class 37

[JDW]

Morning all

 

I recently managed to get hold of a damaged ViTrains class 37, the chassis was sound but the body no good.  A chassis swap seemed a good cheap way of upgrading one of my less-well performing Lima locos, as the body fits the Vi chassis perfectly.  Now there's probably an obvious answer that I've missed but whats the best way of actually mounting the body on the chassis?  There's nothing but fresh air behind where the locating lugs are under the cab doors, and I can't think of a simple way of figuring out how to create some which will both hold the body up at the right height as well as hold the chassis in when I pick it up.  I know there's bound to be a simple answer but just can't see it (and I've stared long and hard waiting for it to jump out at me).

 

Has anyone else done similar and could pop up a couple of pictures? 

[Scott]

I asked a similar question at my local club, there was suggestion of using the thick sealant tape for baths/showers. No pics I'm afraid.

[forest2807]

There's no way to clip the body to the chassis without some major surgery as far as I can see. I have fixed some black plasticard to the rear of the apertures on the lower bodyside which at their lowest point are flush with the bottom of the tumblehome, but although it looks better than having huge holes and gaps, I haven't figured out a way of securing the body to the chassis. A thought has just popped into my head though - I haven't investigated this but what about poppers/press studs - the things you get on clothes. Wonder if they could be fastened onto the bottom of the roof/ top of the motor block?

[forest2807]

Don't know why photo of 37012 appears upside down, but you get the idea. Lima 37 body on Vitrains 37 chassis.

[Downendian]

I've done a few of these, and as far as I recall they simply clip into the same locating lugs on the vitrains chassis. Some minor surgery is required to the internal glazing support struts (I.e cut them off). Vitrains a few years ago sold class 37 chassis units as an independent item, and there was I recall instructions to fit to Lima bodies which involved the glazing mod I've mentioned.

I'll dig mine out later and have a look.

Neil

[JDW]

Thanks to those of you who have replied so far.

 

Forest - it doesn't matter the pic is upside down, that's how mine looks on my workbench too, saves me turning the laptop over...

 

Neil, the chassis were available separately at one point, but as far as I know they were slightly different to the standard ones in that they were modified to be a direct replacement - with the mods to the glazing that you mention - for the Lima chassis.  The standard ones don't have anything behind where the Lima holes are under the cab doors, just fresh air and a view of the wheels!

[Downendian]

Ah JDW, indeed you are correct, memory playing tricks - I have just dug out one of the aforementioned projects. Two other Lima bodies are on the original Vitrains chassis that was purpose made for Lima replacements. I've yet to devise a method of fitting the Lima body (pictured) to the Vitrains 37 later chassis.

 

My undergoing conversion is one of my first Lima 37s on a standard Vitrains 37 chassis. I've yet to work through body attachment but the body is quite a snug fit on the chassis. All my 37s are being retrofitted with Shawplan noses with bufferbeam cowling, so the Vitrains bufferbeams will be going. I will rig up the attachment points to the new Shawplan noses using plasticard and small screws, possibly scavenging the Vitrains bufferbeam bits and using the mounting points. Looks like filler and Shawplan bits are needed where the Lima lugs attached and produce the rectangular hole in the bodyside.

I've also got a TTS Hornby 37 chassis which (I think) is a direct fit to Lima body shells.

Neil

[JDW]

Thanks for posting Neil, as far as I know the TTS and Lima body and chassis are direct swaps, though I haven't done it myself.  Certainly the ex-Lima 47 now made by Hornby is a direct swap.  As with most Lima stuff, its hit and miss whether they run well or not, and most of my 37s are of the good variety, but saw this chassis cheap and thought it would be a good way to sort out one of the ones that rarely got used, not quite the simple swap I had hoped for.  I'll probably try and put something inside the bodyshell in the noses to stop the body being pushed too low.  It is a snug fit, you're right, and absolutely fine for layout use, but not good enough to pick up without squeezing the bodyside to ensure it grips the chassis - and I can see me (or more likely someone else) picking it up without thinking and the chassis dropping out on to the floor!

[Downendian]

I hope to do some modelling over Xmas, and this project will be updated, and I'll post in my detailing thread. I'll post links here to the Lima/Vitrains hybrid when there is more progress. It doesn't in the scheme of things look too difficult but let's see once the Vitrains bufferbeams are removed. There's always hidden traps lying in what you think are simple solutions.

Neil

[JDW]

As it happens I was looking for something totally different and found that Wickness models (whose advert by coincidence is at the bottom of this page as I type - coincidence or cookies?) sells something for sticking decoders and such like in place, a sort of thick black tape, so I ordered some, depending on how strong it is, it might be a solution.  Its not idea but I can't see me needing to take the body off that often.  I'll let you know how it works.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

 

I recently managed to get hold of a damaged ViTrains class 37, the chassis was sound but the body no good.  A chassis swap seemed a good cheap way of upgrading one of my less-well performing Lima locos, as the body fits the Vi chassis perfectly.  Now there's probably an obvious answer that I've missed but whats the best way of actually mounting the body on the chassis? 

 Since the Vi body is damaged, can you carve out the fixing points from that body, such that they can then be cemented into the Lima body? Measure the fixing point locations carefully relative to body features that exist on both models, (correcting for any small dimensional divergences between the models) to act as a guide to vertical placement and horizontal spacing.

[forest2807]

 Since the Vi body is damaged, can you carve out the fixing points from that body, such that they can then be cemented into the Lima body? Measure the fixing point locations carefully relative to body features that exist on both models, (correcting for any small dimensional divergences between the models) to act as a guide to vertical placement and horizontal spacing.

 

I'm not sure that would work - the Lima body is very wide over the Vitrains chassis because the tumblehome isn't angled enough, it is far too shallow and therefore doesn't turn in sharply enough to meet the chassis. There is a large gap between the inside of the tumblehome and the chassis. The gap isn't present when you place the Vitrains body on its chassis because the tumblehome is correctly angled on the Vitrains body and all the clips and fixing points meet up in the right plane.