Triang Britannia Body Straightening?

[Simon G]

My MRC has just been donated a batch of locos, one of which is a Triang Britannia, which has been fitted with Romford wheels and additional pickups, and goes very nicely indeed. However, it does have a problem in that the body is bowed. The bowing isn't so bad that the body doesn't fit onto the chassis, but it is pretty noticeable.

 

Does anyone have any advice of whether it can be straightened? The only way that had occurred to me was to warm it slightly and see if it can be then done by hand while the plastic is softer. Photo attached to show the bowing.

 

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

I'd suggest don't bother with any attempt at straightening, as all the value is in Romfords.

[johnb]

Doubt you could do a satisfactory job of straightening it, might be a better idea to look around the secondhand hand stands for a nonrunner with a decent body.

As 34..... says the value is in the Romfords

 

John

[Ohmisterporter]

Wasn't there a Britannia in the GBL series? If you could find one and do a body swap that could be a way to go. I have had several Triang locos and coaches and most of them bowed, and I never had any luck straightening them, especially the one that was put into the oven on low temperature and forgotten about until it stunk the house out. Don't forget that hot plastic is sticky so try to handle it without flesh coming into contact. We will be interested to see how you get on.

[Simon G]

Geoff,  I am not familiar with the GBL series, and didn't know what GBL stood for before I googled it!  I will keep a lookout for anything like that.  I may also see if I can use a body from a more recent Hornby model, as that will have the metal handrails and other detailing.  As far as I can see from the service sheets for the early tender drive models, the loco chassis block is still the same as for a Triang loco drive model, so a body should fit directly onto the existing chassis.

 

Thanks to all for the replies.  It was the existence of the Romford wheels that made me think it was worth doing something with the loco.  It runs happily through Code 100 points that my own Triang Britannia with original wheels will struggle to get through.

[DCB]

I have a very old Triang Brit and several damaged bodies but I never seen a Brit with a bowed body, loads of Jintys every Hiawatha Tender I have ever seen and the Halls suffer from distortion over the top of the motor. 

 

Keeping these old models away from sunlight is pretty much essential to preserve them

 

I have tried heat from boiling water and a hair dryer on Halls Jintys and the Hiawatha Tender but with no success.   I would suggest sourcing a later body.  The valve gear lets it down.  

 

Close coupling the Tender by drilling a new hole in the pony truck pays dividends, you only need 2 mm or so clearance for 2nd radius and it wont be going round those with all flanged romfords.     I videoed a Triang Brit on 12 coaches storming a 1 in 36 grade where Bachmann Tornado stalled with 5     see    

     and they do run very nicely,   Evening Star valve gear improves them no end.