RMweb Gold Darius43 Posted March 30, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 30, 2017 I recently dug this out of storage and intend to add some more details and get it running. I built it a few years ago from the MTK white metal kit, with a shortened chassis from the old Lima Class 33. The motor is the dreaded Lima "pancake" and is converted to DCC. The running is terrible due to the lack of pick-up, the horrible wheels and the motor. I have ordered replacement wheels from Ultrascale. I intend to add buffer beam pipework to one end, windscreen wipers, horns etc. I also want to make the body sit lower on the chassis. I hope to recondition rather than replace the motor, although I see that replacement motors are available on the "web". Cheers Darius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktundu99 Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 A couple of years ago I had some success at improving the pancake motors of a couple of pancake-powered locos. All I did was completely strip them down, cleaned everything with solvent cleaner, dried it on a radiator, and then used some light machine oil (I find the stuff my wife uses for her sewing machine to be eminently suitable for modelling purposes) to lubricate things that need lubricating. They now run about as well as a Hornby ringfield motor of similar vintage, though still somewhat more noisily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew F Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I'd be tempted to re-chassis it with that from a Heljan 33/26/27 if there's enough room. It's a straight forward job to re-mount the bogies and sleeve the drive shafts and the donor loco's can be had for around £50 plus you can sell on the body/tanks/bogie sides. You'll be able to get the Lima motor running well on the new wheels I suppose, but adding enough extra weight to give it traction over one bogie maybe a problem if you want to pull long boat trains. Looks nice by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Darius43 Posted March 30, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 30, 2017 I'd be tempted to re-chassis it with that from a Heljan 33/26/27 if there's enough room. It's a straight forward job to re-mount the bogies and sleeve the drive shafts and the donor loco's can be had for around £50 plus you can sell on the body/tanks/bogie sides. You'll be able to get the Lima motor running well on the new wheels I suppose, but adding enough extra weight to give it traction over one bogie maybe a problem if you want to pull long boat trains. Looks nice by the way. Hi Andrew, I thought about this but the Heljan Chassis is too long and so shortening it would mean cutting and griding a lot of metal. I like the idea of refurbing the motor if I can. The loco body is white metal so lack of weight is not an issue Cheers Darius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judge Dread Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 The 4mm section of the Hull MRS also went down the route of an MTK kit on a Lima chassis for the EM layout Chessington (Chalk Lane). It was so good that when the layout was sold the loco was offered to the team that built it and no one was interested. It finally was sold on E-Bay for section funds. Have you considered a DJM forth coming example? If it is as good as the Class 71, it will be wonderful. I have had the privilege of borrowing one of the latter for a couple of circuits of my layout and my ordered one cannot get here quick enough! http://vid1322.photobucket.com/albums/u580/MeophamEast/Videos/VID_20161015_115111381_zpsalrnjwhq.mp4 My thanks, as always, to Dave and Charlie Petty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Clive Mortimore Posted March 30, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 30, 2017 I recently dug this out of storage and intend to add some more details and get it running. I built it a few years ago from the MTK white metal kit, with a shortened chassis from the old Lima Class 33. The motor is the dreaded Lima "pancake" and is converted to DCC. The running is terrible due to the lack of pick-up, the horrible wheels and the motor. I have ordered replacement wheels from Ultrascale. I intend to add buffer beam pipework to one end, windscreen wipers, horns etc. I also want to make the body sit lower on the chassis. I hope to recondition rather than replace the motor, although I see that replacement motors are available on the "web". Cheers Darius Hi Darius The obvious choice of a replacement power unit is the Hornby class 71, I take that is a no go on the price. Or a John suggest wait for the DJM model, but having built your own would opening the box be as exciting. Another alternative, the Hornby Railraod Warship, both the 74s and the Warships had 10ft 6ins wheelbase bogies. I do like to see completed MTK kits, at times they were not 100% or the castings brilliant so a lot of work was needed to complete them but when they are finished I think they wonderful. Without MTK giving the then established railway modelling world a kick up the backside there might not be any D&E modelling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Darius43 Posted March 30, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 30, 2017 The 4mm section of the Hull MRS also went down the route of an MTK kit on a Lima chassis for the EM layout Chessington (Chalk Lane). It was so good that when the layout was sold the loco was offered to the team that built it and no one was interested. It finally was sold on E-Bay for section funds. Class 74.jpg Have you considered a DJM forth coming example? If it is as good as the Class 71, it will be wonderful. I have had the privilege of borrowing one of the latter for a couple of circuits of my layout and my ordered one cannot get here quick enough! http://vid1322.photobucket.com/albums/u580/MeophamEast/Videos/VID_20161015_115111381_zpsalrnjwhq.mp4 My thanks, as always, to Dave and Charlie Petty. I have a couple of DJM Class 71s on order (via Hattons) and so I would expect their Class 74 to be equally superb. I do like the idea of getting the MTK kit working and as good as I can get it after all of the effort that has gone in to get it this far - high satisfaction quota. You may have noticed that I like to see trains running... Cheers Darius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 As its a big heavy lump that needs a bit of grunt to pull it, would any of the Highlevel motor bogies fit ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Darius43 Posted March 30, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 30, 2017 As its a big heavy lump that needs a bit of grunt to pull it, would any of the Highlevel motor bogies fit ? When it turned over the Lima motor was able to move the loco around at a decent lick. The key issue was power supply at low speed. Cheers Darius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 When it turned over the Lima motor was able to move the loco around at a decent lick. The key issue was power supply at low speed. Cheers Darius Well then if there is a motor bogie from Highlevel available that should solve the issues, especially if pickups are also fitted to the un- powered bogie, though a change of wheels may solve the issue with the Lima chassis unless the slow speed issues are the fault of the motor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltic9014 Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Hi Darius Re servicing the Lima motor bogie; I would suggest strip down and clean as per ktundu99's suggestion, but also go over all the gears (including those on the backs of the wheels) and trim off any bits of plastic flash. Lima gears were notoriously poor quality, but once the flash is removed the motor bogies run quite well. The class 33 bogie the older of the two basic designs they used, and I find these can be persuaded to run quieter and more smoothly than the newer ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Darius43 Posted March 31, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2017 Hi Darius Re servicing the Lima motor bogie; I would suggest strip down and clean as per ktundu99's suggestion, but also go over all the gears (including those on the backs of the wheels) and trim off any bits of plastic flash. Lima gears were notoriously poor quality, but once the flash is removed the motor bogies run quite well. The class 33 bogie the older of the two basic designs they used, and I find these can be persuaded to run quieter and more smoothly than the newer ones. Thanks for the heads up - I will give this a go. I also found a website called "diesel-trains.co.uk" that offers replacement motors for Lima locos: http://diesel-trains.co.uk/Lima_replacement_motor_kits.html Has anyone had any experience with these? Cheers Darius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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