Trix AL1 running again

[Virgil]

Good work!

It's good to see another rescued and working Trix loco back on the rails, to me they are a more

interesting alternative due to their engineering than the Triang and even Hornby Dublo competition.

Did you try Knurling the axle ends by rolling a sharp file on the axle ends, it's surprisingly effective?

[andyman7]

1 hour ago, Virgil said:

Good work!

It's good to see another rescued and working Trix loco back on the rails, to me they are a more

interesting alternative due to their engineering than the Triang and even Hornby Dublo competition.

Did you try Knurling the axle ends by rolling a sharp file on the axle ends, it's surprisingly effective?

I'll keep in mind the knurling technique, the solder worked for me this time though

[andyman7]

Spotted in an auction house last week who really ought to have known better was this 'Unknown Make E3001 in a Liliput box'. I spotted hat it was one of the early Miniature Construction ones, popped  a bid in and won it.

I had assumed it would be an upgrade from my other one but it turns out it's the second release. The very first ones were moulded in a grey plastic and sold under the Liliput banner, catalogued '3000'. The second batch were marketed by Trix but still with the Liliput name - 'Liliput plus Trix co-operation', with a matt finish, white plastic and revised pantographs; although described in the Matthewman Trix bible its not illustrated but this is definitely one of the second type. The first photo below shows the new acquisition on the left and my other earlier type Miniature Construction one on the right.

It came in a Liliput box but which has no over-label, however I very much think this is the original box it came in. There is some corrosion on the pantograph heads but it is clean and very original looking - I find it extremely hard to find any Trix/Liliput E3001s that haven't been messed around with as they were sold very much to modellers and by heck they do like fiddling with stuff 🙂

[roythebus1]

A good model that's stood the test of time.

[cctransuk]

7 minutes ago, roythebus1 said:

A good model that's stood the test of time.

 

I have an AL1 body - acquired from Dapol when they were testing the Trix moulds - that is halfway through being married to a modified Hornby Class 86 chassis.

 

The nuptials have been on hold for longer than I care to remember!

 

One day .........!

 

CJI.

[roythebus1]

I've got an 81 body part-converted to an 86! Plus the bogies to go with it. :) I made one into an 85 many years ago.

[giz]

2 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

I have an AL1 body - acquired from Dapol when they were testing the Trix moulds - that is halfway through being married to a modified Hornby Class 86 chassis.

 

The nuptials have been on hold for longer than I care to remember!

 

One day .........!

 

CJI.

So have I:

 

 

[andyman7]

11 hours ago, giz said:

So have I:

 

 

 

13 hours ago, roythebus1 said:

I've got an 81 body part-converted to an 86! Plus the bogies to go with it. :) I made one into an 85 many years ago.

 

13 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

I have an AL1 body - acquired from Dapol when they were testing the Trix moulds - that is halfway through being married to a modified Hornby Class 86 chassis.

 

The nuptials have been on hold for longer than I care to remember!

 

One day .........!

 

CJI.

I won't 'show you mine' as it's in a box tucked away but I too (and I suspect others as well) have a project based on using one of these unpainted bodies 🙂

I'm not sure whether Dapol ever ran the mould as their acquisition included spare bits from British Trix and I think these may just have been the unused bodies from the Wrexham plant. I remember they were being sold at £4 each but now change hands for around £30 when they appear.
I'm wondering maybe a 'group build' could move these into the realms of the living....?
Although the Liliput/Trix model is very impressive for its time, the opportunity to make an accurate as possible a model from the moulding is difficult to resist.

[roythebus1]

The main fault with the Trix model is the bogie wheelbase as we've discussed before. The lat Adrian Swain of ABS Models done the patterns to fit an existing bogie casting. Otherwise I'm not aware of any major things wrong with it. Nothing that the right size buffers and super-detailing won't put right. 

[cctransuk]

1 hour ago, roythebus1 said:

The main fault with the Trix model is the bogie wheelbase as we've discussed before. The lat Adrian Swain of ABS Models done the patterns to fit an existing bogie casting. Otherwise I'm not aware of any major things wrong with it. Nothing that the right size buffers and super-detailing won't put right. 

 

My conclusion, too - and the Hornby 86 chassis fits perfectly once the length is adjusted.

 

Mines got the black nylon Oleo buffers from MTK.

 

John Isherwood.

[andyman7]

Here are examples of two of the final versions of this model, by now sold under the Liliput banner and made in small numbers in the 1980s. The '81 007' and '81 014' versions required the E3001 numerals to be shaved off the cabsides. The 81 007 is as made except for the substitution of wire loops for the Trix style couplings. The yellow incorrectly extended down to the bufferbeam. The 81014 as it came to me had the bufferbeams painted black and the roof well painted dark grey; I just added paper 'domino' headcodes and data panels (both removable) but otherwise this model is pretty much as it was made and it looks amazingly good.

[roythebus1]

It needs air tanks on the roof in tops days. :)

[andyman7]

11 hours ago, roythebus1 said:

It needs air tanks on the roof in tops days. :)

Yes of course, but bear in mind that for me these these are historical models - I have a separate fleet of scale models! However, given that 81014 has already had some work done I might try and find some suitable tanks that I can attach with black tack or suitable. Work in progress!

[roythebus1]

Luckily I found the air tanks in my Metropolitan Railway F class loco were the right size for the job. :) My models were converted back in the early 1980s. :). Oh, and I've just found some spare bogie sideframes. Clearing out thre railway room after an invasion of mice!