Motorising a wagon 'kit'

[Combe Martin]

I'm thinking of motorising a RTR milk tanker so that it can shunt other milk tanks at a milk depot where they probably used what I think are called 'pinch bars' to move tankers by hand.

 

Does anyone know of a kit (probably etched brass) that will do this.

    

[Fat Controller]

'Branchlines' may do something

[Moxy]

High Level kits make some low profile motor bogies that may be adaptable.

 

https://www.highlevelkits.co.uk/bogies

[ColinK]

LocosnStuff can probably make you a motorised chassis to fit.

[decauville1126]

Kitmaster did a motorised box van way back for 00 - basically a meat van body with a motor bogie seemingly cloned from Triang's one as used in their suburban emu and MetCam diesel railcar. But this would be impossible to disguise in a round-bottom milk tanker.

 

If you do go down the underfloor motor bogie route then be prepared to lose all see-through areas beneath the solebars, and also be restricted to 4-wheelers. Measure the wheelbase on a wagon then see what motor bogie options there might be. Tenshodo/Hanazono are relatively inexpensive if they have one that suits. And sometimes ebay can have something from way back that might do. 1 or 2mm out won't show too much. The HighLevel unit is superb but does require steady soldering assembly, but the quality is excellent across their whole range.

 

Good luck with your quest. Some setups used capstans and rope haulage, and I do wonder if pinch barring a full tanker would be extremely difficult. 

 

Another (wild) thought is some form of underboard magnet on wound rope - perhaps even motorised - that would just require suitable experimentation with neo magnets and steel plates?

Edited October 17, 2023 by decauville1126
Grammar

[009 micro modeller]

2 hours ago, Combe Martin said:

I'm thinking of motorising a RTR milk tanker so that it can shunt other milk tanks at a milk depot where they probably used what I think are called 'pinch bars' to move tankers by hand.

 

Does anyone know of a kit (probably etched brass) that will do this.

    

 

53 minutes ago, ColinK said:

LocosnStuff can probably make you a motorised chassis to fit.

I am using a motor bogie from LocosnStuff as part of my transporter wagon project, which also involves motorising wagons: 

I’m not entirely sure how well it would fit into a milk tanker but so far it is excellent in the open wagon it’s powering.

 

Edit: yes, as noted above it does mean there’s no longer clear space around the wheels, but I was willing to compromise on this to get it running well.

Edited October 17, 2023 by 009 micro modeller

[009 micro modeller]

2 hours ago, Moxy said:

High Level kits make some low profile motor bogies that may be adaptable.

 

https://www.highlevelkits.co.uk/bogies

They also used to do the Fly Shunter which was for exactly this purpose. As covered in my previous threads on this though it’s sadly not available any more because the motors for it are out of production.