Lima shunter

[Mainlinefreighter58]

After attempts to reshape a warped body shell failed and spares being pennies I decided to start again with the project so in what is a large picture dump here is limas continental shunter it’ll end up in Railfreight grey 

[Mainlinefreighter58]

[russ p]

Am I right in  thinking this model is based on an American Plymouth switcher

[Mainlinefreighter58]

5 minutes ago, russ p said:

Am I right in  thinking this model is based on an American Plymouth switcher

i have no idea i wasnt sure if it was a continental one or an american one. 

[Moxy]

59 minutes ago, russ p said:

Am I right in  thinking this model is based on an American Plymouth switcher

 

Yes, very loosely based on a Plymouth switcher.

 

This EBT example is pretty close to the Lima model

 

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1261998

 

[33C]

Often wondered about cutting it down, just in front of the radiator and behind the cab then reattaching the buffer beams, with simple wire loop coupling bar. May help to anglicise it more and improve the proportions. One day....

Don't forget to glaze, and crew, the cab!

[Mainlinefreighter58]

I still wanted it to look like a lima shunter just in british. I think the railfreight grey with red banding will suit it 

[The Johnster]

Tbh your problem is going to be that very few British shunting engines looked much like this loco.  Typically, those used by BR did not have the large platforms ahead of the bonnet, though some had the structure behind the cab, and all had coupling rod drive, often from jackshafts.  The Lima, even as a basically H0 model running on 00 layouts, is physically enormous, close to the loading gauge limits, whereas the BR prototypes were much smaller (except the 350hp family).  You could probably fit a 6-coupled mech in there...  Industrials could be more like this model in general appearance, but, again, the majority had inside frames and coupling rod drive.  Your photos illustrate another issue; the buffers are far too high when you compare the height above the rail with those of the 7-plankers.  Buffer heads need to be a larger diameter as well, as engines with wheelbases as short as this were usually required to work around sharp curvature, and large buffers were needed to prevent override or buffer locking. 

 

There are/were some outside framed industrial shunting locos in the UK, notably some chunky Brush/Bagnalls used in South Wales steelworks; these are too big for the main line loading gauge.

[alastairq]

8 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Your photos illustrate another issue; the buffers are far too high when you compare the height above the rail with those of the 7-plankers. 

 

Could some of that discrepancy be down to the size of the flanges on the Lima wheels?

[GeraldH]

Here's three versions that have seen service on the BNR. The earliest one used a Mainline J72 chassis and has since been retired.  The later ones use a Hornby Jinty chassis and a Hornby Toby chassis.  Various bits from old 06 and 08 bodies have been used to Bongliscise them -  see my BNR layout thread if that doesn't make sense 🙃.  Ones with the original mechanism have also seen service with added front couplings, glazing and a lot of additional weight.  The original Lima one is quite high geared and the wheels need a lot of cleaning.  These locos/bodies can be picked up very cheaply and being quite wide it's fairly easy to fit alternative mechanisms in.

 

[Mainlinefreighter58]

Not having the skills of some of you guys the modifications are limited to the horns on the roof, I high intensity light on the rear as it’ll mostly be running backwards, it’s had peters spares finer scale wheels fitted and it is suiting its rail freight livery 

[Halvarras]

A lot of creativity going on here with a model I'd almost forgotten about! I particularly like the Lima/Hornby Class 06 cab combo, inspired and very neatly done too 👍!

 

I shouldn't really be looking at this as I'm currently having more than enough fun with an old Tri-ang NBL shunter. Knowing my luck I'll now stumble across one of these Lima locos in the near future and be unable to resist - after all it was (almost) numbered as an NBL shunter itself so there is a (very tenuous) link between the two. 

[Northmoor]

On 23/04/2024 at 19:28, 33C said:

Often wondered about cutting it down, just in front of the radiator and behind the cab then reattaching the buffer beams, with simple wire loop coupling bar. May help to anglicise it more and improve the proportions. One day....

Don't forget to glaze, and crew, the cab!

You mean like this:

 

It's painted yellow now as it's intended as  Blue Circle-liveried loco, but still unfinished (also needs couplings, glazing and some sort of cab interior.  The two biggest improvements you can make to these models are to reduce the size of the radiator grille and shorten the whole model, especially the cab.

[33C]

That looks in much better proportion. I agree about the grill. Removing the piece between the windscreens may also benefit the look.

[Northmoor]

2 minutes ago, 33C said:

That looks in much better proportion. I agree about the grill. Removing the piece between the windscreens may also benefit the look.

That's the exhaust, in a common position for industrial shunters.  Need to go and dig mine out now (I think I have a production line of six Lima Plymouths, started about four years ago).

[Halvarras]

50 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

You mean like this:

 

It's painted yellow now as it's intended as  Blue Circle-liveried loco, but still unfinished (also needs couplings, glazing and some sort of cab interior.  The two biggest improvements you can make to these models are to reduce the size of the radiator grille and shorten the whole model, especially the cab.

 

Oi, cut it out! Never mind "stumbling across one", at this rate you'll have me going out in search of one 😀!!

 

You're right about the exhaust, and nothing wrong with keeping it like that. I'll probably remove it and insert a piece of brass tubing somewhere, just to be different.........er, I mean I would do that, if  I were to stumble across one I went out in search of........[I think I need therapy!]

 

Nice though, I like that.