Minitrains 009/HOe Diesel Exposed

[ngtrains.com]

"Completely Redesigned Chassis" the website proclaimed.

"How? With what? asked the customers. Only one thing for it, take one to bits.

First impressions are the new model is heavier than its older version but whats inside

Firstly the body is a tight fit but it just pulls up and off the chassis. Underneath the keep plate announces the inevitable Chineese origin but shows spur gears conectung the drive between axles. From the side it can be seen that its pretty chunky cast chassis whilst the top view reveals what looks like a Mashima moter in there. The slot down the middle gives another clue to the construction in that it is a split chassis for power pick up.

The loco has a cab light and a look up into the cab shows a circuit board on the underside of the roof. The cab light is on this as a surface mount LED - thats another change from the original as I doubt they had been invented back then - Connection to the chassis is the two strips that trap between the cab and the chassis.

The keeper plate clips to the chassis detail surround and unclipping them allows them to come away from the cast chassis.

The side view shows the brass strip that fits over the axle ends and a couple of pegs on the chassis to connect them electrically

Unclip the brass strips and the wheels come out. Undo three screws and the two chassis halves come apart revealing the gears and the motor. The motor is located at each end by a plastic diaphragm which locates on the round boss on the motor and into cast in slots in the chassis.

 

Now all I have to do is put it back together to make sure it works on DC [should have checked that before I disembowled it], take it apart again and fit a decoder [i'll write that up if I get round to it] and then personalise it a bit - I feel flush glazing coming on.

 

The steam loco seems as heavy so I would imagine it has a similar construction but I'm not taking one of them apart until I have got the diesel back together again. Having scrificed a loco for the greater good I would just point out that should you feel inspired you can buy one here Minitrains

 

[Kenton]

Thanks for that detail. Before you put it back together can you give us sme dimensions for the chassis and its block + wheel base/size?

 

It looks like a bit of a lump but as it has some serious weight it may be of use under a brass dome.

 

As I have said elsewhere, it does seem expensive just for a chassis (dumping the US style body).

 

I suppose the only other questions are noise, smoothness of running, and of course reliability.

 

I am a bit surprised at the open frame dirt collector used instead of a can motor in this day and age.

[ngtrains.com]

Will do, but it'll be sometime later this week. Customers commissions are top of the pile for now.

[ngtrains.com]

I said I would come back with further chassis details. I just didnt think it would take this long.

Anyway the results of the measuring are shown below. Its worth pointing out that the measurements can vary a bit depending just where the calipers land as a lot of the surfaces have slight tapers on them

Weights are: - Just the naked chassis 49.7g full loco 56.1g

 

It runs quite nicely too although its only gone round and round in circles so far

 

 

[Kenton]

Thanks for those measurements and taking the trouble.

 

It certainly looks like it could be a useful chassis.

Though I must still admit I do have a real problem (probably just emotional) about taking a perfectly serviceable and new model and breaking it just to get at its innards for ulterior purposes.

[Brown Boveri 2]

Looks substantial, can anyone advise from experience the slow running qualities of the two mechanisms?