Laurie Griffin motion

[ChooChoo_Baloo]

I spent an enjoyable few hours wandering around teh Reading show on Saturday. Something that I added to my 'to be researched' list was the excellent inside motion kits sold by Laurie Griffin. I have a few questions I would like other users who have used these kits to help with please:

 

Are they fairly easy to fit for a relative beginner in O gauge with a normal choice of hand tools?

I assume that they cannot be used where plunger pickups are fitted on a model?

I assume that each motion kit is designed for a range of generic engine ie one kit will do pretty much any 0-6-0 tank engine?

 

Many thanks in advance.

[Guest Isambarduk]

“Are they fairly easy to fit for a relative beginner in O gauge with a normal choice of hand tools?”

 

Well, ‘fairly easy’, ‘beginner (in 0 gauge)’ and ‘hand tools’, I would say “just about”, I would certainly encourage you to have a go. The castings are beautifully made and they certainly work when all the fitting is done.

 

“I assume that they cannot be used where plunger pickups are fitted on a model?”

 

Inside motion is always going to be in the way of something, in my experience and I have had to relocate plunger pickups so they do not foul but there other means: split-axle, tender pickups in addition, bogie pickups, wipers, etc. It can always be accommodated, although your tank engine is going to be a greater challenge than most.

 

“I assume that each motion kit is designed for a range of generic engine ie one kit will do pretty much any 0-6-0 tank engine?”

 

Yes, that is my understanding. I have generally made my own inside motion (Mad? Yes, I know but I started this ‘game’ before Laurie produced his castings) but I did put a generic Joy valve gear in my LNWR Cauliflower, although I seem to remember that the kit was originally intended for a NER 0-6-0T (could be wrong, but it was something like that). Some of the motion parts need to be cut to length to suit your prototype and the instructions do give some pointers on this. In the end, I would say, treat the kit as a set of excellent castings that you can work with to achieve your aim; it is not a kit of parts that you can just assemble following step 1, step 2, etc. without a bit of thought and application.

 

By way of encouragement, I have a video clip of the frames of my LNWR Cauliflower (www.davidlosmith.co.uk/LNWR_Cauliflower_Express_Goods.htm) that shows the Joy valve gear in motion – rather pleasing (even if the quality of the video clip is not brilliant). I have clips of three valve gears: www.davidlosmith.co.uk/Valve-Gears.htm but the clip of the Joy valve gear is at www.davidlosmith.co.uk/videos/JoyGear.MPG

 

Hope this helps.

 

David