Ye olde Triang-Hornby L1 4-4-0

[cypherman]

The old Triang L1. I still have mine in a box some where. It was the first engine I ever tried to update with wire handrails, real coal and a new paint job, Plus extra buffer beam fittings. I did this when I was 13 so that's over 45 years ago. It shows my then very limited experience and talent in modifying an engine. I keep it as it has fond memories for me.

Edited April 9, 2018 by cypherman

[hayfield]

G'Day Gents

 

If you want to give yourself a bit more work, you can try this, if you have a 'plate' type chassis, dig out the middle, which allows you to fit in a smaller Hornby motor, I later replaced the wheels with Romfords.

 

manna

 

 

If the L1 has a chassis similar to the old Jinty and Nellie/Polly chassis, The Jinth being screwed together, the 0-4-0 having rivets. Take them apart and reduce the size of the centre metal blocks. You can either use the Romford Triang replacement axles, or bush the chassis with 1/8th ID top hat bearings and use any wheelset with 1/8th axles, this latter adaption will allow the use of a modern motor gearbox combination 

[janw]

Many thanks for these ideas. My impression so far of the motor itself is not at all bad, and I like saving some of the original character of the model, so I wanted to try improve the running by changing the worm+gear only. I will contact Ultrascale to find out how this conversion is done.

[hayfield]

Many thanks for these ideas. My impression so far of the motor itself is not at all bad, and I like saving some of the original character of the model, so I wanted to try improve the running by changing the worm+gear only. I will contact Ultrascale to find out how this conversion is done.

 

If you have not got one already get an older controller, H&M Duette or the Variable resistance one both of which are more in tune with this older style of motor

[Sandhole]

I'm sorry, I'm getting up on my soapbox.

The XO4, worm and gear combination is a great piece of kit.

I have umpteen locos with this combination, ranging from kit built, scratchbuilt to Triang origionals.

I am not DCC, I'm analogue, running straight Dc controllers. An eldritich combination of H&M, ORBIT, remember them?? Smoothest straight DC controller I have owned, sadly missed with only one of a dual unit working properly!! Guagemaster.

A well set up XO4 is controllable, powerful and silent.

Thanks to Scalespeed, it is fully repairable as well. More than can be said for Mashima, Portescap etc!!

Am I saying it is the only power unit? No, of course not! I am saying that it deserves to be considered in applications suited for it.

I realise you have to mount it in a chassis specifically, but don'y discount or dismiss it just 'cos it 'aint cool!!!!

If you are going to, let me and Coachbogie know, we'll have 'em!!!!!

                    Grumpy Chris!!!!

[hayfield]

I'm sorry, I'm getting up on my soapbox.

The XO4, worm and gear combination is a great piece of kit.

I have umpteen locos with this combination, ranging from kit built, scratchbuilt to Triang origionals.

I am not DCC, I'm analogue, running straight Dc controllers. An eldritich combination of H&M, ORBIT, remember them?? Smoothest straight DC controller I have owned, sadly missed with only one of a dual unit working properly!! Guagemaster.

A well set up XO4 is controllable, powerful and silent.

Thanks to Scalespeed, it is fully repairable as well. More than can be said for Mashima, Portescap etc!!

Am I saying it is the only power unit? No, of course not! I am saying that it deserves to be considered in applications suited for it.

I realise you have to mount it in a chassis specifically, but don'y discount or dismiss it just 'cos it 'aint cool!!!!

If you are going to, let me and Coachbogie know, we'll have 'em!!!!!

                    Grumpy Chris!!!!

 

 

Very interesting thoughts !!

 

Certainly the loco I have with a Portescape runs far better than anything that came out of Margate, as do my Mashima's especially when used with on of Chris's High Level gearboxes and a flywheel.

 

But you are quite correct in that if you use the correct controller with the X04 it works far better. In addition I have found in practice that by exchanging the X04 for a MW/Airfix MRRC 5 pole motor the Margate chassis work even better.  

 

The X04 is a workhorse and puts up with a lot of abuse, but like all things, technology has moved on (I still work on DC not DCC)

[Sandhole]

I totally agree with you.

I am saying don't dismiss the XO4 out of hand.

The MW005 is a good powerdrive if you get a good one. They can be slightly more fragile than the XO4.

That being sid, the first complete kit I built, an L&Y 2-4-2 still has the same MW005 in it that it had fitted 40 odd years ago. She has to warm up, but still hauls trains to Manchester Oldham Road.

The brass block chassis is more worn!!!!

She shouldn't work, but she does!!!!!

                         Chris.

[Middlesea John]

Please may i refer you to my thread of some time ago.  it may help.   http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/100811-the-proper-l1/

[Il Grifone]

The XO4 was a little miracle of mass produced precision engineering (and British, dammit Carruthers) in it's day, about as good as it got for a 3-pole open frame motor,  Even with the 20:1 gearing it could turn in a decent slow running controlled performance, and with Romford gears of higher ratios was excellent.  Of course, if you put Rommy gears on a loco, you probably re-motored it with a Bulldog or a Terrier as well, so the XO4 got a bit sidelined as a serious contender; the fact that it came from Triang, a 'toy' manufacturer, didn't help much either.  

 

A good little motor and, in my view, very underrated. 

 

It was also a lot cheaper (about 1/3rd the price IIRC) of a 'Bulldog'). The 'Terrier' (or at least the one I had) overheated and wouldn't pull anything (22/11d against 12/10d IIRC)