Has anyone put a Lima 37 body on the Vi trains chassis.

[P.C.M]

I all,

I have just been thinking about putting the Vi trains 37 chassis under an old Lima body. Has anyone done this? How is the body attached to the chassis?

 

Cheers Peter.

[Raffles]

I all,

I have just been thinking about putting the Vi trains 37 chassis under an old Lima body. Has anyone done this? How is the body attached to the chassis?

 

Cheers Peter.

 

Hi Peter,

 

The Lima shell just sits on the chassis - there is no attachment to the chassis if you see what I mean. Once the conversion is complete, you need to lift the loco by it's fuel tanks.

[P.C.M]

Hi Peter,

 

The Lima shell just sits on the chassis - there is no attachment to the chassis if you see what I mean. Once the conversion is complete, you need to lift the loco by it's fuel tanks.

 

 

Thanks Raffles,

I guess I could do something myself to attach the body to the chassis.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Ragtag]

Hi Peter,

 

the ViTrains chassis is actually sold as a direct replacement for the old Lima one so there should be no problem with the fit, just with securing it as Raffles said. I think I read somewhere in Model Rail about fashioning suitable clips on the chassis using plasticard.

[Guest jim s-w]

Hi Peter

 

If this is as a result of seeing James' 37 remember that he heavily reprofiled the tumblehome. If you do that it will need mods to the chassis too.

 

HTH

 

Jim

[P.C.M]

Hi Peter,

 

the ViTrains chassis is actually sold as a direct replacement for the old Lima one so there should be no problem with the fit, just with securing it as Raffles said. I think I read somewhere in Model Rail about fashioning suitable clips on the chassis using plasticard.

 

Thanks Ragtag,

I did know about the replacement chassis, but what has got me thinking more recently is I could buy the whole loco for 39 quid and then sell the body making it even cheaper.

 

Cheers Peter.

[P.C.M]

Hi Peter

 

If this is as a result of seeing James' 37 remember that he heavily reprofiled the tumblehome. If you do that it will need mods to the chassis too.

 

HTH

 

Jim

 

 

Hi Jim,

It is partly James' fault but it has been on my mind for a while and as I said to Ragtag seeing the Vi 37 on special got me thinking again. I know James' 37 has the reprofiled tumblehome and it does look very good. I wont be doing this mod on my loco, its more for the sentimental reason of keeping my last Lima class 37 a bit more up to date and usable rather than stuck in a drawer.

Really it's just another long term project to go with the Lima class 40 body and Bachmann chassis and two Hornby class 25 bodys waiting to go onto Bachmann chassis which are sat under the the layout as we speak. Oh and I am looking for a cheap Hornby 31 for my Lima Loco.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Accurascale Fran]

I have done the conversion myself. I cut four lengths of plastic strip to cover the holes left where the cab door footsteps are on the body as these are where the lima securing tabs were. It filled in the big hole in the body that resulted when you pop the body onto the vitrains chassis. They also held the body on for me so it could lifted by the body. I finished it off by popping out the glazing unit and fitting some SE Finecast replacement glazing. I still lift it by the fuel tank though just to be on the safe side!

[James]

It is partly James' fault

 

If this is as a result of seeing James' 37 remember that he heavily reprofiled the tumblehome. If you do that it will need mods to the chassis too.

 

The tumblehome makes a huge visual difference, even to the extent where people have refused to believe that it was a Lima model beneath the mods! It wasn't so difficult to do, a length of 1/16" square brass rod was used as a straight edge to score inside the body and it was very carefully score the inside and form the tumblehome. It fitted agianst the ledge beneath the cab doors inside the body and made it easier that I thought it would be. You can see the original paint is largely undamged too -

 

 

Incidently, I think it was Alan Monk would first used this method. I'd used parts of the original Bachmann model to add this preiously -

 

 

But the Lima only body was a neater solution.

 

but it has been on my mind for a while and as I said to Ragtag seeing the Vi 37 on special got me thinking again. I know James' 37 has the reprofiled tumblehome and it does look very good. I wont be doing this mod on my loco, its more for the sentimental reason of keeping my last Lima class 37 a bit more up to date and usable rather than stuck in a drawer.

 

The Lima frame needed siginificant modifications for the rebuilt body to fit over it but if you're using a standard Vi Train chassis, a modified body should fit as the Vi body has the tumblehome.

[P.C.M]

I have done the conversion myself. I cut four lengths of plastic strip to cover the holes left where the cab door footsteps are on the body as these are where the lima securing tabs were. It filled in the big hole in the body that resulted when you pop the body onto the vitrains chassis. They also held the body on for me so it could lifted by the body. I finished it off by popping out the glazing unit and fitting some SE Finecast replacement glazing. I still lift it by the fuel tank though just to be on the safe side!

 

 

Thanks for the extra info.

 

Cheers Peter.

[P.C.M]

 

 

 

The tumblehome makes a huge visual difference, even to the extent where people have refused to believe that it was a Lima model beneath the mods! It wasn't so difficult to do, a length of 1/16" square brass rod was used as a straight edge to score inside the body and it was very carefully score the inside and form the tumblehome. It fitted agianst the ledge beneath the cab doors inside the body and made it easier that I thought it would be. You can see the original paint is largely undamged too -

 

 

Incidently, I think it was Alan Monk would first used this method. I'd used parts of the original Bachmann model to add this preiously -

 

 

But the Lima only body was a neater solution.

 

 

 

The Lima frame needed siginificant modifications for the rebuilt body to fit over it but if you're using a standard Vi Train chassis, a modified body should fit as the Vi body has the tumblehome.

 

 

Hi James,

Thanks, I like how you have done the tumblehome, the fact that it doesn't effect the paint means I might have to give it a go. I do have a spare lima 37 body so I will have a practise run.

 

Thanks again cheers Peter.

[steviesparx]

Thanks Ragtag,

I did know about the replacement chassis, but what has got me thinking more recently is I could buy the whole loco for 39 quid and then sell the body making it even cheaper.

 

Cheers Peter.

 

The 'whole loco' is available for £29.99 plus postage at Kernow, particularly good as you're not fussy about the livery...

http://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/product/22802/V2052_ViTrains_Models_Class_37_CoCo_Diesel_Locomotive

[P.C.M]

The 'whole loco' is available for £29.99 plus postage at Kernow, particularly good as you're not fussy about the livery...

http://www.kernowmod...esel_Locomotive

 

 

Thanks for that, ordered one yesterday.

 

Cheers Peter.