dean goods

[huanda]

Has anyone successfully fitted a motorised chassis (comet) to a Hornby dean goods loco to replace the tender drive which is rubbish?

[The Fatadder]

Not sure about fitting a comet chassis, but I have definitely seen a blog detailing the fitting of the high level version. Not sure if it was on the forum though so you may have to google

 

There are a couple of good threads on here describing the building the high level chassis for the 14xx, pannier and collett goods. The construction of their dean chassis being very similar.

I've done the14xx and I'm half way through the collett, the former being my first attempt at an etched chassis.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

There's a simpler and more economical option, which I used to make loco drive versions of Hornby steamers when they were only using push along drive (This because traction tyre dependent tender drives are pretty useless outdoors: plenty of weight on metal drivers is the thing.) Get yourself a motor and gearbox from a supplier like Branchlines, Comet, High Level; 'slot' the chassis around whichever is the convenient axle to take the drive, strip out the tender and fit it with a replacement underframe. The ex-Airfix locos with a plastic loco chassis are especially easy, did a 4F for a mate and it was a doddle; and apart from finding a  suitably compact motor and gear arrangement I should think the Dean would be reasonably trouble free.

[wagonman]

I had one almost complete using a Perseverance chassis, but then along came the Highlevel version which is so much better. It is an eminently do-able modification, even in 00, using either the Comet, Highlevel or 'Percy' kits.

 

I would recommend taking the drive to the rear axle, for what it's worth.

[brossard]

I did a conversion using the (no longer available) Perserverance chassis, Romford wheels and gearbox.  It's running qualities were much enhanced relative to the tender drive.  However, being light on its' feet, it couldn't pull much - then again, it didn't really need to.  I did this eons ago and sold it.  I don't even have a picture

 

I expect the High Level kit and gearbox will be even better - I have a great regard for their products.

 

John

[naugytrax]

I would recommend taking the drive to the rear axle

 Could you explain why? My feeling would be that if you can drive the center axle of a 6-coupled loco, you only get one set of coupling rod/crankpin slop per side instead of two, and this should surely create a smoother motion?

[Siberian Snooper]

Hi

 

I currently have a Comet in 00 and a High Level in EM chassis on the construction blocks at the moment, but progress is very slow going, this is due to very little modelling time being available at this time.

 

The Comet chassis version is the furthest advanced, I have managed to get the body weight up to nearly 100 grams, I just need to fit the motor, gearbox and wheels.

 

The High Level chassis needs to be trued up after fitting the inside valve gear, as I built up one side and then fitted the other frame, but I failed to realize that I had not got the bearings in the same plane in the frames when fitting all the bits on to the Hobby Holidays chassis jig and therefore needs a bit of reworking as and when time permits.

 

SS

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

 Could you explain why? My feeling would be that if you can drive the center axle of a 6-coupled loco, you only get one set of coupling rod/crankpin slop per side instead of two, and this should surely create a smoother motion?

 I should think that the thought behind this is concealing the drive line within the firebox/cab. (There's really no problem driving an end axle on a six coupled, and it allows the centre axle to be sprung, a very simple recipe for better pick up reliability in OO.) Take the drive down directly to the centre axle and it typically intrudes in what should be an air gap between the top of the frames and the bottom of the boiler.

 

If you want to drive on the center axle and fully conceal the drive it should be possible by taking the gear train down through the the firebox, and then using a supplementary extension  to the gear box (I have used the Branchlines  product) to add an extra stage at ninety degrees, going forward to the centre axle, all concealed in the frames.

[Il Grifone]

 I should think that the thought behind this is concealing the drive line within the firebox/cab. (There's really no problem driving an end axle on a six coupled, and it allows the centre axle to be sprung, a very simple recipe for better pick up reliability in OO.) Take the drive down directly to the centre axle and it typically intrudes in what should be an air gap between the top of the frames and the bottom of the boiler.

 

If you want to drive on the center axle and fully conceal the drive it should be possible by taking the gear train down through the the firebox, and then using a supplementary extension  to the gear box (I have used the Branchlines  product) to add an extra stage at ninety degrees, going forward to the centre axle, all concealed in the frames.

Some sideplay to go round curves (how much depends on the radius) is necessary and it aids stability if sideplay is confined to the centre axle*. Meshing problems with the gear drive are minimised by limiting sideplay in the driven axle.

 

* Obviously a small amount is required to allow the wheels to revolve freely, but it should be minimal - there's more than enough slop between wheel and rail in 00 as it is.

[wagonman]

 Could you explain why? My feeling would be that if you can drive the center axle of a 6-coupled loco, you only get one set of coupling rod/crankpin slop per side instead of two, and this should surely create a smoother motion?

 

For the reasons already given by Il Grifone and 34theletterbetweenB&D. A rigid chassis, over-sloppy coupling rods and a great big brass gear grinning out at you from under the boiler, while it might have been state-of-the-art in the 1950s,  doesn't really cut it in the 21st century.

[RosiesBoss]

Hello everyone,

I also have had mixed success with the Mainline/Hornby Dean Goods. I purchased a Hornby one new and, until recently, it ran well. The Mainline ones (bought or given as second hand) have been very mixed.

Among other things, the traction tyres can lead to derailments of the tender, so replacement tyre specs can be critical to success/failure. I have had some success in using "Bullfrog Snot" instead of tyres, but this can also run roughly if not applied well.

I did use a smooth-running Mainline tender in the kitbashing of GWR 908, as detailed in http://www.gwr.org.uk/nocamrys5.html:


This left me with a nice body in the scrapbox. When other examples started to misbehave, close to my club's model railway show in Nov 2012, I chose to do a "cheap and dirty" motorising job, as I wanted to include at least one Dean Goods in my 1930s Mid-Wales display.

My scrapbox held the following:

• Wills/Finecast 1854 class chassis block (which has a suitable wheelbase!)
• Suitable Romford wheels and gears
• Tri-ang X04 motor with 5-pole MRRC armature
• New rare-earth magnet for X04 motor

I assembled the chassis using the above bits and then replaced the Mainline plastic chassis with it, opening up the underside of the body just enough to accept it.



There was still room for a small amount of lead in the smokebox for extra traction.

A new tender was adapted from an old spare from an ancient Airfix kit, upgraded with new handrails, wheels etc and painted to match the Dean Goods.

This work took only a few days and resulted in a very smooth running loco, suitable for shunting on my sharply curved terminus to fiddleyard layout.



This is, of course, and "old school" approach, and it doesn't have the finely detailed chassis that comes from a modern etched kit, but this quick project gave me a model that runs well and can take its turn on the layout without fear of failure.

Regards,

Rob

[Happy Hippo]

See Geoff Forster's blog: http://thechroniclesofpenhydd.blogspot.co.uk/

 

There is an article on such a conversion using the Comet Chassis.

 

Regards

 

Richard

[Coach bogie]

Personally I did not bother with the Mainline Dean. With a plastic body, pulling power was always going to be an issue. I settled for a second hand 50 year old K's kit, bought for less than the price of a replacement chassis, wheels, motor and added extra detail, brake gear etc. The casting may not match the molding qulality of modern polymers, but it will pull forty wagons with ease.

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

Just remembered the other benefit that also steered me in this direction. You do not get that aweful lump of coal moulding on the tender  -instead a proper contoured tender that you can put a more realistic coal load in.

 

MW