Dunsignalling

Hello again, Ray,

The corridor connector on the Thompson is a bit too high but the Hornby one is too low.

Picures of the real thing show the top of the end plate more-or-less level with the roof.

I have fitted Roger Keen's resin ones with sprung covers to my Thompson and they do look marginally lower.

I will (at some point) have a go at fitting some to the Gresley.

John

Ray

Not sure if this would actually work out but it occurs to me that, by fitting old style bogies on to a new coach, the height might come out right without any other mods?

John

Mine were the older type. I haven't seen the new ones so don't know if there are any other differences.

John

Hi Ray,

Lowering is quite simple and replacement bogies are available in case of error! My method is:

1. Remove the bogies and cut off the tags on the mounting bosses that limit their rotation.

2. Cut two pieces of 40 thou plastic sheet the same size as the crossmembers of the bogies. Make holes in the centre to fit over the (now circular) bosses.

3. Enlarge the original holes in the bogies so they will clear the wider part of the bosses.

4. Glue the new parts on the bottom of the bogies and refit. I add some small (Peco) fibre washers to the screws to prevent pinching. The coach will run best if one bogie is fairly 'floppy'.

The coach will ride lower by the thickness of the bogie crossmember.

Depending on curves and gradients on your layout it may also be necessary to remove the protrusions on the top corners of the bogies to prevent fouling.

Hope this helps

John

I have a modified Bachmann Thompson BG that tips the scales at 157g.

It is lowered on its bogies and fitted with Roger Keen sprung corridors and Close coupler units with Kadee #19 heads.

All underframe detail (except the truss rods) has been replaced with MJT castings. No extra ballast has been added and it runs very nicely.

The Hornby Gresley seems a bit 'bouncy' by comparison and has derailed once or twice. I think it may be a bit too light to keep the Close-coupler linkages properly under control and intend to bring it up to about the same weight.

John