halfwit

The top mounting bracket above the magnet is correct for a DS, having the shelf for the lamp housing (the thread type also differs between DS and TC mounting brackets). However, that part could easily have been changed. The pick-ups are of the early flat brass type rather than wire, as per the 1960 and older service sheets that you kindly posted before. There's possibly an age gap of up to 17 years between body and chassis. It will probably be re-wheeled at some stage, in line with the rest of my DSs (apart from my original childhood loco, which can stay as is).

Oddly enough Dock Shunter wheels and buffers were on my mind recently, I came home from a local toy fair last weekend with one that has the later buffers (stocks moulded onto the buffer beam and separate heads as described above) and knurled wheels. Black body with the number 3. I can only assume that the body and chassis are from two different models, or that wheels were swapped at some stage. My original model, from the early seventies has the older style buffers and smooth wheels.

Just spotted this, re-profiled wheels on eBay (Dock Shunters etc.).

Printed reproduction clips can now be had from eBay (linkity link). I've had some Trancontinental diesel bogie skirts from the same seller (usual disclaimer), there are some print lines but they fit well and look good enough for me. And very cheap as well! My own Giraffe Car gets used with Kato Unitrack, and to make her duck I blutack a strip of bent metal cut from a sardine can between the rails, the top of the metal strip need to be level (or just under) rail height. Hope that helps.

Yes, its the fact that the two armature types share the same part number that caught me out. Both DS and DMU bogies share the same 37mm wheelbase, but the DMU type is slightly shorter. All of my examples are fitted with ball bearings.

Yes they do, I have examples of both. But I have a DS that doesn't run too well, so I tried to fit a DMU armature, which shares the same part number.

Thanks for the replies. I did look at early slot car motors on eBay hoping to find one that would fit, but to no avail. It seems odd that a can was used just for this model. A mystery!

Thanks for the replies, just curious really. Regarding an earlier query of mine concerning armatures, Dock Tank armatures are longer than those fitted to the DMU(?) type bogies - 61mm and 58mm long respectively. So this afternoon's job swapping parts over was a waste of time.

I've just aquired a Transcontinental diesel (R159) and I'm curious to know if all the diesel/electric Transconti. range were fitted with knurled wheels? I'm considering re-wheeling mine as I have done previously with a couple of Dock Shunters. Which may be considered sacrilege!

A question if I may. I have a Turbo Car with a broken motor. It looks like that motor is from a non-railway range, possibly slot car, can anyone identify it so I can search for a replacement? As for Battlespace, I have a complete satellite wagon and a couple minus their satellites, to replace my childhood one that went the way of things. Great fun!

'Tis a nice kit. Mine was built to EM (seen here), re-gauging the spud is easily done and the weight of the body tames the thing. I've built a Planet and the Sentinel as well (now out of production I believe), and there's a second Planet kit awaiting its day (I may just scratch up a chassis for that one).

Profile turning and boring need to be done in the same set-up for maximum concentricity. Which is what I do, parting off after then facing to length. Although using a watchmakers step collet would improve matters if one did need to bore after turning for any reason.

At the moment, it does seem that Fohrmann won't supply to the UK, in the future maybe they will, so mentioning them is I believe relevant. And not everyone on here lives in the UK. Anyway, here's one in use holding a wheel to be faced to length;

Fohrman also make stepped chucks which can be held in a 3 jaw. I have a few, good quality, but not as easy to use as the watchmakers type. As for watchmakers lathes themselves, Donald DeCarle's book on the subject is useful, especially regarding the various collets and their uses (although it has to be said that a lot of the information will be of little use to us, but it is interesting to know how the machines are supposed to be used). Two thread types are used with 8mm watchmakers collets, B8 (40TPI )and WW (.625mm pitch). B8 collets will work with a WW drawbar, but WW collets will bind in a B8 'bar. Luckily my drawbar works with both. Collets made by different manufacturers vary slightly in length as well, mine are a mixture but I've not had problems with them in use.

I found a copy a few years back at Portmadog (I think), along with P.D. Hancock's PECO scenery booklet. 50p each. Possibly the best bargains that I've ever come across.

My watchmakers adapter was a lucky eBay find - lucky because the seller didn't know what it was and I only spotted it by chance. I only got the collet adapter itself, I had to buy a generic drawbar and shorten it. One of the things that I like about it is it only takes a fraction of a turn to tighten, unlike my ER holders, which makes facing axles to length quicker and easier (very useful when you've got 100+ to do!). I have a spare motor, bought when the original went 'pop' and let out some smoke. Took it into work, the cap. haas blown but as the motor runs ok he said its fine to use.

A very sad loss. I knew John back in the early days of the Kempston club, he was always very encouraging to us younger modellers (as I was back then). As has been said above, he was a decent bloke and the world will be poorer without him.

An EMCO ER/ESX25 collet holder can be had for the Unimat 3/4/any other variant with an M14x1 spindle thread. These come up on Ebay from time to time and are worth the investment, I use mine in preference to my ER16 holder, which in turn is usually used in the tailstock as a more accurate means of holding small drills. One recent job saw the ER25 holder being used in a dividing head for work holding and the ER16 in the milling spindle. Another item to look for if you own a U3 is a watchmakers collet adaptor. The business end is hardened and ground and fits in the end of the spindle, with a drawbar which fits inside the spindle and clamps the (threaded) 8mm watchmakers collets. One of the advantages of this accessory is the availability of stepped collets, very useful for holding small wheels and gears for facing/boring etc.

Nice work there. For some reason I didn't think to turn the old axles down, possibly because my method was based on something that I read in an old EMGS manual that used wagon wheels and 2mm axles. The reason that I used Romford wheels was because it would be easy to convert one side for live pick-ups. A Myford would be nice, but I don't think it would fit on my dining table, which is where I use the Unimat.

Thank you Sarah. Yes, having a lathe is very useful, even if all it does is free you from searching around for the right size bearings and bushes etc. I can't imagine that knurled wheels would be of any use for cleaning track, quite the opposite perhaps if they slip and scratch the surface, smoother track being more conductive (micro-scratches can fill with dirt). My first DS, which I've had since I was about 5 or 6, has smooth wheels but will be fitted with Romfords at some stage,

I have now finished re-wheeling one of my Dock Shunters. Here's a blog post describing the job, its too long to cut & paste here so a link will have to suffice.

Thank you again Sarah. It looks like the armatures are the same across all the motor bogies, which is handy as I have an old DMU motor bogie that I acquired for its gears, which now might end up donating its armature to the Dock Shunter sat in front of me.

Another question if I may, do the Dock Shunter and Tri-ang DMU power bogies share the same armature?

Thank you Sarah. So it seems that the worm gear was shared amongst several designs, which does make sense. Now to track a couple down.

As it happens I have a Dock Shunter heading for my workbench which I intend to re-wheel. Mine is from the early seventies and has plastic gears on the axles. I would like to keep the original axles intact, so I'll be making up new axles. So, are those plastic gears available seperately?