Mainline/Replica/Dapol class 56

[rodent279]

Evening.

 

Mainline did a class 56 in the 80's, I have the Railfreight Metals two tone grey 56001 version.

 

What's the relationship between this and the Dapol/Replica & later Hornby versions? Are they the same tooling & essentially the same models?

 

Am thinking of selling it & buying a blue one (or swapping if anyone has a blue one??)

 

cheers N

[chriswild]

the mainline tooling became the Dapol model up until mid to late nineties, who then sold the tooling to Hornby and they produced it until they re-tooled the whole thing around 4 years ago, and i think they now only market their newer model, which is essentially new from the ground up. There are plenty of the old tooling about s/h.

Thats my understanding anyway, some of the details are proably better known by others on here.

chris

[John M Upton]

Although the new Hornby model is much better in many ways, it has to be said that the old Mainline/Dapol/Hornby model still details up into a nice model with a bit of effort and they can be picked up pretty cheaply. The Hornby versions were only different to the Mainline/Dapol versions by virtue of their separate cab handrails and a bit better motor.

 

The newest version has only been released in a limited number of liveries though (and no Large Logo!) which unless you are good with the paint is a bit of a nusciance. They can be picked up for sensible money on the second hand market if you look around though.

[forest2807]

The old bodyshell does fit on the new chassis with a bit of fettling around the bufferbeam area. That's how I overcame the lack of a of large logo example.

[James]

What did you do with the 'new' bodyshell?!

 

The original Mainline/Dapol/Hornby model can be made in to a good model with a little careful detailing work - even the underframe has potential!

[forest2807]

What did you do with the 'new' bodyshell?!

 

The original Mainline/Dapol/Hornby model can be made in to a good model with a little careful detailing work - even the underframe has potential!

 

I got the chassis as a spare from Ebay, I couldn't resist it as I knew I had 56099's bodyshell in storage waiting for some kind of propulsion system to turn up!

Edited June 16, 2012 by forest2807

[Butler Henderson]

The 56 was not produced by Replica, it was one of the Mainline locos which Palitoy rather than Kader owned the tooling and was sold to Dapol.

[blueeighties]

I have owned both new and old versions, for me the new one is light Years ahead, especially if picked up as a used bargain. I'm looking for a new style spare body to do in large logo if anyone has one?

 

My weathered red stripe 'new' version.

[kintbury jon]

ebay does!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-CLASS-56-56127-BODY-FOR-SPARES-LATEST-TYPE-/270998368648?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item3f18c2f188

[Xerces Fobe2]

The motor and wheelsets were poor with back to back measurements all over the place and hence derailments were common until this issue was addressed.

 

XF

[blueeighties]

^{Jon....Thanks for that Ebay head up, just the job}

 

^Lee.

[Classsix T]

The Mailitornby Grid is one of those peculiar beasts that look perfectly adequate to the eye, but the camera turns into a less than perfect representation.

Still passable for an old thing though and nowhere near as bad as the abomination N gauge modelers have had to suffer.

 

C6T.

[James]

The Mailitornby Grid is one of those peculiar beasts that look perfectly adequate to the eye, but the camera turns into a less than perfect representation.

 

With work I think they're quite [assible, even in photos...

 

http://eastmoor.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/more-grids.html

 

With some finer parts from Shawplan I suspect the result could be even better.

[Nova Scotian]

Sorry to raise an old topic from the dead... but an opportunity to purchase a Dapol 56 on the cheap has arisen for me.

What was the motor in these like? There's a post above suggesting not very good. I can tolerate pancake motors fine, I have some Lima for my kids, I add some weight, oil properly and it growls rather than screeches. But I don't want an absolute lemon (like some Lima I had!).

 

Any insight? It's a Dapol box, but don't know what year it was produced. It actually looks pretty good; looks like a 56 and in pristine condition at a good price.

[ISW]

3 hours ago, Nova Scotian said:

What was the motor in these like?

I've got a pair of Class 56s, both Mainline, although one came in a Dapol box. They are 56079 (renumbered to 56074) in blue and 56082 in large logo blue.

 

Both original motors worked quite well for their age. However, I did replace one of them with a CD-ROM motor (10mm thick version, and you still need to file it down to clear the middle axle). I haven't noticed any great improvement to be honest, but it is does run a bit quieter. I did add additional pickups and that improved the running. They've both been retrofitted with DCC chips.

 

Ian

[Dagworth]

6 hours ago, Nova Scotian said:

What was the motor in these like? There's a post above suggesting not very good

Mainly ridiculously fast! I had to put a safety barrier all around Dagworth as the 56 had a habit of trying to go straight on instead of around the curves. They are pretty powerful, especially with a bit of extra weight, but they do draw more than an amp when pulling a full rake of HAAs, I had to upgrade the decoders in mine to Digitrax that were rated at 1.5amp instead of my preferred 1amp Lenz decoders.

 

Andi

[47164]

The Dapol/ mainline... and then passed to Hornby 56’s are as dagworth says absolute flyers, and although pan cake power units , a long way ahead of anything Lima offered and very smooth runners with nicely profiled wheels, and the best rtf diesel that was available in the 1980,s, they will squeal if not oiled.

 

[funky2k]

On 14/11/2020 at 22:06, ISW said:

I've got a pair of Class 56s, both Mainline, although one came in a Dapol box. They are 56079 (renumbered to 56074) in blue and 56082 in large logo blue.

 

Both original motors worked quite well for their age. However, I did replace one of them with a CD-ROM motor (10mm thick version, and you still need to file it down to clear the middle axle). I haven't noticed any great improvement to be honest, but it is does run a bit quieter. I did add additional pickups and that improved the running. They've both been retrofitted with DCC chips.

 

Ian

Hiya, how did you shoehorn a cd motor in? Have you got some pictures please?

Edited May 23, 2022 by funky2k

[ISW]

2 hours ago, funky2k said:

Hiya, how did you shoehorn a cd motor in? Have you got some pictures please?

It was a little more difficult that a typical Lima 2-axle bogie, but nothing too special. Importantly, you do need to use a 'thin' CD-ROM motor (10mm thick version) like the one on AliExpress at these links:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33057782020.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32964494187.htm

 

A 'normal' thickness CD-ROM simply will not fit which, I guess, you've discovered?

 

Even then, the middle axle fouled / touched the steel body of the CD-ROM motor and so I had to grind-down the lip of the motor to get some clearance. To be doubly sure I added a bit of captan tape to the CD-ROM motor to provide insulation, just-in-case.

 

You asked for some photos, so here goes.

 

Overall view of the chassis:

 

Close up of the motor bogie:

 

Looking down to see the clearance I had to create at the middle wheelset:

 

And another similar photo:

 

The 'black plastic' element (that you unscrew one part to remove the motor bogie) is attached to the CD-ROM motor body with epoxy glue.

 

In case you are 'counting wires', I did add extra pickups to the trailer bogie, and the end lights were replaced with LED ones as they are much brighter. Kadee couplings were fitted in place of the original tension locks.

 

Hope this helps. If I've missed any particular photo 'angle', let me know.

 

Ian

[funky2k]

 Nice job, will look at doing something similar, cheers.

[funky2k]

On 13/06/2012 at 22:34, John M Upton said:

 

The newest version has only been released in a limited number of liveries though (and no Large Logo!) which unless you are good with the paint is a bit of a nusciance. 

Hornby do a large logo version but it's rare and gets sold out as soon as released, they do pop up on 'the bay' occasionally. 

[funky2k]

On 23/05/2022 at 16:42, ISW said:

It was a little more difficult that a typical Lima 2-axle bogie, but nothing too special. Importantly, you do need to use a 'thin' CD-ROM motor (10mm thick version) like the one on AliExpress at these links:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33057782020.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32964494187.htm

 

A 'normal' thickness CD-ROM simply will not fit which, I guess, you've discovered?

 

Even then, the middle axle fouled / touched the steel body of the CD-ROM motor and so I had to grind-down the lip of the motor to get some clearance. To be doubly sure I added a bit of captan tape to the CD-ROM motor to provide insulation, just-in-case.

 

You asked for some photos, so here goes.

 

Overall view of the chassis:

 

Close up of the motor bogie:

 

Looking down to see the clearance I had to create at the middle wheelset:

 

And another similar photo:

 

The 'black plastic' element (that you unscrew one part to remove the motor bogie) is attached to the CD-ROM motor body with epoxy glue.

 

In case you are 'counting wires', I did add extra pickups to the trailer bogie, and the end lights were replaced with LED ones as they are much brighter. Kadee couplings were fitted in place of the original tension locks.

 

Hope this helps. If I've missed any particular photo 'angle', let me know.

 

Ian

Can you show the gear side of the motor please? Did you increase the input shaft of the cd motor? Cheers.

[ISW]

9 hours ago, funky2k said:

Can you show the gear side of the motor please? Did you increase the input shaft of the cd motor? Cheers.

Here are a few close-ups of the gear side of the Mainline Class 56 motor. Not a lot to see I'm afraid, but I did get as close as possible:

 

 

 

From memory, I didn't extend the CD-ROM motor shaft. In fact, I've no idea how this could be done ... My CD-ROM motors had 5mm long shafts, which was enough to just about engage in the 'bearing' of the plastic casing (I think). I do know that I had to cut short the plastic gear I pushed onto the CD-ROM motor shaft (it was a good tight fit - these I had bought a while back on TheBay) as it was too long and fouled on the plastic casing.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Ian

[funky2k]

2 hours ago, ISW said:

Here are a few close-ups of the gear side of the Mainline Class 56 motor. Not a lot to see I'm afraid, but I did get as close as possible:

 

 

 

From memory, I didn't extend the CD-ROM motor shaft. In fact, I've no idea how this could be done ... My CD-ROM motors had 5mm long shafts, which was enough to just about engage in the 'bearing' of the plastic casing (I think). I do know that I had to cut short the plastic gear I pushed onto the CD-ROM motor shaft (it was a good tight fit - these I had bought a while back on TheBay) as it was too long and fouled on the plastic casing.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Ian

Thanks, the motor is just 1 and I bit mm too wide, the gear fouls the motor case, if there was an even smaller diameter cd motor that would be perfect. Next option I have is the new tooled 56 motor bogie in the Dapol frame.

[ISW]

5 hours ago, funky2k said:

Thanks, the motor is just 1 and I bit mm too wide, the gear fouls the motor case, if there was an even smaller diameter cd motor that would be perfect.

Eh? That's odd as I thought all CD-ROM motors were created with the same diameter of 24.36mm (aka 25mm on my ruler!). What's the diameter of the one you have?

 

As to the gear, the ones I have are 5mm diameter and 6mm long with 8 teeth. The number of teeth being important. What are you using?

 

As I said, I had to cut mine down from 6mm long to something a bit shorter (~4mm) for it to fit properly and to leave some spindle exposed to fit into the 'bushing' of the Class 56 motor housing. They are a nice 'tight' push fit on the 2mm spindle of the CD-ROM. The gear looks like this:

 

Does this help?

 

Ian