Model Railway - What's your latest acquisition?

My latest fun thing. Now I can restore one of my old Transcontinental locos properly. I have the cow catcher but do I replace the wheels?????

That knurled wheel sound was pretty distinctive if I remember well!!

I had a Pullman and a Class 81 - both with them.

They did assist with traction, unless you increase the locomotive weight and replace with smooth 'normal' wheels.

Al.

That's an oldie, RT. Your railway, your rules but given the bogie's age might it be a shame to replace the wheels with something non-original and lose the familiar Triang growl?

That’s what I was pondering Threelink! I have a spare set out of a later dock shunter but that would lose some of the mojo. I have now put it into a chassis ready to go into what I thought was an origami all MK1 version of the A unit but the light holder must have been a different design. The screw catches on the top of the X04 motor and the bottom of the holder is in the way of the screw that holds in the brass mounting for the motor. Looks like no lights. tired_face

I have a cow catcher for it so will fit that as soon as I find it.

Hi Rana

That is a MK2 lamp holder used on later versions the MK1 has a brass bulb holder,

Have a look at Service Sheet 6 (Lendons have it.)

Hi, RT. Is it possible that the bogie was intended for the B unit? I do not know whether powered B units were ever produced. I have only ever found non -powered versions but there is no reason why a B unit could not be powered, even if only as a neverwazza. It's a project on my list of things to do when time permits....

Hi, RT. Is it possible that the bogie was intended for the B unit? I do not know whether powered B units were ever produced. I have only ever found non -powered versions but there is no reason why a B unit could not be powered, even if only as a neverwazza. It's a project on my list of things to do when time permits....

Hi threelink,

The easy way to do that will be just to change the bodies over B unit onto a powered A unit the top fitting are the same.

The lower chassis are different the A unit is stepped, the B unit and Dummy A unit the chassis are flat with a raised column, 5 min maximum project.

Useful to know. Thanks, RT

Thanks Tony57, I think I have one of those brass bulb holders in a box of ‘junk’ I got a few years ago, that makes perfect sense. I always thought this chassis was from a MK1 version of the loco but obviously not. You learn something every day!

I have one of the B units but have never thought about motorising it but it would add a bit of oomph as long as I use a proper controller.

The A and B units have the 4 ‘exhausts’ at exactly the right spacing for a Tri-ang pantograph, something I mentioned on here that I noticed when running some of my Transcontinental stock and I think there was a reply that it had been a consideration before the double ended diesel was electrified. A 3 car electric unit (2 A units and a B) would make a great looking neverwazza!

I don’t think a powered B unit was ever produced but there was one version of the A unit with an X04 mounted in the body to create engine noise.

All the Transcontinental diesels used to be easily available in junk boxes for pennies, I used to get them for spare parts (The great thing about standardisation) and bin what I didn’t need. I also sold a box full of bogie frames, magnets, pole pieces etc. on eBay a few years ago as I have more than enough to outlast me. I suspect the change in value came with Pat Hammond’s first Rovex book with the blue diesel on the cover.

I have bought a few as non-runners and the only problem has been one or both wheel sets in the wrong way round shorting out the bogie.