I'm thinking of making a steam railmotor adapted from a Lynton & Barnstaple coach, probably No 1 or 2. However I would need an 0-4-0 chassis for the powered bogie. Does anyone have any suggestions?
N drive?
http://www.n-driveproductions.com/rangeandprices.htm
Or one out of the old or new Egger range.
As an additional suggestion to Hobby's of using an N-drive chassis (very good they are too) Neville can supply then with the cylinders reversed (i.e. at the same end as the motor) which may make for a shorter unit that might be better suited to going into a steam rail motor.
Another thought is that if your railmotor was more of a Sentinel type - geared rather than rod driven - then you could use a bogie diesel chassis.
Thank you for those suggestions though I remain open to receiving more.
Quote from: JulienW on October 15, 2011, 10:58
Another thought is that if your railmotor was more of a Sentinel type - geared rather than rod driven - then you could use a bogie diesel chassis.
I think I'd prefer to go for the rod driven version as it's a little more interesting to look at when running.
Quote from: JulienW on October 15, 2011, 10:58
As an additional suggestion to Hobby's of using an N-drive chassis (very good they are too) Neville can supply then with the cylinders reversed (i.e. at the same end as the motor) which may make for a shorter unit that might be better suited to going into a steam rail motor.
I've just had a look at the Port Talbot Railway steam railmotor and the Cardiff Railway version in the new Robin Jones' publication and it would appear that both versions are possible. However the prospect of a shorter unit is one that makes a great deal of sense.
I wonder if I could reveal my ignorance yet again :-[ and ask what is the difference between inside and outside frames regarding chassises?
Quote from: Rhobat Bryn on October 15, 2011, 11:20
I wonder if I could reveal my ignorance yet again :-[ and ask what is the difference between inside and outside frames regarding chassises?
Inside Frame = frames are behind (inside) the wheels. Most standard gauge locos use this though it is used by some narrow gauge locos (like the War Department Baldwin (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpmarks/2790512508/in/set-72157607205041842)).
Outside FRame = frames in front (outside) the wheels. Used by quite a lot of NG locos as it allows the frames to be wider apart that in turn allows the firebox to be dropped between the frames - giving a lower boiler centreline and lower center of gravity. Large number of examples ranging in size from Quarry Hunslets (http://www.bwlr.co.uk/locos.php?flag=lj) through 2' 6" gauge locos like those on the Bowater's system (http://members.ozemail.com.au/~telica/England_Siitingbourne_Kemsley_Railway_1968.html) to big beasties like Garratts (http://www.damplokomotiv.dk/Sydafrika2007/imagepages/image20.html) and these 3' gauge monsters (http://dev.donegalrailway.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/lberloco6.jpg).
Many thanks, Julien. Much appreciated.
Perhaps not quite what you are thinking of (all prototypes and the model described are of the articulated type instead of having a power bogie), but you might find this web page on the Dutch Group website interesting.
http://www.009dutch.nl/archive/2005/pages/erailmotor.htm (http://www.009dutch.nl/archive/2005/pages/erailmotor.htm)
Quote from: tedp on October 19, 2011, 20:49
Perhaps not quite what you are thinking of (all prototypes and the model described are of the articulated type instead of having a power bogie), but you might find this web page on the Dutch Group website interesting.
http://www.009dutch.nl/archive/2005/pages/erailmotor.htm (http://www.009dutch.nl/archive/2005/pages/erailmotor.htm)
Many thanks for the reference, Ted. It is indeed a fine model and the Taff Vale Railway here in Wales had a similar model; the picture I've seen shows an example very similar to the Beyer Peacocks as illustrated in your article.
You're right to say however that I have the other version in mind with the engine internalised into the carriage. I shall be using Lynton & Barnstaple coaches as the main coaching stock for one of the railways so I assume that had that railway built a steam railmotor, they would have used a similar coach as the basis for it. The difficulty is however that these coaches have flat ends and that can end up looking like a box on wheels which personally I dont find aesthetically pleasing. As you can see from my photo on the left, the Eggerbahn was one of the reasons I fell in love with 009 and it avoids the above problem by having a distinctive engine section. However if it was reversed it would look like it was running backwards. I have seen a picture of the Neath and Port Talbot steam railmotor (their only one) which appears to solve this problem as well. As it has a sufficiently pronounced bow front, it looks like the front of a railcar trailing a guards van section behind. However when reversed, it looks like the engine section trailing an observation coach. If I can achieve this balance, I shall be well pleased.