Kato N Pocket Line Chassis

[MickT]

Thanks for taking the trouble to do these photos Graeme, very useful indeed.

Mick

[Graeme Dunbar]

Thanks Mick.

I don't have an 11-104 (old passenger car version) but I imagine the similarities and differences are equivalent.

The passenger car versions are narrower than the locomotive type (a bit over 15 mm c.f. a touch under 18 mm). Sorry my digital calipers are packed away so measurements are made with company promotional plastic ones.

The end platforms on the 11-110 can be cut off without affecting structural integrity to about 46 mm.

The difference in the black cover in the 11-109 doesn't reach over the ends of the underlying metal block as it does on the 11-110 which suggests it is not needed to hold it in place fore and aft. Therefore it may be possible to shorten both lengthwise to 43 mm, being the length of the metal block.

[Karl Westlake]

https://tramfabriek.nl/products/drives.html

An upgrade kit for the 103/4 is another option.

Karl

[Peter Boulter]

I purchased one of the new Kato 110 chassis for a new 3D body that was designed for a 104 chassis and found that the 110 didn't fit!  After a bit of inspection and some butchery, I mean careful surgery, on the insides of the body I managed to make it fit.
I was so impressed with the improved running of the 110, especially at low speed over Peco 9" settrack points, that I fitted the new chassis to the other 3 locos in my fleet.

[Graeme Dunbar]

Can you say which bits caused problems? I guess every body kit will be different so where the chassis fouled the model you were building could be different to another one but it would be interesting to see if there is any common issues.

[Peter Boulter]

The bits which caused the problems were the 'ribs' (for want of a better term) that extended into the inside of the body shell.

[Robin Webster]

Both older Kato tram chassis 103 and 104 can be replaced with a small can motor inserted in a 3d housing. By chance I found this on line store in the Netherlands who sold the replacement can motor and housing together. The one catch is that the worm gears have to be removed from the original kato motor and refitted on the new can motor shaft. For me this was not a problem as I had a minature gear puller. It's not just a drop in after the worm gears are installed. One has to file the 3d housing to make it fit properly as its oversized. My little white metal skylark loco runs beautiful now. Good slow speed in both directions.
Hope this helps.
PS: interestingly, the items were shipped from the UK. The Web sit is in both English and Dutch.

[Hobby]

Robin, see Karl's post above. I assume you are referring to Sven's Tramfabriek business?!

https://tramfabriek.nl/

[Robin Webster]

As I am new to the forum and with so much to read, I must have missed Karl's post. Yes you are right it's Sven's business.
Robin.