KATO CHASSIS

[gorwin]

Having just puchased one of the Kato chassis I would welcome any ideas from anyone who has constucted something. I would like to attempt a Rail car but not found any suitable pictures to follow.

[tedp]

Hello Gorwin

Can I suggest you look at Mick Thornton's railcars? Here is a photo of one of them, but possibly there are more photos on the web:



Another example might be this one by myself:



In both cases the four-wheel KATO chassis can be used without modification. My own model uses a different chassis but with a similar layout. Mick's Clogher Valley look-alike has the carriage portion pivoted from the rear. My free-lance model has a pony truck pivoted from the front coupling pocket (it swivels free under the bonnet), but you can fit a pivot under the floor of the model if you like.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

[Graeme Dunbar]

Japanese modellers like their railcars.





I hope this links correctly to the translated version of the web page:
http://www.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.world-kougei.com%2F&langpair=ja|en&hl=en&ie=UTF8

The automatic translation though is sometimes completely baffling though:
"There is no specific prototype, in the form of such approximate 30 Photoluminescence umbrella open wagon bogie well, making it the shorty type surround the car."   ???

[ECMT]

There are some nice brass railcar kits on Yoshiya Kobayashi's site : http://www.justmystage.com/home/yoshiya/sub3.html
Most of his railcars can or could use Kato 11-105, 11-106, or 11-107 chassis.

[Graeme Dunbar]

There are some nice brass railcar kits on Yoshiya Kobayashi's site : http://www.justmystage.com/home/yoshiya/sub3.html
Most of his railcars can or could use Kato 11-105, 11-106, or 11-107 chassis.

A good point! Yoshiya is a fellow 009 Society member and as a satisfied customer I should have mentioned him. Another point, if Japanese models take your fancy and Yoshiya does not have the kit in stock he will buy it locally and post it to you.

If you are looking for something more British looking, then one possibility is to kit bash one or more of the many 009 coach kits available. Then there is always a cut-and-shut Airfix/Dapol OO railbus or start with plastic kit or diecast single-decker bus.

[gorwin]

Thank you everyone, certainly a lot to check and think over, fairly new at scratch building and enjoying the challenge.

[tedp]

If you want an easier approach you could convert a plastic kit to go on the chassis. A good candidate might be the London B type bus by Knightwing (kit number H012). They used to be produced by Keilkraft and some may be available second-hand. Here is my conversion:

This model is pushed by a four-wheel trailer containing a motor, but fitting the KATO chassis to the kit body instead should be no problem. The kit parts take some cutting and the windshield/door area needs to be made up from scratch styrene.

[Graeme Dunbar]

I was rather taken by this YouTube video of an HOe Japanese railbus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8vVL1F75gI&feature=related

[jaymzhatstand]

I've scratchbuilt a diesel loco on a Tomix chassis and am in the process of planning a DMU akin to those on County Gate on a second chassis.  I found that once a 'floor' was made to fit around the motor block of the chassis, it was a rather easy process to build the rest (but of course I know what id do differently if I did it again!)



Hope this is of some use, and if you want any more info, don't hesitate to ask!

Cheers

J

[Hugh Norwood]

Both the 4-wheel and the Bo-Bo Kato chassis are nice runners and you can make your body-work so that they clip in and out.

I have built York modelmakers "Flower of the Forest" which fits on the 4-wheel chassis and (confession time!) adapted a die-cast Toby the Tram engine to fit on the Bo-Bo chassis. In both cases, I can unclip the chassis. (Especially if the Inquisition catch me running Toby!)

(photos on hnorwood.co.uk)

You could get a Dundas coach kit and fit it (possibly shortening it) to make a railcar. There were a few articles in the NEWS on that subject some time ago

[Dave2010]

Some great examples here; I agree that the Kato chassis are great runners and I have found them to be very reliable.  Couple of my efforts attached for interest using the 4 wheel and shorty Bo-Bo, as well as a railcar I built using the Tomytec TM-08 chassis - also a very good, quiet and reliable chassis I have found  :)

Dave

[gorwin]

 Thank you once again, really spoilt for choice now....I like the Knightwing Bus conversion. Trying to find a kit, seems to be sold out everywhere.

[ECMT]

Or you could use a Kato 11-105 and a Liliput Waldenburg coach to build a Railmotor. Have a look at this example on the website of an Australian modeller : http://www.johnhenshaw.org/29697388
Waldenburg coaches seem to fetch quite a price at times, so here's an option at a good price : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370440414910&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#shId