Chassis Thoughts

[Scott Rixon]

I'm looking at building a small 0-4-0 tank loco, most probably find a kit..

What's the n-drive chassis like? I'm comparing it with the more expensive minitrains version. Other than the price, I prefer the motor mount as it would hide in the smoke box and not in the cab.

Comments?

N-drive have a picture of 'Cackler' on their web site, which I quite like and is only

[petersmith1942]

If you can get a chassis from Nev please let me know; I have had one on order since Expong 2011
I am fully aware of the problems Nev has had but I am a bit concerned about references to N Drive in various forums when actual availability is so protracted. I am aware this may seem like whingeing but at some point a business has to act like a business even a hobby business
Peter Smith

[Scott Rixon]

Ah! I didn't know that.

I had seen the info about his house move, but it didn't mention they were not shipping.

Have you made contact? I wouldn't have been waiting since 2011!?!

[JulienW]

Peter, I'd get in touch with Neville as it is quite possible that your order has got misplaced in the house move or lost in the post. He may not be aware that you are still waiting so I'd have thought a polite reminder may be needed.

Scott, I have a couple of these bought from Neville's stand when I have seen him so they are 'from stock' rather than special orders. They are the 'Bachmann replacement' type and both run very well under two of the three Chivers "Woolwich" Avonside 0-4-0s running on Latham's Brewery. The motor is in the firebox and does project into the cab slightly but there is enough room to stand crew on the footplate. Overall I have been very pleased and intend to upgrade the third one still running on its Bachmann chassis at some point, and likewise the Ibertren powered locos.

From memory of the Cackler I built on an Ibertren chassis (the chassis the kit is designed for) the motor does not end up in the cab but roughly where the firebox  would be. If you wanted the motor at the smoke box end you would need to order a chassis from Neville with the cylinders reversed (i.e. motor and cylinders at the same end).  As an alternative to the Ibertren (or N-Drive) it should be possible to fit a Fleischmann 0-4-0 chassis to Cackler as it is very similar (though not identical) to the Ibertren, and may be slightly easier to get hold of.

Which ever route you take you will need to modify the kit to take a different chassis. If you were not too keen on doing this then it might be worth contacting the Sales Officer and getting your name down on a wants list for an Ibertren 0-4-0.

[petersmith1942]

Julien
I do not wish to make my problem an issue in this forum but would say I have made a number of polite reminders to Ndrive and spoken to Neville at meets he has attended; he simply talks of his order backlog. I am sorry I raised this but frustration wins sometimes. Can we close it now please
Peter Smith

[Scott Rixon]

I'm more interested in a good chassis and then picking a kit to put on it.

You say the Fleischmann is a good option. I don't see any on the 009 sales list, or on a certain auction site. Are there other options I am unaware of?

I liked the idea of the ndrive, as it appear to be a 'stock' item. New, supporting someone etc, etc. It also sounds like you like the chassis, replacing other aging ones.

I knew 009 locos were a black art, but it's looking harder than I thought!

[B.Meldon]

The availability of new steam 0-4-0 or 0-6-0 ready to run 9mm gauge chassis is very limited indeed at the moment.
In fact I think the only one available new is the Minitrains one.
All the others are either out of production or effectively imposable to obtain.

Fleischmann are not making the 0-4-0 at the moment, there are a few model shops with some left in stock. They retail for about

[Scott Rixon]

Just had a mail back from ndrive. The Long W/B 16mm 0-4-0 is on a long back order, but others are available..

[Scott Rixon]

2nd thought..

There are 3 locos with an 0-6-0 Minitrix chassis in the  society sales .. What are these like?

[B.Meldon]

There are two basic versions of the Minitrix 0-6-0 chassis.

The first, and most common type is the 'dock tank' chassis that looks like this:









As can be seen the main down side of this chassis is the disk type wheels and the very basic valve gear also the middle wheels are smaller than the outside ones.

There are three versions of the dock tank chassis.

The first type had brass gears and all steel shafts on the gears.

The second type have plastic gears and plastic gear shafts.

The third type has plastic gears and brass bearings on the shafts and axles.

This last type also has a brass insert on the spur gear on the rear axle and unfortunately this gear often splits.

All three types suffer from ware in the chassis block that causes excessive movement in the axles. This can be repaired but it is not easy.

The motors are also a bit hit and miss, some run very well. Others take a lot of power to get them to start and some run better one way than the other. About one in five are good in my experience. They also suffer from burn outs and weakening of the brush spring.
Although they all look the same there are actually three different sizes of motor used, the difference being in the height. This can be critical for some 009 applications, although it is fine for most 009 kits.
Replacement motors can be fitted, but this requires modification to the mounting holes and changing the worm over.

In summery you need to make sure that the chassis is not too badly worn, that it has a good spur gear that is tight on the rear axle and that the motor starts at low power settings and runs the same in both directions.

The other type of Minitrix 0-6-0 chassis was fitted to the N gauge German class 89 loco:



This version is quite a lot better than the Dock tank, it has brass gears down the centre of the chassis, proper spokes in the wheels and more detailed valve gear. It does however still suffer with broken spur gears and uses the same type of motor as the dock tank chassis.
So in this case you need to make sure the spur gear is tight on the rear axle, and that the motor starts to run at low power settings.

(I do have one of these and I ca take some photos of the chassis if needed.)

Brian Meldon

[F2Andy]

I ordered an 0-4-0 SWB from N-drive at the end of April, and it has at last arrived (last week in fact). They did not take payment until about a month ago though. It is a little noisy, but it runs very well - as long as there is a body on it.

[B.Meldon]

It is good that you have your chassis, but for many three months may be a bit too long to wait!

The noise in the N drive chassis is caused by the distance between the mounting for the motor and the worm drive. On many it is worse one direction to the other. Had the motor mounting been at the same end of the motor as the worm gear there would be no problem, but that would have made the electrical connections difficult.
Several other N gauge chassis have this same problem. The Minitrix 2-6-2 for example.

If you add packing to the body so that the front end of the motor is tight in the body it drastically reduces or completely stops the noise.
You can also glue the motor in place on the chassis, but I would not recommend doing this as the glue may get where it will do harm and it would probably make any warrantee invalid.

Brian Meldon

[petersmith1942]

as usual a succinct, to the point and helpful post, Brian
I understand and am susceptible to the appeal of steam, but just now in our scale unless you go for something like Minitrains or a Brian Madge kit there is a lot to be said for making a first effort something like the lovely diesel described in the current News with a suitably weighted Kato chassis.
That way you will get a good running loco to get something moving before trying something more ambitious
Peter Smith
PS I am assuming out of the box Roco, Liliput, Bemo etc European is not for you.

[Frank]

I agree with Peter here.  There are other ways to get started.

As well as the NP kit that fits the Kato chassis, a super combination, very easy to build, there are other simple and quick kits for diesels on the Kato chassis or simple etched brass A1 kits for the Bachmann Plymouth if you can get one (becoming scarce but Member Sales may still have them). 

Alternatively you can put a steam outline tram loco on the Kato chassis, either the Peco whitemetal kit or a 3D printed body, or there is the York Modelmaking "Ratty" vertical boiler tram kit that again goes on the Kato chassis.

Frank

[Scott Rixon]

Brian, again you are font of knowledge!

That said. I have no idea what I am going to do!