New member Suitable body for Fleischmann 7000 or Minitrix 0-6-0

[Paul Budge]

Hello Everyone. This is my first post as a new member and would welcome any suggestions for suitable bodies for a Fleischmann 7000 chassis and/0r a Minitrix Dock tank 0-6-0 chassis.  Something straight forward to get started . Thanks.

[JulienW]

Off the top of my head I can't think of any body kits designed for the Fleischmann 0-4-0 (possibly the Langley kit for the FR Prince?) though as it is similar to the Ibertern 0-4-0 it might be possible to adapt kits designed for that chassis to fit the Fleishmann - but kit bashing is not likely to be 'strait forward'!

As to the Minitrix 0-6-0 there is a bit more choice.  GEM do a version of their Varikit that will fit this chassis, and Meridian do a model of the 60hp Kerr Stuart diesel (from the 1920s) that ran on the Welsh Highland and Ffestiniog railways for a time (and also Ireland). There is also the Meridian kit for the Ruston diesel, but as the chassis modifications are somewhat involved (turning the 0-6-0 into an 0-4-0 by cutting off the front section for starters) I don't think that will be strait forward either.  It may also be possible to fit that Minitrix chassis to other loco bodies (I dimly recall seeing a GEM kit for the Talyllyn 'Dolgoch' running on one) but again that will involve kit bashing...

Hope that helps,
Julien.

[Elmgate]

It depends what you call 'suitable'. Although not designed for it, the Fleischmann 0-4-0 fits into the Varikit well, with little modification. If you mean 'what can I fit the chassis into without any work?' then Julien is correct.

Regards

Tim

[B.Meldon]

Parkside Dundas has a convenient on-line list of what chassis fits what kit.

Here is a link:

http://www.parksidedundas.co.uk/acatalog/GUIDE_TO_CHASSIS_FOR_009_LOCO_KITS.html

There are four kits designed for the Minitrix 0-6-0 dock tank chassis:

Meridian models Kerr Stuart diesel.
See this web page:
http://meridianmodels.co.uk/mm2-kerr-stuart.html

Meridian models Ruston diesel (significant modification to the chassis is required to make it a 0-4-0)
See this web page:
http://meridianmodels.co.uk/mm3-ruston-hornsby.html

Peco or GEM Varikit version 9004.
See this web page:
http://www.lytchettmanor.co.uk/narrow_loco.html

All the above are available direct from the manufactures, via Parkside Dundas and other suppliers.

In the past there was also the old FR kit for WHR Baldwin 590. This was made for the FR by George E Mellor (GEM) of Rhos on Sea. But this kit has not been made for many years now (It was replaced with the GEM WD Baldwin 4-6-0 that fits Farish 1009 chassis)
These kits often come up for sale unmade on 009 Society second hand sales.
They go together well but the front bogie and coupling can be a pain to get right.

The Minitrix

[MickT]

The Minitrix 0-6-0 will fit quite easily into the Chivers/Five79 Quarry Peckett and the result looks quite OK. Michael Campbell has one on his Awngate layout - perhaps you can add to this with your opinion please Michael?

An alternative approach which is quite straightforward and is fun, if your Minitrix chassis has a Minitrix dock tank body on top is to take the cab from the body (it pulls upwards and comes straight off as it is a separate casting), cut the chimney off and replace with a new one (if you haven't built up a spares box yet, make one from something like a biro tube which is what I used on my first "self created" loco) - I hesitate to say scratchbuilt or even kitbashed! The new cab can also be fabricated from a few pieces of plasticard - 20 or 30thou and a few bits of microstrip to enhance. It's simple and effective, doesn't cost more than a few pence over the cost of the Mintrix to do and will give you more satisfaction than putting your chassis under a straight whitemetal kit body as it will be something you have created yourself. Dimensions for the new cab will look fine if you make it 24 or 25mm wide, front and rear spectacle plates about 1mm higher in the centre than the sides and cabsides 24mm above the footplate.

If you have the docktank body, why not have a go and see what you come up with. If it is successful you will have your first loco, if not, then the only extra cost will have been time and you can then seek out one of the kit bodies that have already been recommended on this thread.

Just a thought! There's also of course the option of some Dapol pugbashing fun!

Mick

[Elmgate]

Here's one I made earlier.....

https://www.dropbox.com/s/odbrlv6my73wvpn/SULA.jpg.

Tim

[B.Meldon]

Here is my take on a quick conversion of an N gauge Minitrix dock tank that I made some 30 years ago now:



It has a scratch built plasticard cab and buffer beams, a replacement chimney and safety valve from the society sales stand, cylinders and con rods from an old Egger loco. The cab roof came from a Chivers Port class Hunslet kit.
There is a plastic oil drum as a fuel tank, Peco couplings and a couple if pipes made from bell wire.



This is my more recently built (2013) FR 'Prince' kit dating form the 1960's with the Fleischmann chassis:





But that one involved a lot of work!

Brian Meldon

[Paul Budge]

Thank you ALL for your replies and the obvious large amont of time that you spent in replying.  Thenk you also for the very stimulating photos.  If I can get to something like that I will be very pleased.  All I have to do now is find the time to get started.  Perhaps I can post some pic od my own in the (not too distant future. Again, Thank you for your advice. Paul Budge

[MickT]

Brian - That would be a very attractive little works shunter type of loco without that truly horrible and ugly oil tank on it!  :D
Tim - Very nice blend of Minitrix and Peco Jeanette/James (cab?) (with a dash of Varikit chimney?) going on there. I like this very much and don't think I have seen this little loco on duty at Elmgate before.

Paul - It hasn't been mentioned yet, but you can do exactly the same simple mod with a Fleischmann 7000 as has been done with the Mintrix. That is, put a new chimney and cab on it plus anything else that takes your fancy and you can get a convincing little 009 loco. John Thorne (of Ditton Railway and Purbeck fame) made one that was not much more than a new chimney and cab which was so popular that he ended up travelling to swapmeets on the continent to source cheap donor locos and produced over 30 that can frequently be seen on various 009 layouts and are colloquially known as "Thorne Class" 0-4-0T locos!

Same principle applies to the Arnold 0-6-0, Bachmann dock tank and Ibertren 0-4-0, all of which have appeared as simple rebuilds on many 009 layouts, a couple of them at least being "famous/legendary" layouts - Dovey Valley for the Bachmann and Paul Windle's "Avonside/Ibertren" on Rothby and other Hull MRS layouts such as Crumley & Little Wickhill (aka The Stealth Bomber) - but we're talking at present just about the 2 chassis that you have, which are looking for suitable 009 bodies to go on them!

I for one will look forward to seeing photos of your progress Paul. Good luck and happy modelling!

Mick

[petersmith1942]

and there was me thinking the oil tank was what made it that little bit different and appealing
Peter Smith

[tedp]

A bit late off the mark, but perhaps this is something for you?

[Paul Budge]

Thanks again . Very stimulating and enthusiastic ideas. Can't wait.

[Elmgate]

Grrr...   mutter.....  that Mick Thornton..... mutter....   Grrrr... >:(

In response to a link to my Minitrix conversion SULA -

Tim - Very nice blend of Minitrix and Peco Jeanette/James (cab?) (with a dash of Varikit chimney?) going on there. I like this very much and don't think I have seen this little loco on duty at Elmgate before.

Mick

So I replied in a private message that, unfortunately, she was not quite reliable enough to be used at exhibitions. However, I had a replacement motor available and 'one day' I would get around to exchanging it, and seeing if could improve the running.

Having set up my layout, ELMGATE, ready for the Woking show 14-15 September, and finding that not a lot needed doing to it, I saw SULA looking at me appealingly, and took her out - it seemed that 'one day' had arrived! The motor exchange took only a few minutes, and I floated some solder into the worn parts of the wheel retainer plate. Once the loco was placed on the track, the running was far better. It looked like I now had a new candidate for the works passenger and goods trains. However, those tiny cylinders, with the piston rods passing right through do not look right. So more work to add dummy cylinder covers to extend forward, and increase the diameter. The piston rods were shortened as much as I dared, and the result looks much better (although they appear to droop in the photos). Then perhaps she deserves to have her number added to front and rear buffer beams - out with the HMRS Pressfix GWR numbers, and add "11". Finally, a touch of brass (from Pilot pen) around the spectacle frames. Here is the result:




In between these tasks, I decided that my number 5, RIVER ADUR, at last deserved the have white lining applied to the livery. For this, I use HMRS Pressfix white line transfers. This loco is probably my oldest (surviving) loco, and was originally constructed with Airfix Pug cab and saddle tank, on a Farish Prairie tank chassis (3-pole motor). Later it was reconstructed to fit the Minitrix 2-6-2 chassis, with scratch built cab. During the course of the lining work, I realised how poor the modelling was, with few truly square panels! I also found that the loco crew must have been cursing me, for I had filled the bunker on the driver's side with coal, not the Fireman's! I guess they have been executing a "pas de deux" when firing on the move, plus the fireman had to carry the coal across the top of the firebox when coaling up at Elmgate coal stage! I soon corrected this, and added a proper tool box on the driver's side bunker top.

Here she is in her new-found glory -





The excuse for including the pictures on this topic is that, a) The camera was out to picture SULA, b) RIVER ADUR is on a Minitrix chassis, and c) the said Mick Thornton has previously commented that he likes the model.

So, from grumbling against Mick at the start of this post for diverting me from other tasks, I should really thank him for prompting me to get on with these projects!!!! ;)

[MickT]

So, from grumbling against Mick at the start of this post for diverting me from other tasks, I should really thank him for prompting me to get on with these projects!!!! ;)

And I should think so too! I'm very pleased that I am held responsible for rescuing Sula from the scrapline and she is now operational! I agree with your observation about the cylinders, they do look as if they are drooping at the bows. Also pleased to see that Number 5 has been promoted to "lined engine" status and thanks Tim for solving the query I have had in my mind wondering about where the pug bits are since you first described it as a pugbash in something you wrote quite a long time ago!

Mick

[Elmgate]

I am not sure that SULA was in the scrap line! Just relegated to 'home duties'.

Whilst I am happy to be proved wrong, I do not recall describing No 5 as a pugbash - I may have agreed to someone else's description - but I bet you will now point me to the piece where I said it!