A British H0 Miscellany

[Richard Gawler]

A while ago I developed a British H0 habit. This was only loosely “British” because I considered anything which ran in Great Britain (including Continental outline subjects) and even subjects which were physically small enough to run here but never actually did.

I have been looking through my photos and it seems sensible to share them here. Many of the photos appeared on RMWeb but got lost, while the narrative here is new. In very broad terms, the models ought to be able to populate a modern scene with a local preservation society on-board, and such a layout is a possible project for me after I finish my 7mm scale Heybridge Railway.

My first loco conversion was the Matchbox MB-24, this was in October 2015.


The chassis donor is the Underground Ernie inspection car by Bachmann.


The wheelbases are nearly identical.


This is the power unit before modifications.


I gave the chassis new outside frames and a coupler at one end. The springs are Airfix/Dapol railbus ones.


There is enough space to include the cab bulkhead, just.


The body carries the coupler at the other end.


Everything fits together, not much space to spare but later I put in a DCC decoder.


The body colour is Halfords Volvo Dark Grey.

This is about right for H0, but a bit small for 00.

I remember I bought the source model on eBay for £1 plus postage. The result still runs really well. With its tiny wheelbase and rigid chassis this loco out-performs models which have cost me a lot more.

 

[Richard Gawler]

I had two goes at the DCC installation.


The first attempt used a decoder from DCC concepts.


This came with its own stay-alive.


One day the decoder packed up and I put in a Lenz Standard V2 instead. This is using the same stay-alive, this being hard-wired onto the bridge rectifier. Everything here is still working fine.

The Lenz V2 has proved very adaptable because it has a choice of six pre-set characteristics for different types of motors.

 

[Richard Gawler]

This is SMP type J track with the ends of every sleeper trimmed about 0.5 mm. The result is pretty much a scale model of British BH track.


The gantry is from the Kestrel kit but with the crane completely remodelled to make something closer to prototype practice.

I have half a dozen locos and as many wagons which I can post here, so I can wait awhile and see if any discussion begins before moving on to the next.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

What is the wheelbase of Underground Ernie's drive mechanism?

Just thinking it may also be useful for conversion to O gauge short wheelbase industrial electric locos.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Please keep the HO stuff coming.

If I were modelling British, again, in the smaller scales, HO would be my preference as the RTR track is the correct gauge and you can freely interchange Roco and Liliput Fährbootwagen without it looking ridiculous due to the 3.5 / 4mm scale difference.

Which remind me I need to find some Fährbootwagen for my DB Layout.

 

[Richard Gawler]

What is the wheelbase of Underground Ernie's drive mechanism?

25.4 mm, which somehow sounds much more precise than one inch.

The wheel diameter is 9 mm.

Which remind me I need to find some Fährbootwagen for my DB Layout.

I spent a lot of time between two stools, not ready to decide on a modern railway or something set in the 1960s/70s. I packed all of my ferry wagons away into their boxes a few weeks ago and somehow the big picture now looks clearer: a modern railway and some kind of adjacent preservation operation.

If anyone would like a few Fährbootwagen or even quite a lot do drop me a PM and I'll compile a list. There must be at least a dozen packed away, they include DB DR and one Belgian.

Please keep the HO stuff coming.

Yes I will, but let's see if anyone would like to comment on "MB no.5" or indeed the ferry wagons or something else.

 

[timbowales]

View attachment 234100
This is SMP type J track with the ends of every sleeper trimmed about 0.5 mm. The result is pretty much a scale model of British BH track.

View attachment 234101
The gantry is from the Kestrel kit but with the crane completely remodelled to make something closer to prototype practice.

I have half a dozen locos and as many wagons which I can post here, so I can wait awhile and see if any discussion begins before moving on to the next.

That little beastie is strangely reminiscent of the Tri-ang Dock Shunter

 

[Richard Gawler]

That little beastie is strangely reminiscent of the Tri-ang Dock Shunter

But without the knurled wheels

 

[Richard Gawler]

The Fleischmann Warship models are now over forty years old. They seem to run really well or barely run at all - I bought one of the good ones. I decided to fit mine with Ultrascale wheels and these I recall took ten months to arrive. So I reworked the model in stages spread out over more than a year.


This is Fleischmann’s original coupler. It looks like a tension lock but it doesn’t couple up to anything except another one.


This is a Kadee with an over-set shank, fitted onto the loco in its original condition.


I lowered the chassis onto the bogies when I installed the Ultrascale wheels.


The lowered model needs Kadees with a centre-set shank.


I shortened the draught gear box to clear the motor. I glued the original driving gears onto the backs of the new wheels and somehow these have stayed put ever since.


Incredibly, the Ultrascale wheels are so thin the lowered model still negotiates a Radius 1 curve. Though this is somewhat academic because the bogie stock it can haul needs Radius 2.


This green loco ran really well too but I decided one was enough and sold it. I couldn't face another ten-month wait but the wheel conversion was definitely worthwhile.

 

[Richard Gawler]

There is masses of space inside these models to do a DCC conversion. I left the unused wires coiled up for directional lighting which I never did.


Again, the Lenz Standard V2. One of its motor drive characteristics suits these can motors well.


The power unit soldiers on.


This "layout" was a six-foot siding with a detachable scenic section hung on the front.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Despite being over 40 years old the Fleischmann Warship body moulding is very finely detailed and still stand up well (if not better than) today's 4mm offerings.

 

[Richard Gawler]

Despite being over 40 years old the Fleischmann Warship body moulding is very finely detailed and still stand up well (if not better than) today's 4mm offerings.

I think the shape is right and the proportions are right. I mean, the model looks like a Warship.

I took the coupler off at this end because I realised I only every ran the model light engine or with one or two older wagons. Like the prototype, the lack of an air brake rather limits what I can put behind it.