Dane's Workbench

[Tullygrainey]

Looking forward to watching this develop. I've hacked a fair few of those Hornby 0-4-0s but probably not quite as extensively as you're planning. A  few suggestions for parts:

 

Buffers: Alan Gibson (workshop) : Part No 4908 Early GWR Dean buffers. I've found these a good match for some Irish locos.

http://www.alangibsonworkshop.com/

 

Hooks: Brassmasters etched hooks and chain

https://www.brassmasters.co.uk/3-link_couplings.htm

 

Smokebox door wheels : Wizard Models MT260

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/buildings/mt260/

Gearboxes

You'd do no better than something from the High Level range but I suspect the difficulty would be fitting one of these into the Hornby chassis

https://www.highlevelkits.co.uk/gearboxes

 

I've also used Hornby outside cylinder spares from Peter's Spares to sort the lack of crossheads on the Hornby 0-4-0 chassis

https://www.petersspares.com/p/hornby-x8834w-class-28xx-2-8-0-loco-valve-gear-set-weathered

 

Alan

[David Holman]

Sounds like a great project Dane - and if it essentially freelance, so what? Looks like it is more about the journey than the destination and what a fine way to have some fun & gain experience. 

 I did much the same thing in 0n16.5 a few years ago and it was really worthwhile in terms of how my skills developed.

Edited March 24 by David Holman

[meathdane]

2 hours ago, Tullygrainey said:

Looking forward to watching this develop. I've hacked a fair few of those Hornby 0-4-0s but probably not quite as extensively as you're planning. A  few suggestions for parts:

 

Buffers: Alan Gibson (workshop) : Part No 4908 Early GWR Dean buffers. I've found these a good match for some Irish locos.

http://www.alangibsonworkshop.com/

 

Hooks: Brassmasters etched hooks and chain

https://www.brassmasters.co.uk/3-link_couplings.htm

 

Smokebox door wheels : Wizard Models MT260

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/buildings/mt260/

Gearboxes

You'd do no better than something from the High Level range but I suspect the difficulty would be fitting one of these into the Hornby chassis

https://www.highlevelkits.co.uk/gearboxes

 

I've also used Hornby outside cylinder spares from Peter's Spares to sort the lack of crossheads on the Hornby 0-4-0 chassis

https://www.petersspares.com/p/hornby-x8834w-class-28xx-2-8-0-loco-valve-gear-set-weathered

 

Alan

Thanks Alan, 

It is ambitious alright, but if I'm gonna try, I'm gonna really try! We'll see how this all goes, it could very well End up going wonky. If it ends up being half of the quality you put out, I'd be a very pleased man! 

Thank you for those links, exactly the kind of parts I reckon I'm going to need for this project. Though lamp irons are oddly awkward to come by. Most recommended etch is OOP from Markits, the owner of which passed away last month sadly, everything else seems to be coming up either 0 guage or wagon ones! 

59 minutes ago, David Holman said:

Sounds like a great project Dane - and if it essentially freelance, so what? Looks like it is more about the journey than the destination and what a fine way to have some fun & gain experience. 

 I did much the same thing in 0n16.5 a few years ago and it was really worthwhile in terms of how my skills developed.

Thanks David! 

 

Hopefully it'll come along, should be a fun little piece to try and learn! Gives me a good basis of wiring, quartering, light kitbashing, and getting a chassis running, plus expanding my toolkit! 

[Patrick Davey]

Also looking forward to watching this one develop!

[meathdane]

First part has arrived, the new 5 pole motor, which actually fits the current chassis and mount, so great success there! Will be using wires for the connections from pickups to decoder, back to Motor. 

If anyone has any suggestions for a small decoders that would work in the limited space of an 040 and is compatible with a NCE powercab, I would very much appreciate the suggestions

 

Thanks all! 

[Tullygrainey]

Most decoders are built to a common standard and as such will work ok with your NCE Powercab. I use the NCE system and have never encountered incompatibilities with any decoder. Most decoders also come with some variety of plug attached but as you're planning to hard wire it - and given the limited space you have to work in that's probably the most compact way to do it - it doesn't matter what sort you buy as you'll be cutting the plug off anyway. However, avoid the ones described as 'direct'. These need a socket to plug into which would take up space.

My first criterion when buying decoders has always been size because I'm usually cramming them into small spaces. The range from DCC Concepts contains some of the smallest I've come across.

Alan

[meathdane]

1 hour ago, Tullygrainey said:

Most decoders are built to a common standard and as such will work ok with your NCE Powercab. I use the NCE system and have never encountered incompatibilities with any decoder. Most decoders also come with some variety of plug attached but as you're planning to hard wire it - and given the limited space you have to work in that's probably the most compact way to do it - it doesn't matter what sort you buy as you'll be cutting the plug off anyway. However, avoid the ones described as 'direct'. These need a socket to plug into which would take up space.

My first criterion when buying decoders has always been size because I'm usually cramming them into small spaces. The range from DCC Concepts contains some of the smallest I've come across.

Alan

Great stuff Alan, thanks again! The man himself to the rescue, I may have to name it Alan after yourself when it's all said and done