Rear spring adapter part on Merchant Navy and B of B locos.

[ColinB]

I have looked at the Service Sheets and I cannot see listed the piece of plastic that houses two springs, which spring load the third axle on a Merchant Navy or Battle of Britain Loco. Does anyone know what the part number is ?

[96RAF]

I have had my DCC-Ready MN (ex R1038 boxed set) apart countless times and can’t recall a spring based rear axle.

[Going Spare]

Early-issue Bulleids did indeed have a sprung plastic saddle above the rear driving axle, which enabled Hornby to create the two wheelbases needed for the Merchant Navy and light pacific variants. The springs were done away with some time ago but, if memory serves me correctly, the plastic saddle was retained. A similar arrangement was used on A1, A3 and A4 chassis. The spring is illustrated on Merchant Navy Sheets 248 and 267, and was supplied within Small Parts Pack X8855 but the saddle is shown on the axle and came with the driving wheelsets pack X8844 or X8845 depending upon whether the loco was fitted with an extended crank pin for a speedometer drive. Sheet 249 is the equivalent for BoB/WC chassis.

[ColinB]

Great,thank you Going Spare. I have several locos with these on and I just bought a spare chassis as I needed a new weight as mine had the mazak rot issue. It also has the plastic saddle, so I wondered if it came as a spare. All of my locos, about six, have it sprung loaded.

[ColinB]

Although they are out of stock, it doesn't look like they now come with the plastic saddle.

[Going Spare]

Speak with Peters Spares to make sure the saddle is the same as on the Bulleids - they have stock of X8419 wheelsets for the A1/A3 which, from the illustration on their website, does still include the saddle (if you are desperate for one).