Chassis x8957

[AlloAllo]

Grandad here again. In a job lot came a nippy little 0-4-0 chassis, which I think is X8957, with red wheels. Anyone know what body it might have had? The body appears to have been ripped off as there is a screw wrapped round some blue plastic. We actually like it as it is!

[Going Spare]

If the chassis is X8957, it is from the very basic 0-4-0 side tank loco with inside cylinders or the small 4-wheel class 06 or Bagnall diesel locos.

A number have been produced with red wheels over the years, often in train sets.

[AlloAllo]

Thanks Going Spare. I saw a British Railways Tank Loco no 9 on ebay with red wheels, and it certainly looks basic. Perhaps I could use some imagination and come up with something better!

[threelink]

@AL

Hi. I used one of these chassis to create a freelance outside cylinder shunter by superglueing old Triang Princess cylinders to the front of the chassis, installing Princess conrods and putting a Triang "Polly" body on top. The rear coupling rod screws were replaced by the longer Princess conrod screws and spacers to accomodate the con rods on the rear wheelset - the screw threads are the same. The cylinders were shorn from their stretcher bar, scored well to give the glue a key and then glued on individually, tight up against the running plate, with a bit of plasticard packing to get them at the right distance from the chassis. The sides of the chassis were likewise scored to provide a key. The piston rods were shortened (side cutting pliers and a file) to avoid excessive protrusion through the front end of the cylinders. Dumb buffers, 3 link couplings, a lamp or two and a bucket on the running plate, footplate crew, a coat of paint and some weathering produced a convincing little number. I weighted it well with lead to curb it's "pocket rocket" tendencies and coupled it to a flat bed wagon masquerading as a shunters wagon, with pick ups wired through to the loco to avoid stalling on dead frog points. If it's a can type motor (as opposed to the X03 or X04) it's well worth removing the retaining spring and glueing the motor in with silicone bath sealant - the reduction in noise level is astonishing. Just remove the motor, de-grease it and the chassis with lighter fuel, add the sealant, reinstall the motor with retaining spring, leave for a day or two to harden and then remove the spring permanently. Care is needed to avoid gumming up the motor with the sealant. Otherwise it's a simple job.

I am sure you will have ideas of your own. Enjoy making up your loco.

[AlloAllo]

Thanks Threelink, now that's what I call an answer!

[Going Spare]

If the chassis is an X8957, the coupling rods are secured to the wheels by pins rather than screws. Pins with extended shoulders can be obtained to fit both coupling rods and connecting rods on the rear wheels as used on the X8959 and X8961 chassis for locos fitted with outside cylinders.