TT scale trains and models

The 1mm is not a measurement of length, it is a measurement of area covered by the wheel face. IMHO, they are noticeably too large.

The Piko trucks will work, and NWSL does have wheels that are press on replacements. It's been awhile, but I think I got 28" HO scale Code 88 wheels with a 2mm bore that will slide on the Piko axles. I'll have to dig it all out and check again, it has been probably three years since I looked at this possibility. I'll have to measure the wheelbase of the truck itself, but I think it was within 3-4 scale inches.
But I don't think the chassis offers much promise, even if the truck centers are correct. If you've seen the chassis Ian used for his FP7 it's quite a hunk of metal. I stripped it down and brought it to work and attacked it with a large belt sander to remove material, but I think you'd get the "deck" area too thin before you could get the body to sit down on the chassis far enough. Mine cracked just from handling, so I gave up. And I think (again, if I remember correctly!) that the motor was too fat to fit inside the hood. I bought mine from 3SMR as just a chassis, the cost was quite reasonable so I considered robbing the parts I could and using them on a flat chassis. Everything is in a tote in the dungeon at home, I'll try to find it and get some pics tonight.

areibel wrote:The Piko trucks will work, and NWSL does have wheels that are press on replacements. It's been awhile, but I think I got 28" HO scale Code 88 wheels with a 2mm bore that will slide on the Piko axles. I'll have to dig it all out and check again, it has been probably three years since I looked at this possibility. I'll have to measure the wheelbase of the truck itself, but I think it was within 3-4 scale inches.
But I don't think the chassis offers much promise, even if the truck centers are correct. If you've seen the chassis Ian used for his FP7 it's quite a hunk of metal. I stripped it down and brought it to work and attacked it with a large belt sander to remove material, but I think you'd get the "deck" area too thin before you could get the body to sit down on the chassis far enough. Mine cracked just from handling, so I gave up. And I think (again, if I remember correctly!) that the motor was too fat to fit inside the hood. I bought mine from 3SMR as just a chassis, the cost was quite reasonable so I considered robbing the parts I could and using them on a flat chassis. Everything is in a tote in the dungeon at home, I'll try to find it and get some pics tonight.

I have those wheels as well. I think a new chassis must be made out of a bit of brass or two brass rods, to hold the trucks. But the gear towers and trucks are integral I think. Here's a thread where a guy pulls one apart:

http://www.nz120.org/forumtopic/piko-er ... -dyo-class

Think you're right about the motor. Massive. Wonder if you can just buy the trucks? That's about all we're going to be able to use, I think.

I think the PIKO wheelbase was 22.2mm, so 8'9". I believe that is similar to the Lok N Roll, at least as far as I could work out. The Tillig 215/218 is 23.1 or 23.3mm depending on who is measuring, costs a lot more. These are popular locos, wonder if PIKO will eventually do one?

I do not know what Hollywood mechs cost, I'd like to use one, but last time I checked, the rising $A had made them quite pricy in the land of the poor old pound. They are the Rolls-Royce option.

"I think a new chassis must be made out of a bit of brass or two brass rods, to hold the trucks"

Some of the old O scale switcher locos used frame rails that were thin metal strips set up on edge, they attached against each side of the motor and extended fore and aft to the trucks where a cross piece connected them and provide the truck mount. Very simple and sturdy and left the bottom of the loco open for inspection and maintenance. Does the GP 38 body include the under body tanks and side skirts of would a frame need to incorporate them into it's design? ..DaveB

The problem with the above arrangement is weight. As in, not enough.


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"The problem with the above arrangement is weight. As in, not enough."

Weight is a function of the area within the shell, more room = more ability to add lead. The frame doesn't have to be the weight, it just has to be able to support the weight..DaveB

Well yes. But the issue is, there's not much space inside the hood once you take the motor and gear towers into consideration. With models of this size the chassis/frame HAS to contribute.

if it's possible to beef up an N scale hood unit with a plastic frame with a bit of extra weight (and from experience, it is), then it should be possible in TT.

Lok-n-Roll makes a drive for the GP38-2 from shapeways. I can ask for the dimensions. It based on the GP-9 chassis.