Motorising the Dapol/Airfix Railbus?

[GaryB]

Due to a period of relaxation (I got made redundant in June!!!) I now have some time to jump back into the loft and crack on with my layout. I have a new job but I don't start until January, hence having lots of spare time but money is tight. I quite fancy a rail bus to trundle around my layout and the price of the Dapol/Airfix "model" at under a tenner is great, but obviously I'd like to motorise it for DC (not DCC) use.

Has anyone done this successfully? If so any advice would be gratefully received. Thanks.

[footplat47]

If you have a look at " Motorising a dapol railbus " on U tube Just google it I found one chap who had done one. Not very well but you could improove on his idea. I would cut up an old tender drive motor from a Hornby King or a Black 5 or something.. Take one old tender drive motor which works and cut off one axle end to hold the wheel and axle at one end and moun the other half o the casting and motor driving one axle on the other end. Cut out the bottom of the rail bus make a mount to adjust the height of motor and wheels and mount it to the floor of the railbus. If you need to. You should be able to make something out of that idea. You will have to sort out some pickups to suiet.
That will keep you busy.

[Bigmet]

Since it's a single lightweight vehicle you could do something novel and cheap. I did some experiments with a group of kids to discover what sort of OO train load a pocket fan powered by 2 AA batteries could start and run. The answer was seven Bachmann mk1s. A small motor and fan mounted underneath would probably make a railbus go.

[luckymucklebackit]

Thread on "the other place" https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index ... l-railbus/

Jim

[footplat47]

Thats right, you use what ever you have in the odds and ends box waiting to used. Thats the fun of modelling. ....John

[footplat47]

Since it's a single lightweight vehicle you could do something novel and cheap. I did some experiments with a group of kids to discover what sort of OO train load a pocket fan powered by 2 AA batteries could start and run. The answer was seven Bachmann mk1s. A small motor and fan mounted underneath would probably make a railbus go.

Hornby did that already with that fan powered rocket looking thing from Battle space set or something like that.
Come on lets have some orridinal ideas.............

[footplat47]

Due to a period of relaxation (I got made redundant in June!!!) I now have some time to jump back into the loft and crack on with my layout. I have a new job but I don't start until January, hence having lots of spare time but money is tight. I quite fancy a rail bus to trundle around my layout and the price of the Dapol/Airfix "model" at under a tenner is great, but obviously I'd like to motorise it for DC (not DCC) use.

Has anyone done this successfully? If so any advice would be gratefully received. Thanks.

Have look at the U tube to give you idea. If you are interested in going with my idea if making a drive out of an old Hornby tender drive. I have this afternoon had look in my spares and sorted out a Hornby Patriot motor which is tested and working (3 pole) and there is another motor casting which you can cut up to carry the wheel set for the other end of the Bus. You will have to make up I sugest from a sheet of plasticard a means of mounting the motor and rear wheel in the floor of the bus. If you fancy having a go I am happy to let you have the parts to build a motor drive. The rest is up to you. If you are interested PM me and send address. The parts are no charge gratis just give me something for the postage. ...John

[GaryB]

Thanks for the response folks, I never thought of You-Tube, I have to admit to being fairly new to the merits of it, assuming (wrongly) that it was just full of junk aimed at kids, but having spent most of this afternoon watching the layout build of Everard junction, I am now converted!

I haven't posted any updated on here since January due to 101 distractions but I've made some progress on the layout so I'll update that thread in the coming weeks.

[Bufferstop]

Tiny motor from a disposable electric toothbrush, Tenshodo spare gearset from Roxey, Hornby disc wheels, definitely need brass bearing cups for the non driven wheels. I did mine before throw away toothbrushes were around so it's got a tiny Romford motor which seems to have no more power than the one from the toothbrush.