updating hornby E2

[rejrob]

Hi to all and everyone is keeping well and safe, mind you if that was all???Having just completed the rebuild of 2 bachmann E4,s which are now E6,s based at *The Brick*as xxx15 and 18 I decided to try and see what i could do to obtain a E2 (32102@ 73A) from a hornby lookalike I manage d to find a 1985 version and started........... Firstly removing the body which was promptly painted entirely with Humbrol 33 and number with crest to follow.The drive cog on the axle ..plastic ugh so wheels motor axles removed Somewhere i had read that the hornby version was about 2mm higher (from buffer height) but maybe they did not account for the diameter of hornby wheels(20mm) whilst the E2 has 18mm did wheels..problem solved.A set of insulated wheels from ``markits with axles and because I'm using the hornby con rods,stainless adapted crank pins as the holes in the described rods are too big to allow use of the standard crankpin retainer .Rather than use a can motor I have (nearly) used a triangle/hornby X? with a fly wheel attached and brass cog on the axle.This required opening out the gap Between the chassis to allow the final drive cog to rotate.The only problem i have had is fixing the Markits brass bearings into the chassis as it is steel After a flop with epoxy glue I am fitting the bearing from the outside and using a reversed bearing suitably shortened from the inside.With an axle passing through them and pushed together I can solder them into position, hopefully hehe????,and the bearing will stay in place.One motor lead will be anchored by screwing into the chassis whilst the other (isolated) will use the copper strip system as taken from an old hornby 08 then stand back and light blue touch paper.Hope everyone has a great christmas and new year even if no turkey (Just going out to shoot a pigeon)Surely 2023 WILL be better All the best Ron Robinson

[GeraldH]

Sounds very interesting, do you have some pictures? I'm struggling a bit with the text, might it be possible to break it up a little bit with some paragraphs?

[rejrob]

hi all and true to form 2023 is getting better already, for me anyway???A couple of weeks ago purchased an old(very old)hornby 08,mainly for the copper pickup strip for the E2.Today whilst still having a slight problem on the rotation of the wheels just checked the con rods of the 08,BINGO ,same dimensions as the E2.Thankyou Hornby. As such drilled out the threaded section of the wheel for the crankpins to a diameter of the hornby spigot pin on the con rod.Did this on the 1st and 3rd wheel and fitted the con rods to the wheels no trouble .Spigot pins either end and the stainless Markits adaptor type crankpin on the centre wheel.Rotation now as if there was never a problem.Next job, tomorrow maybe, connecting the hornby/triang motor and fixing it to the chassis, making sure polarity is correct.A couple of updates on the hornby E2 body and then put it all together All the best Ron robinson

[Lysander]

This is one that I did a long time ago as a quickie. It does sit a little too high and, possibly, smaller wheels might help. I've too much on the go however to worry about an engine which receives so little use, so it'll stay as it is. It runs really well on a reversed later Hornby 08 chassis. The body came from a damaged glossy LB&SCR loco, as so was really quite vintage.





Tony

[Bigmet]

That's a very neat result from this older moulding. Triang/Hornby presumably slightly 'stretched' the prototype's vertical dimension to enable their standard 0-6-0 mechanism to fit inside?

... It does sit a little too high and, possibly, smaller wheels might help. I've too much on the go however to worry about an engine which receives so little use, so it'll stay as it is...

But is there a fully compatible smaller diameter wheelset in the range that would be a straightforward substitute: no mucking around, old wheels out, new wheels in, job done?

[OliverSR]

I also had a go at improving a Hornby E2 though this was a while back.

The LBSC Brown body was stripped and repainted and it now runs on a Bachmann Jinty Chassis which I think is a visual improvement on the Hornby one and certainly runs a lot smoother for stunting.
OliverSR

[Bigmet]

The Bachmann Jinty mechanism won't be right in every detail for the E2, but the smaller diameter wheel is such a big improvement that it 'carries the day'. Then, as you remark, there's the running. I have used any number of these mechanisms ( and that from Bachmann's 57xx which has the same driveline but the shorter Ramsbottom LNWR standard wheelbase) to power many alternative - usually whitemetal - bodies, never yet had a failure.

[rejrob]

Hi all and hope all are keepingping well and safe.A set back albeit minor ,a change of direction was needed.I,ve retained the body of the E2 with its upgrades but the chassis did pose problems which I thought I had overcome,WRONG??? Having used Markits items since the year dot I know from a recent chat he has had problems himself ,being severely let down by an ex employee.subsequently he is not answering phones ,e mails or carrier pigeon.SO I contacted Alan Gibson who is making the chassis frames, con rods and spacers for the E2.Just waiting patiently for the postie.As mentioned before ,my wife has bought the Rapido Titfield and associated extras for my eightieth birthday(Last october)??The only things NOT in my *basket* are the engine and figures but unfortunately the loco will not be available until the end of March and not the anniversary of release of the film on 5/3/1953.The makers of Rapido products are not so rapid(o) this time .ah well.As a further task I don't want to propel the Titfield once it reaches a terminal station so I have ordered, although not for general releases class 14xx(1401) kit from dave ellis.(nucast)The mould is good but no chassis so Alan gibson is stepping into the breach again with frames ,conrods, spacers Providing all is well I will use the DJH motor and gearbox, which I've used many times before and no failures??At some time picci,s will be here .I think our comp and printer are due for a change so hopefully communications will be better Cheers all and keep modelling Ron Robinson

[GeraldH]

Here's mine. At first sight it looks pretty standard apart form the cab glazing and the crew, but the wheels have been replaced with a fully flanged Hornby metal set. This wheelset has six outer wheels from the older style Thomas. Thomas's tyred middle wheels were replaced with the non-tyred fully flanged outer ones. Thomas's articulated coupling rods were also used to help it get around 1st radius curves. As the wheels are live to the axle on one side no additional pickups were needed on that side. The centre wheel on the insulated side seems to very effectively transmit power through the connecting rods to the outer wheels which do have pickups and so it runs very well and rarely stalls.

[SRman]

I'm getting a few ideas from this topic, as I have an original LBSC E2 which runs reasonably well on test, but up to now has not been sufficiently good to convince me to convert it to DCC, or even to start detailing it.

That last one from GeraldH looks like a good starting point for me to consider.

Thanks for the ideas, guys, and I would like to compliment everyone for their wonderful work in improving what was a so-so model.