Lima HST Body onto a Hornby Upgraded Chassis

[martin_l_jones]

Anyone done the conversion ?

I'm thinking of upgrading my FGW Fag Packet Power Cars...

Just wondered if anyone has attempted the change and found any obstacles..

[Bigmet]

I can guess at two likely adjustments required.

One on the powered chassis only, I believe the Hornby mech has the moving fans, and those will probably foul the inside of the Lima moulding Straight choice of remove mechanism or adapt Lima moulding to match the Hornby.

The other is that Lima glazing often has chunky mountings inside the body work, and this is likely to require 'adjustment' to either the chassis or the glazing to clear.

You will also possibly need to think about securing points to attach body to new chassis, but see below.

Generally I would say 'go for it'. I have been doing this kind of thing for many years and fitting a newer drive for the same class into an older body is very straightforward. I have just two such conversions running now (most that I have done in the past superseded by all new models) Brush type 2 (TOPS class 30) and NBL DE type 2 (TOPS class 21).

My Brush type 2s are made from the old Airfix body (critically more accurate in cab appearance than the current Hornby) on the Hornby mechanism, and that works as a 'slip on' body.

The NBL type 2 is a much modified Hornby 21/29 to reflect pilot scheme condition and is on a Bachmann class 25 chassis. Had to strip off all the cosmetic parts mounted on the mechanism and file a taper in the upper sides of the chassis block to clear the tapering body. But this done the Hornby body mouldings - body and underframe - just clipped together around the stripped down Bachmann mechanism as though they were designed to do so, and by slightly enlarging the lug locators on the cosmetic bogie frame mouldings these clipped straight onto the lugs on the gear train frames of the bogie. It couldn't be any simpler...

[Metadyneman]

The Hornby (ex Lima) R2707 railroad upgraded mechanism & chassis is a straight swap with a Lima Body, is DCC ready and you get a half decent HST at a fraction of the price of the completely retooled Hornby HST. Hornby released the railroad version as a twin power/dummy car pack in Virgin livery under ref R2707 utilising an upgraded lima chassis with a brand new mechanism and i have swapped the body on mine for a Lima InterCity 125 Blue Grey version. I have also fitted working LED head/tail lights and runs very well with 7 Hornby Scale length blue/grey Mk3 coaches in between. The R2707 is not currently available but they do appear on eBay from time to time for about £60 for the pair.

[martin_l_jones]

The Hornby (ex Lima) R2707 railroad upgraded mechanism & chassis is a straight swap with a Lima Body, is DCC ready and you get a half decent HST at a fraction of the price of the completely retooled Hornby HST. Hornby released the railroad version as a twin power/dummy car pack in Virgin livery under ref R2707 utilising an upgraded lima chassis with a brand new mechanism and i have swapped the body on mine for a Lima InterCity 125 Blue Grey version. I have also fitted working LED head/tail lights and runs very well with 7 Hornby Scale length blue/grey Mk3 coaches in between. The R2707 is not currently available but they do appear on eBay from time to time for about £60 for the pair.

Thanks for the help, a much more economic and simpler option....