Playmobile chassis conversion

[jbs]

Before starting my Ruston 48DS kit which I obtained from Richard T at the AGM, I thought I would have a go at converting a playmobile chassis I had in stock, purchased quite a few years ago from an internet auction site. These can still be obtained secondhand and I believe Peter Spoerer sells them refurbished. Articles in the Gauge 1 magazine have described some of the loads these little units have hauled. The description below may be useful to someone.

My original idea was to use spoked wagon wheels, fix crankpins to them and have coupling rods. This was abandoned when I was unable to get my crankpin housing to stick securely to the plastic spokes. The solution was keep it simple and use steel wagon wheels from Brandbright.

The playmobile brick comes apart easily. It has nominal 4mm dia axles running in plastic bearings which appear on my sample to be quite resistant to wear.

The Brandbright wheels which have a plastic top hat shaped bush in the centre for 2 rail running, were chosen because they are a good force fit on a nominal 4mm diameter axle.

First stage was to remove the playmobile wheels, which on my sample were simply pulled off the axles. The central gear wheel on each axle was then removed using the vice and a piece of small diameter tube longer than the axle. New axle material was obtained from Technobots, being 4mm diameter silver steel, and cut in my case to 74mm long.

The gearwheel for each axle was then pushed onto the axle. This can be done using a vice and tube (the opposite of removal process), although I used the small lathe I have. It is important to keep everything square.

The next job was to produce 4 spacers 11mm long to go between the back of each wheel and the plastic brick housing to help keep the wheels central. I made mine from some 1/2" bar salvaged from an old lawn mower and turned in the lathe, but tube sawn to length and filed square could be used. To get the correct back to back, I had to drill a small recess in the spacers where tey were adjacent to the plastic wheel bushes.

The wheels and spacers were then assembled onto the axles, using a stainless steel washer 4mm bore between the spacer and the brick housing. I used the lathe to press the wheels on, but a vice can be used - the main thing is to keep everything square and avoid wobbly wheels. A society back to back gauge helped here

How well does it go? Well, I can't tell you at the moment. I degreased and cleaned my chassis, and am currently waiting for some of the plastic tolerant grease to be delivered so that I can lubricate it before proper assembly. However, it rolls nicely on a length of track.

If this works, it may be useful for small industrial locos, especially those wih small wheels - sentinels etc, although mine is going under a GRS Hudswell Clarke body with skirts to hide the incorrect running gear.

John