PIKO BR 260 - IS IT 1:22.5?

[john]

Hi,

Does anyone know if the Piko BR260 is 1:22.5?

I am starting out in Gauge 3, and the loco would make a nice shunter for my (yet to be started) small indoor layout.

I have already made a couple of wagon kits and now have a troublesome truck in bits for conversion, so the next step after this would be a loco. I like the BR260, and it might be quicker converting one than building up a kit.

If anyone has one I would be grateful if they could let me know cab door height and width (model driver needs to be able to get in and out), loco width and height of bodywork, wheel diameter etc. Even if it turns out to be a bit on the small side, as long as door sizes could be adjusted without spoiling the look of the model, it would make a nice industrial loco.

It would be a bonus if someone has had a look at the chassis construction and if they think it could be converted to the wider gauge.

Kind regards,

John

 

[g-bits]

I think the BR260 mech would be pretty difficult to modify to G64. All Piko power blocks use essentially the same axle construction - the wheels have integral half axles which plug into a central plastic gear which provides the electrical insulation as well as transmitting power.
The inner end of each half axle is hexagonal section as a opposed to round (the socket on the wormgear is also hexagonal), so that the wheels are automatically quartered correctly. (The middle axle on the BR80 has a plain sleeve instead of a gear, the power is transmitted by the siderods, but otherwise its the same, including the hexagonal bits)

In principle widening the gauge means either providing new longer half axles (and fitting them to the wheels quartered in the same way as the originals), or somehow spicing in an extra section between the wheel and the hexagonal bit while maintaining the quartering. I suspect both would be somewhat challenging unless you already had both the equipment and skills just to build your own anyway. Another point with the BR260 is that the block is articulated - if you widen the gauge the siderods will have to accomodate bigger displacements, and possibly different angles, though I guess you wouldn't be wanting to use 600 mm rad curves, which would probably help a bit.

Just a suggestion, and possibly smaller than you were thinking off, but is the LGB Kof bodyshell true to 1:22.5? If it is, putting replacement power underneath that might be a lot simpler.

Jonathan
RDE

 

[john]

Jonathan,

Thanks for the information about the mechanism. It looks as if it would need quite a lot of work to convert.

798.03

It also looks as if the body may be too small at 1:27.

Thnaks to you both for the information.

Kind regards,

John