Piko Railbus Trailing Car convert into Powered Car

[Round n Round]

This is only a thought at this stage, which I would like your good folks opinion on.

I only wish to run my Piko Railbus as a single car, so the trailer stays in its box.

Would it be poss to purchase from Piko the complete floor/chassis with motor wheels etc and place it in the Trailer body.

Does anyone see any problems with this idea.

If it was poss then there could be two Piko Railbuses running on The Lesen Grossen Balleuppen Railway.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[3Valve]

There was a link posted to a Piko spares site on the old GSM, which I'm pretty sure listed at least the motor block as an available spare.

Can't remember the link at the moment Trevor but I'll do a quick trawl and see what I can find.

 

[Round n Round]

There was a link posted to a Piko spares site on the old GSM, which I'm pretty sure listed at least the motor block as an available spare.

Can't remember the link at the moment Trevor but I'll do a quick trawl and see what I can find.

Cheers Gareth.

 

[3Valve]

The motor and gearbox is listed in a few places (Part No 36002) but no-one seems to list the complete drive unit, although you can get a complete drive unit for the BR80?

Railbus motor and gearbox available as the following link:-

http://www.reynaulds.com/catalog/dept_895

Gaugemaster also list it but presently showing as "out of stock but available to order"

 

[Round n Round]

Thanks Gareth for the speedy reply.
I have posted on your Ground Signal Thread.

 

[whatlep]

(snip)
I only wish to run my Piko Railbus as a single car, so the trailer stays in its box.

Would it be poss to purchase from Piko the complete floor/chassis with motor wheels etc and place it in the Trailer body. (snip)

Try sending an email directly to Piko Customer Services (info@piko.de or use this dedicated link http://www.piko.de/e/contact.php?navid=96 ), quoting the parts numbers on the exploded diagram which came with your railbus. They understand English and reply quickly in my experience. As you are clearly aware, the floorpan (and seats) are different for motor and trailer, so it's not simply a question of obtaining a suitable motor and then wiring up the wheels/ skates/ lights.

The only issue, assuming you can get the parts, is that of nitpickers noticing that you have a powered trailer which only has two lights at one end. I'd invent a new country in which they kitbash imports, if I were you. It works for me!

Floreat Ruritania!

 

[g-bits]

(snip)
I only wish to run my Piko Railbus as a single car, so the trailer stays in its box.

Would it be poss to purchase from Piko the complete floor/chassis with motor wheels etc and place it in the Trailer body. (snip)

Try sending an email directly to Piko Customer Services (info@piko.de or use this dedicated link http://www.piko.de/e/contact.php?navid=96 ), quoting the parts numbers on the exploded diagram which came with your railbus. They understand English and reply quickly in my experience. As you are clearly aware, the floorpan (and seats) are different for motor and trailer, so it's not simply a question of obtaining a suitable motor and then wiring up the wheels/ skates/ lights.

<snip>

Floreat Ruritania!

http://www.champex-linden.de/download_fremddokumente_piko/piko_37300_bda.pdf < Link To http://www.champex-linden...iko/piko_37300_bda.pdf
http://www.champex-linden.de/download_fremddokumente_piko/piko_37300_et.pdf < Link To http://www.champex-linden...piko/piko_37300_et.pdf

Not much to add except that apart from the actual wheels and final drive gears (which same as the BR218), there's precious little commonality between the railbus chassis and the Taurus/Br218/steam motor block family. Suspect you may find you're replacing just about everything below window level, though if you're lucky you may find that the trailer has partpopulated gearboxes for it's single axle units, which would save some dosh.

Cutting my own throat to recommend a competitor's product, but I thing the simplest way may be to install an axlehung motor/wheelset in place of one of the original pair, changing as little else as possible - there may be something suitable in the NSWL 'magic carpet' range that will fit under the floor and into the existing carrier without having to change the chassis/floor. I guess one powered wheelset is probably enough if you only want to run the thing on its own. Needless to say, whatever you do, you're tearing up the warranty, though you'd only need to replace the axle block you'd messed with to return it to standard if it didn't work.

Jonathan
RDE

 

[Round n Round]

Thanks Guys for your thoughts.

Sorry to say that some of this has flown over my head and it might be a case of plan 2

Plan 2

Try trading the Trailer in against a second set (another livery perhaps)
Also trade the second Trailer and the box in against the new purchase.
Hey Presto The Leson Grossen Balleuppen Railway has two Railbuses (perhaps different liveries) at half the price.
Do you think any dealer/shop would go for that?. :thinking:

 

[pugwash]

I wonder if plan 1 would be cost effective. For plan 2 I don't think a dealer or shop would go for it but if you sell the trailer cars here or on eBay you will recoup some of the expenditure. One was very recently sold on this very forum for 40 squiddies to give you an idea, take a look at eBay too so you can see what they go for there.

 

[Round n Round]

I wonder if plan 1 would be cost effective. For plan 2 I don't think a dealer or shop would go for it but if you sell the trailer cars here or on eBay you will recoup some of the expenditure. One was very recently sold on this very forum for 40 squiddies to give you an idea, take a look at eBay too so you can see what they go for there.

Cheers, Your thoughts match mine as far as Plan 1 goes, hence Plan 2.

Plan 2 could very well be modified as per your sugestions. Time to put my thinking cap on. :thinking:

 

[pugwash]

Time to put my thinking cap on. :thinking:

Hey, I have a thinking cap too! It's a nice white one, cone shaped with a nice big letter D on the front. I only get to wear it on special occasions when I'm allowed to sit in the corner watching the wall while SWMBO mutters something indecipherable. :wits:
I also have one of these:

huge overhangs which is why the bridge has no railings, and also why it can only run on the branch line where there is nothing to bump into :impatient: . I'm thinking of selling it and buying something noseless. :crying:

 

[Round n Round]

Time to put my thinking cap on. :thinking:

Hey, I have a thinking cap too! It's a nice white one, cone shaped with a nice big letter D on the front. I only get to wear it on special occasions when I'm allowed to sit in the corner watching the wall while SWMBO mutters something indecipherable. :wits:
I also have one of these:

huge overhangs which is why the bridge has no railings, and also why it can only run on the branch line where there is nothing to bump into :impatient: . I'm thinking of selling it and buying something noseless. :crying:

One of these on ebay at the mo, (not a coned shape cap), 2 days to go, £202.50 at the mo.
A price refence for you perhaps.
OR how about a straight swap for a Piko Railbus Trailer (I know I'm trying (Very Trying))

 

[Zman]

I also have one of these:

huge overhangs which is why the bridge has no railings, and also why it can only run on the branch line where there is nothing to bump into :impatient: . I'm thinking of selling it and buying something noseless. :crying:

No, don't, must resist, it's my preferred livery too, nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

 

[pugwash]

Don't panic, I will help you resist, it took me flaming ages to find in this colour scheme (I especially wanted the Jägi version) so I will consider long and hard before offering it up.
Have you ever drunk Jägermeister?
Be warned, mixed it with cider once for the local Jägermeister club. Legless? Clueless, brainless and very, very silly too. And strangely everyone thought it great at the time but not so the next morning. Collective consciousness or wot?

 

[mmts]

Don't panic, I will help you resist, it took me flaming ages to find in this colour scheme (I especially wanted the Jägi version) so I will consider long and hard before offering it up.
Have you ever drunk Jägermeister?
Be warned, mixed it with cider once for the local Jägermeister club. Legless? Clueless, brainless and very, very silly too. And strangely everyone thought it great at the time but not so the next morning. Collective consciousness or wot?

mmmm shot glass of jm dropped into a glass of redbull
dosnt take many:bleh:

 

[Madman]

I had been wondering if the trailer skates could be wired to pick up power in order to aid the power car with more power points of contact. I have a set comming soon, so I haven't had a chance to investigate, first hand, the inner sanctum of the railcars.

 

[pugwash]

mmmm shot glass of jm dropped into a glass of redbull
dosnt take many:bleh:

Aaah, the (in)famous 'Flying Hirsch', or flying stag from the Jägi logo, developed on the ski slopes of Austria and causing major silliness and brain ache throughout the world!
We do ours with the 2cl bottles of Jägermeister dropped into a tall glass and then pour the Red Bull in to just under the neck of the bottle, good thing I'm diabetic and therefore have a good excuse not to touch it!

 

[whatlep]

I had been wondering if the trailer skates could be wired to pick up power in order to aid the power car with more power points of contact. I have a set comming soon, so I haven't had a chance to investigate, first hand, the inner sanctum of the railcars.

It's certainly possible, but you'd have to rewire the lighting circuits in both cars, unless you're planning to add additional inter-car connectors. The four factory-fitted connections are hard wired into lighting boards on both cars to co-ordinate the directional lighting.

From my experience, there's no need to add contact points to the power car. It's got plenty "as is". You may want to have a look at my thread here for some wiring pictures of the motor car: http://www.gscalecentral.net/tm?m=1185&high=piko+railbus

 

[Madman]

I had been wondering if the trailer skates could be wired to pick up power in order to aid the power car with more power points of contact. I have a set comming soon, so I haven't had a chance to investigate, first hand, the inner sanctum of the railcars.

It's certainly possible, but you'd have to rewire the lighting circuits in both cars, unless you're planning to add additional inter-car connectors. The four factory-fitted connections are hard wired into lighting boards on both cars to co-ordinate the directional lighting.

From my experience, there's no need to add contact points to the power car. It's got plenty "as is". You may want to have a look at my thread here for some wiring pictures of the motor car: http://www.gscalecentral.net/tm?m=1185&high=piko+railbus

I was unable to open your file. Not sure why.

 

[whatlep]

I was unable to open your file. Not sure why.

If you click on it, it should open after a short delay. Alternatively, right mouse click and use the "Save Target As" option to save a copy to your hard drive. Should take under 5 seconds to download! If all else fails, PM me and I'll send you a copy.