Electrifying Daisy

[Tony Bird]

Hi,

It would appear judging by the amount of them seen in charity shops that one of the commonest model toys of Thomas the Tank Engine is of the small push-along variety.

Photo 01. Two models of Thomas one of which has been modified into a battery electric and to run on ‘0’ gauge tracks.



Photos 02 & 03. In this range of toys quite a lot of the Thomas the Tank Engine characters are available. Daisy which I believe is based on a BR Class101 being one of them.




Photo 04. My model of Daisy has been in a draw since its purchase at a steam rally last September so it is about time she was modified. This range of models is held together with just two screws. Daisy undressed?



Photo 05. The first part of the modification was to cut out the unnecessary parts of the body and chassis. The screws being replaced by 3mm or 5BA threaded rod.



Photo 06. Trail assembly of the body and chassis. The roof has now been glued to the body.



Photo 07 & 08. The metal for the new chassis is made from 20mm aluminium angle bought from B&Q and is so fitted that the coming together of the body and plastic chassis hold it in place.




Photo 09. Trial assembly of body and aluminium chassis.



Photo 10. The new aluminium chassis marked out and spot drilled for the various components. Daisy should be a Bo Bo but as the model is a little short she will be a 0-4-0.



Photo 11. Jig used to stop the aluminium channel from bending while being drilled.



Photo 12. Electric motor fitted. The hole for the On-Off switch has been elongated to get the switch to fit.



Photo13. Testing the mesh of worm and wheel.



Photos 14 & 15. New chassis fitted in the body which is as far as the modification has progressed.




More will be added to this thread when further progress has been made.

Regards Tony.

[Peter Butler]

'Bonkers' but expertly done.....

[tom_tom_go]

Great stuff Tony.

Playing about with stuff like this must be very relaxing compared with expensive locos.

[Tony Bird]

Hi Peter,

'Bonkers' but expertly done.....

I'm not sure I agree, at least Daisy is a model of a railway locomotive.  This I agree is 'Bonkers'.





Regards Tony.

[Tony Bird]

Hi Tom,

Playing about with stuff like this must be very relaxing compared with expensive locos.

Quite right! I was soldering together an etched tram body kit and was a little tired of the Bakers Fluid fumes.



Regards Tony.

[laalratty]

Nice work with Daisy but I absolutely LOVE that Dalek! I'm just imagining the silly spoof videos that could be made with that...

[Dr. Bond of the DVLR]

The next train to arrive on platform 2 exTerminates here...

[Tony Bird]

Hi,

Yesterday except for making a cover for her gear box Daisy was finished.



There wasn't a lot of work left to do if she was to be single axle drive it would just be necessary to paint the chassis, push the wheels on and join up the electrics. It was decided to fit brass bushes for the axles, this was done because Daisy will get a lot of use at the CMES and fitting bushes makes it easier and quicker to take up the wear. Also she was made 4WD as the small layout she will mostly run on is only six yards long and goes up and down six inches.

Daisy's completed chassis.





First test run of Daisy with our only item of rolling stock so far Annie.



The following photographs show some of my R & D 4WD chassis some with gear box covers and made over several years.



Top left is a IPE chassis fitted with extended axles so a belt or chain drive can be fitted.
Centre is a long wheel base bogie fitted with two electric motors.
Top right is also a bogie which can also be set up with a motor for each axle.
Bottom left an axle hung motor unit which has also been made with mounting brackets
Bottom left a small motor unit using plastic wheels that was designed to motorise a small toy I have forgotten which.



Some of the chassis with their gearbox covers fitted, the holes in their corners are to aid in their removal. These covers are really needed if the model is to be used on a garden railway as with negative ground clearance the gears pick up all sorts of debris.



Left a Mamod belt drive as used on Daisy fitted to a coal wagon that usually pushes a none powered Thomas around. Thomas used an old 0-6-0 12v Lima chassis but when the motor gave up the ghost a replacement couldn't be found hence the powered wagon.
Right a Cooper Craft slate wagon with a Delrin chain drive. This wagon is used in a set of slate wagons that make up a gravity train that can go up hill!

Hope this is found interesting. The weather looks as if it is bucking up so I'm off to play trains at the CMES today and tomorrow.

Regards Tony.