Re- wheeling a Lima N Gauge Siphon

[montyburns56]

I've got a Lima N gauge Siphon which looks pretty good considering it must be close to 40 years old now. The thing that lets it down the most are the shiny pizza cutter wheels, so I was wondering if anyone has changed the wheelsets to something more to scale and if so which ones did you use? I think the wheel size is approximately 5.5mm in diameter so I'd need a replacement of similar size. 

[Will Crompton]

A very belated response as I only just encountered your post. If you haven't already seen this there is a suggested modification along the lines you are asking about in 'Modelling British Railways Parcel and Mail Trains - Modellers Guide Volume 4', Edited by Simon Bendall, published by Key publishing Ltd, 2021, ISBN 978-1-80282-013-3. It is well worth getting hold of if you are interested in parcels vehicles in the BR era. There is a section on Siphon G's including a little piece on page 25 by Graham Hedges describing how he improved the look of the Lima model. The description is a little brief but I can just about follow it. Basically he swaps out the Lima wheelsets for Dapol GWR Autocoach bogies which can be purchased as spares. Although as he says these are 'not entirely correct' they  are narrower and longer than the lima bogies and are thus closer to the actual bogies used on most Siphon G's and also have less clunky wheels. With the Lima bogies removed he describes filling the pivot holes with 'some suitable plastic tube to reduce the diameter sufficiently to allow small self-tapping screws to fit.' The tube is glued in place then the pivot pins are removed from the Autocoach bogies and the raised lip around the pivot holes trimmed with a sharp knife. He then describes filing the underside bushes down a litle bit at a time so the gap between them and the underside has been reduced but the bogies can still turn freely. The bogies are then attached with the small self-tapping screws into the pivot bushes but not so tightly that the bogies can't rotate freely.

 

I've bought a Lima N Gauge Siphon G and some Autococoach bogies with a view to having a go at this myself. As you and Graham Hedges note, despite the clunky bogies the body is quite nicely modelled.The Lima bogies can be removed I have found by pulling them out gently but firmly. If it works well I might buy some more and tinker. The Modellers Guide shows some OO modifications which might be nice to try in N gauge including versions seen in the coprorate blue era used for parcels with the corridor connections removed. There is also a nice modification shown of a lima OO gauge Siphon G by Jim Smith-Wright where he has modelled the corridor connections with their characteristic 'droop' by modifying Hornby DMU corridor connections.

Edited July 15 by Will Crompton

[montyburns56]

2 hours ago, Will Crompton said:

A very belated response as I only just encountered your post. If you haven't already seen this there is a suggested modification along the lines you are asking about in 'Modelling British Railways Parcel and Mail Trains - Modellers Guide Volume 4', Edited by Simon Bendall, published by Key publishing Ltd, 2021, ISBN 978-1-80282-013-3. It is well worth getting hold of if you are interested in parcels vehicles in the BR era. There is a section on Siphon G's including a little piece on page 25 by Graham Hedges describing how he improved the look of the Lima model. The description is a little brief but I can just about follow it. Basically he swaps out the Lima wheelsets for Dapol GWR Autocoach bogies which can be purchased as spares. Although as he says these are 'not entirely correct' they  are narrower and longer than the lima bogies and are thus closer to the actual bogies used on most Siphon G's and also have less clunky wheels. With the Lima bogies removed he describes filling the pivot holes with 'some suitable plastic tube to reduce the diameter sufficiently to allow small self-tapping screws to fit.' The tube is glued in place then the pivot pins are removed from the Autocoach bogies and the raised lip around the pivot holes trimmed with a sharp knife. He then describes filing the underside bushes down a litle bit at a time so the gap between them and the underside has been reduced but the bogies can still turn freely. The bogies are then attached with the small self-tapping screws into the pivot bushes but not so tightly that the bogies can't rotate freely.

 

I've bought a Lima N Gauge Siphon G and some Autococoach bogies with a view to having a go at this myself. As you and Graham Hedges note, despite the clunky bogies the body is quite nicely modelled.The Lima bogies can be removed I have found by pulling them out gently but firmly. If it works well I might buy some more and tinker. The Modellers Guide shows some OO modifications which might be nice to try in N gauge including versions seen in the coprorate blue era used for parcels with the corridor connections removed. There is also a nice modification shown of a lima OO gauge Siphon G by Jim Smith-Wright where he has modelled the corridor connections with their characteristic 'droop' by modifying Hornby DMU corridor connections.

 

Thanks for your reply, unfortunately I've actually sold my model since I posted this. I am hoping though that Accurascale will shrink down their OO model at some point. Also I do keep meaning to buy that Modellers Guide at some point as I've had it bookmarked since it came out, I just haven't pulled the trigger quite yet.

[Will Crompton]

32 minutes ago, montyburns56 said:

 

Thanks for your reply, unfortunately I've actually sold my model since I posted this. I am hoping though that Accurascale will shrink down their OO model at some point. Also I do keep meaning to buy that Modellers Guide at some point as I've had it bookmarked since it came out, I just haven't pulled the trigger quite yet.

Likewise I have been hoping for Accurascale or anyone to do a nice new Siphon G in N. I'll keep you posted if I have a bash at the Lima and it doesn't end in disaster etc.😁

[PaulCheffus]

Hi

 

I replaced the bogies on mine with etched ones from the 2mm SA fitted with their N gauge coach wheels.

 

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Steven B]

I used the chassis from Dapol's outside framed Siphon (2A-000-020 - approx £6).

From memory, no modifications were made to the body or the chassis to make them fit. I did removed some of the underframe detail from the chassis.

 

Steven B

[montyburns56]

2 hours ago, Steven B said:

I used the chassis from Dapol's outside framed Siphon (2A-000-020 - approx £6).

From memory, no modifications were made to the body or the chassis to make them fit. I did removed some of the underframe detail from the chassis.

 

Steven B

 

Damn, I never thought about doing that.

[Will Crompton]

On 15/07/2024 at 17:19, PaulCheffus said:

Hi

 

I replaced the bogies on mine with etched ones from the 2mm SA fitted with their N gauge coach wheels.

 

 

Cheers

 

Paul

Very nice. Can I ask how you made the additional lower vents and covers so as to depict one of the later BR built (Diagram 062) Siphons? Can I assume  you removed the corridor connections and infilled with plasticard?

[PaulCheffus]

17 minutes ago, Will Crompton said:

Very nice. Can I ask how you made the additional lower vents and covers so as to depict one of the later BR built (Diagram 062) Siphons? Can I assume  you removed the corridor connections and infilled with plasticard?

Hi

 

The vents are from an etch that used to be available from Etched Pixels (no longer trading though some of the items have gone to the 2mm SA).

 

Yes the corridor connection has been removed and filled with a piece of from memory 0.010” (0.25mm) plasticard.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Will Crompton]

5 minutes ago, PaulCheffus said:

Hi

 

The vents are from an etch that used to be available from Etched Pixels (no longer trading though some of the items have gone to the 2mm SA).

 

Yes the corridor connection has been removed and filled with a piece of from memory 0.010” (0.25mm) plasticard.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

Many thanks. One last question - is the numbering from a purpose made transfer or a 'mix 'n match' as it were?

[PaulCheffus]

10 minutes ago, Will Crompton said:

Many thanks. One last question - is the numbering from a purpose made transfer or a 'mix 'n match' as it were?

Hi

 

They were from here

https://www.railtec-models.com/showitem.php?id=4551

 

I used this photo for inspiration

https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrsiphon/e25239624

 

Cheers

 

Paul

Edited July 23 by PaulCheffus