I was unpacking my old trains when I came across these two models. They were bought way back in the early to mid 1970’s when on vacation in Europe. The first is a Lima model of an electric train (what type I have no idea). The second model is a Hornby 4-6-2 named the ‘Oliver Cromwell’.
Believe it or not, I tested both engines tonite and they work! The Hornby is in tough shape with a broken coupler and an engine that sounds like a broken chainsaw 
The Lima however, runs like a top. I can’t believe it - with little or no maintenance in all those years! Is Lima even still around?
Hope you like the pics! Click to enlarge.
Hi Surfstud,
Lima went bust a year or two ago and have been bought out by Hornby, at the moment there’s not a lot coming from them.
mad_druid.
The inside of a Hornby loco is fairly basic. Parts are easy to get. One of my old Honby locos had a problem and I was able to mail order all the spares I needed from the UK. I don’t have the details of where handy, but I am sure that one of the UK based modellers would be able to provide some pointers.
The LIMA is a model of a French loco.
The first is an SNCF (French) 40100 class multi-voltage electric, but the coach it’s with is Italian. Hornby now own Jouef (who may well have sold this loco - I’ve seen identical ones in Jouef packaging and they were part of the Lima group) and have the right stock for it in the form of the DEV Inox (Inoxidable - stainless steel) coaches. Photos here http://www.ehattons.com/StockDetail.aspx?SID=18787 and I recommend the seller if you’re looking to buy some - very good service.
The Hornby loco is one of their older “Britannia” class pacifics - guessing yours is loco drive? Spares aren’t hard to come by for these, try ebay or http://www.modelspares.com/ for them. The mechanisms behave surprisingly well when in good order and can be converted to DCC, although it may be a tad involved. They now make a super-detailed version with the motor in the tender, and they’re planning a brand new top-spec model of the type this year I believe. Hope this is of use!
I thought the Lima looked like an SNCF train. The boxes it came in are Lima (not Jouef). Too bad they went bust - the engine works great. Glad to hear Hornby parts are easy to come by. I am going to try and make a go of repairing the Hornby since as many of you have said - it’s pretty straightforward. The engine is in the tender and looks very easy to access and work on.
Thanks for all the great input guys. I just got a big kick out of cranking up these engines after all these years and seeing that they still work. Pretty cool.
I have one that looks like the steamer. It looks real good! Won’t pull a speck of air. Also it has those darned international hook and loop couplers that look SO ugly. Mines made by Bachmann (says a lot). Hope yours is a lot better.
They have the hook & loop couplers which i guess is european. I won’t be using them on my layout as it will be NYC circa 1951. I just thought they were pretty cool and they brought back memories from long ago. Glad I decided to get back into model RR.
i have a loco with the same drive that your britannia has got and believe it or not it is a better runner than just about all of my new stock. i just seem to be luckey with that one as all my other XO4 driven loco’s have burnt out.
Surf, many brittish loco’s went abroad. althought not to my knowlage a britannia. probably the most famous being flying scotsman and duchess of hamilton (in discuise as “coronation”) but my point is that it only takes a small amount of modellers liscence to run those loco’s on your layout…
i’m so glad those great big coupers have gone the way of the dodo.
Peter
Those ugly couplers were great for me as a kid. My first layout back in England was a typical 4 x 8 double loop with a couple of sidings right out of Hornby’s track plan book 35 years ago. Simple to use inexpensive (ugly also) un-coupling ramps could be placed and gave a child modeler an easy way to spot freight around the layout. They are also a rather robust bumper. Many times I droped a freight car that landed on its end. The ugly coupler saved the model from serious damage. Just bend it back into shape and off you go.
“Many times I droped a freight car that landed on its end. The ugly coupler saved the model from serious damage. Just bend it back into shape and off you go.” actually come to think of it mee too!!
peter
I sent an e-mail to Hornby for info on parts for the 4-6-2 Britannia and they referred me to someone else. Before I go crazy I think I will tune the engine up myself and make sure it isn’t just lubricant that it needs. It pulls it’s own passenger cars with no trouble. Hornby did call my engine “old and obsolete” in their e-mail to me. I thought that was a little curious - calling their own engine ‘old and obsolete.’
I never thought of running the British loco on my NYC layout but that might actually work. Especially since my prototype road is just outside New York City - a place that any visiting international train would end up passing through. Interesting…
Anybone know if it is a major undertaking to convert these hook & loop couplers to Kadee couplers?
I have converted a few Hornby locos to Kadees. If the tender coupling is held on with a screw, you take it off and then adjust the mounting surface to the right height for a Kadee box. I used #6 or 16, but some of the variants may work.
The front coupling can be a bit mor of a problem; you may just want to take it off. They used to be mounted on top of the front truck (bogie) and there may nor be room for a coupler pocket.
The old X04 motor shouldconvert easily to DCC. You just need to insulate the second bru***he same as the first one and wire the DCC output to the brushes.
Incidently, the coupling is not European, but pure English. It was developed by TriAng, the company that became Hornby. The other British RTR maker adopted variations of it, some of which are not compatible.
David, thanks for the info on the couplers. I’m going to clean and lube the engine and repair the broken drawbar myself. It looks like the engine will adapt to DCC rather easily - pretty straightforward. It’s alot of fun to bring something old back to life again
the link railroading brit gave you for spares, http://www.modelspares.com/
is a good one. they have been around so long the former proprietor is now a fossil.
Peter
That is a great site. Thanks guys.