George Dent and Dave Lowery look at ways of improving the ageing Hornby Class 142.
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The humble ‘Pacer’ trains have certainly been in the news over the past few years, becoming something of a political football and an icon for the lack of investment in the railways in northern England. Indeed, they’ve become one of the few train types to enter the consciousness of the general public, rather than being confined to an enthusiasts’ favourite.
Despite this, we’ve had to wait a long time for a decent ready-to-run ‘Pacer’. Realtrack Models’ excellent ‘OO’ gauge ‘143’ and ‘144’ models were a very welcome release back in 2014, but the more numerous ‘142’ has had to wait even longer to be miniaturised in a similarly ‘high-spec’ manner in 4mm:1ft scale.
While Dapol’s attractive ‘N’ gauge Class 142 appeared earlier this year, until the Realtrack ‘OO’ version finally arrives, Hornby’s venerable ‘142’ remains the only option for 4mm scale modellers, although it is certainly showing its age in terms of looks and performance.
However, Hornby ‘Pacers’ can be obtained fairly cheaply these days, especially older pre-owned examples and there are a couple of re-motoring kits still available, from High Level Kits and Branchlines.
Both kits provide etched metal cradles to support a new motor and transmission, as well as a new set of driving and trailing wheels for both cars. Only a small amount of modification work is required, removing some material from the plastic underframe to accommodate the new parts, while tweaking the Hornby power collection wipers is necessary.
The Branchlines kit provides a motor, flywheel, gears and wheels and there’s a
facility to fit a second powered axle in the other car if desired (extra motor and gears must be sourced separately). This is certainly worth considering, especially if your layout has tight curves or inclines. The higher ratio gears and the brass flywheel offer much-improved running, especially at lower speeds.
Furthermore, the replacement wheels look much more convincing than the huge Hornby wheels. Combined with some extra detailing of the bodyshell and interior, the Hornby model can be upgraded to a much more convincing model.
The re-motored Hornby ‘Pacer’ brings an old model up to date. George has had this model since he was 16!
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Solder the axle bearings in place and clean the parts to remove any debris and flux residues. When dry, fix the motor in place, then add the axle and gears. Rotate the flywheel by hand to check that everything has meshed correctly.
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The original equipment is easily removed, with only a single screw holding the motor cradles in place. This die-cast unit adds valuable weight to the model, so we’ll need to compensate for its removal with extra ballast.
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Once all of the folds are complete, doublecheck everything. It’s a good idea to reinforce the corners with solder. Apply a little flux, then load the soldering iron with molten solder and run it down the inside of the fold.
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Using the new etched motor cradles as a guide, mark the areas of the chassis that require trimming and remove the waste with a small razor saw and a sharp chisel, paring away a small amount of the tough plastic at a time.
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The only mechanical operation you’ll need to carry out is the opening-out of the axle bearing holes in the etched cradles. A tapered reamer is essential here, rather than a drill bit, as the cutting action can be finely controlled.
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The fold lines on the various parts are very clear and – when folded – give a clean, square edge. Work on a flat surface when bending components or employ a Hold ‘n’ Fold.
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Cut the required components from the fret, one element at a time. Use metal cutting shears, cutting away the waste material to ease access to the ‘tangs’ holding the parts to the fret.
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Use a flat needle file to smooth any burrs and ensure that the edges are square. The etching process produces a bevel to the edges, which can prevent parts from mating accurately.
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Peco’s Electrolube is suitable for lubricating the axle bearings, especially if utilising the metal axle cradles to collect track current. A little oil will also keep the compensated axle cradle moving smoothly.
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Lubricate the axles with light oil and the gears with a thicker grade and test the assembled model. The Branchlines kit provides covers for the motor cradles to protect the motor from dust and debris. Lightly glue these in place.
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Before final reassembly, take the opportunity to paint the interior mouldings and add a complement of passengers and crew. ‘HO’ scale figures fit more readily into the cramped interior.
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We found it easier to fix the replacement axle unit the opposite way around, although this meant that the etched base needed trimming to a ‘T’ shape fit within the twin moulded equipment boxes on the chassis.
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After adjusting the wiper power pick-ups so that they stay in contact with the wheels, without causing excessive friction, test-running can commence. Some extra weight was added to the interior in the form of flat steel strip.
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Another deviation from the instructions involved retaining the original pick-ups, so the insulated wheels were fitted on the same side of each axle to avoid short circuits. After connecting the power cables, install the new axle units.
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The compensated trailing axle cradles also demand some modification of the Hornby chassis. Unclip the original axle unit and flatten the floor area with a chisel or flat blade. Take care to get the floor as flat as possible.
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Test-fit the cradles, then check that the axles sit concentrically within the frames and that their centres match those of the moulded axleboxes on the exterior. When happy, drill 1.2mm holes for the mounting screws.