A tale of two very small engines. Nothing Porsche...

[911hillclimber]

I find myself VERY bored at the moment.

The hillclimb season is progressing to plan and moving but very slowly.

I can't do another motorcycle although I would love to. No more room (time for a good clear-out?) and the wife saying " why spend money on things you will not use?"

So, time for an alternative to tackle.

I like old things, I like clockwork toys, preferably Schuco design and pre WW2 manufacture before the Russians built a big wall across Germany.
Thus my attention went to ebay of course and a bit of browsing found me a rare pair of Hornby/Meccano type 40 (ish) clockwork engines in deep need of restoration or revival and to take place by my existing train made up from NOS items and utterly immaculate.
There are NO suitable Schuco toys at the moment..

Finding these items is getting really hard now, mostly all you can expect are very nice examples with a big ticket to them.

My last one of these projects was a Schuco 1050 racer out of a river or a bird bath that was really far gone, but I got it sorted, so, now being an expert, two more projects in the garage.

Of the two engines, one ha an 'exploded' motor but quite nice details (sort of paint) and will be stripped, semi rebuilt and waxed like the Schuco 1050.
The other is dented but will run and needs a lot of cosmetic effort, thus one 'rough, one 'nice'. £15 bought them inc post.

Decided to do the rough one first, easy to do and gets me in the grove.

I start this short thread on this engine while the motor of the other soaks itself.

Here are the pair:



And here the rough one with exploded engine:



How all this spring gets into such a small space looks quite a task, and not without it's dangers...





The motor has two speed control and a brake. Both actuated by brass knobbed wires and links to levers on the side of the engine chassis 'box'. These were really rusted solid, but a bit of persuasion won the day, first crack the rust line using a 'thin end of a wedge' and a small hammer made as a first year apprentice when I was 16. As you can see, expertly MiG welded a few times...





After a good hit with the hot air gun, the wheels were off the chassis, the motor stripped and the levers now all move fully to their correct positions by easy finger pull.
Result!

Too hot in the garage now, so started this thread instead of doing more.

Next up will be deciding what to do with the motor, straighten the body tin as it is well knocked out of shape and to restore the body transfers and paint with bee's wax to an eye dazzling shine.

[middlefour1]

Great stuff, have a look at a web site called https://oldtintoytrainparts.co.uk They do a range of spares

[911hillclimber]

Thanks for the link! Could not find anyone via google for bit, and there are some parts listed that I'll need for the detailed rebuild of No 2 engine.
Plus, at least I know somebody is interested!!

[middlefour1]

Thanks for the link! Could not find anyone via google for bit, and there are some parts listed that I'll need for the detailed rebuild of No 2 engine.
Plus, at least I know somebody is interested!!

Always interested in models and railways!!!

[jwhillracer]

Hi Graham,
You need to join the Hornby Railway Collectors Association - www.hrca.net
Another collection of old farts with too much time on their hands!
Unfortunately I’ve recently had a tidy up (sort of!!) and threw out all of my older Spares and Repairs directory. There is virtually everything available for these old things, there are people in sheds making all sorts of spares to keep them going.
I’ll bring a few mags and my current Spares directory to Shelsley (along with the 7mm nuts!!) for you to see.
Cheers
JW

[911hillclimber]

Thank you Jonathan.
I thought it odd that there were no bits n pieces inc decals

See you Saturday!

[911hillclimber]

I'm keen to get onto the second engine which will be stripped and re-painted and restored best I can.

Thus the first 'rough' engine is now re-assembled and complete and done.

A few pics tells the storey better than my words:

18 tabs have to be located to marry the body to the chassis:



The motor control rods (2) for the brake and forward/revers (if it had a spring) need to be threaded through the cab slots and then the pretend piston rods into the body, but first the wheels have to go back on which is a fiddly affair. The connecting links have to be 'timed' to each wheel and stroke, but got there in the end and the wheels gapped to fit the rail gauge.
The motor assembly is held into the chassis by 2 'meccano' square nuts if anyone is looking at this you may remember them!





And with the NOS engine which is immaculate...



So, onto the next scrap-yard dog with a nice surprise.

Looks a bit gruff





But a very nice all working motor and nothing to do to it.



It is now all apart in 2 trays, paraffin and WD40 and some brushing up.

The sheet metalwork is thinner than a beans can so can be manipulated by fingers and pliers, but a lot of detailing is needed before painting etc.

Not sure to paint it '1940's' sober or very Sargent Pepper?

[911hillclimber]

Made some progress today on the second engine.
Main body cleaned and now in main body colour. This needs to really set as the details need masking foe another colour.
Some the parts are now gloss black and going off.

Despite finding new bumpers and other parts, Mrs H says I should make the parts….

So have made 4 bumpers in brass on my 100 year old Drummond lathe and epoxied them in place.

Pics to follow, colours may surprise you, not very HORNBY or Meccano….

How come there are suddenly so many visits?

[911hillclimber]

Have been side-tracked by the 911, bit a bit of progress;

[911hillclimber]

Can't understand why the viewing numbers are so high!

But, got a bit bored with this little exercise, but now both engines are all done.

The 'modern' take on the train sort of failed, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder....
Decided to swop the motor sections over, so the mod train has the springless motor, and the patina engine the working motor.

I think the recent 911 and Boxster activities has killed the project, and the hill climb runs are back in actions too.

Here is where we finished: