I have several of these engines and have found them very amenable to upgrading. Lima engine got quite a bad reputation for being poor quality, that I think was very undeserved. Admittedly, their 0-6-0 tanks left a lot to be desired in the chassis department, But that was due to their odd idea of only coupling up the drive wheels at the front and back and leaving the middle wheels to free run. Possibly the best upgrade you could do to the engine is to swap out the motor for CD motor conversion kit. It is quite cheap and easy to do. Makes the engine quieter and more responsive. There are several people on eBay who sell them. I think you have got a great buy there. Lima I believe first started selling these engines in the late 70s/80s.
Hi Gerrard thanks for watching and commenting and the useful tips and info too. I think its a great little engine. I did a cd motor conversion on my Hornby class 37 because the motor was dead and its going well.
This is a GWR Small Prairie tank engine. They were usually seen on branch line trains and shunting around. They were built in the early to mid 1930s to the design of Charles Collett, the chief mechanical engineer at the Great Western Railway the same man who also designed your Hornby Pannier. However, the Small Prarie was based off a much earlier design in the early 1900s, but fitted with a cab, larger side tanks and bigger boiler.
You did it again! Another great video, once again, your friend in South Africa 🇿🇦 (Side note) Lima trains eat away at lubricant, so add a bit more lube on the gears!
Have a couple of these and used to run great, but haven't used them for a while. On my old layout I had quite a step gradient and they managed short trains very well, but when I bought a modern Bachmann prairie, it just slipped and went nowhere. Vids on my channel from a long time back!
Nice purchase I have the gwr green one runs great I think lima locomotives were good for the time they were made I have lots of them considering the prices these days all the best 👍
Thanks Michael. Like you say prices now are crazy. I have been acquiring odd job lots of track to try and build a layout up . Got some Lima track too , it seems ok. All the best to you.
I have had my engine the same as yours for at least 30years and it still runs like brand new, the cost was $75 and even then it was a bargain, you should get many years running from it,many thanks from down under in Wairoa New Zealand
You did well paying £12.00 for it. As some others have said check the brush springs aren't too tight and file any flash off the gears which will help with noise. As far as people not liking the prairie the body was a bit chunky inorder to fit the motor in and once Bachmann released theirs it was slated. Not a fair comparison in my book but people are fickle. I always thought they did well in keeping the con rods so fine for the early eighties, and they carried more detail than equivalent Hornby models of the era.
it was released around 1980.. limas market by the 90s was mostly diesel and electric types , they did release an LMS crab in the 90s but they are sharply declining due to mazak rot in the chassis
It's all still going strong thanks. Does appear at the end of Part 2 of the Class31 resto. I couldn't get up there for a while as I hurt my back but back in action now !
They are Triang couplings not the original Hornby Dublo. Always caused me problems but i had a converter wagon so i could use both Hornby Dublo and Triang. Same problem occured with the track needed converter track
I think the change over occurred sometime around the early 70s. Ive got a book about the history of Hornby from its beginnings as Meccano until its various takeovers and liquidations . Ill see if i can get a closer date. I still have my Meccanno O gauge Freight Set no 1 in its box with the keys. I think this was circa 1938
@@padshawjunction. they used them on branch lines were they didnt have to run round to other end of train just hopped in coach went back way they come all conected to the engine by rods under the coach driver had control of the brakes whistle n regulator in forwards direction 😀😀😀 either prairie tank or 14xx tank or pannier on auto train 😁😁
@@padshawjunction. hornby make them and bachmann airfix used to as well would be better off we airfix or hornby one as they easy get hold off bachmann one to expensive 😁😁😁
Hi, Thats a really good bargain at 12 pounds, Lima are underated in my opinion. The details are quite good and they are generally well made. The ringfield motors can be noisy, filing the flash on the gears helps and not pushing the brush springs in too far which causes jerky starts. I have 12 and just serviced 4 of them, I use Trix grease on the gears much quieter now. .Cheers, Paul. 🚂🚃
limas big mistake was when they first started trading in the UK and released british outline but in HO ( granted better proportions than OO but they were never going to get british outline into HO ,, my second train set was the maroon LMS 4F with 2 LMS carriages .. the set was far far far superior to the hornby flying scotsman set that was eventually returned due to a faulty loco ... so much so that for nostalgia i bought another fully boxed set and two more seperate 4Fs which are all still superb runners
