Tomix (Thomas the tank sets)

[EtchedPixels]

Percy and James are a little bit harded.  One suggestion for James I have seen was to use the Hughes kit for the LBSCR K class 2-6-0 and leave out the cylinders and piston rods but the last one I saw on eBay went for over 200 quid - and was already made up and painted in Southern Green.

I think there are people who would actually fly to Oz and string you up if you did that to a Hughes kit

For Toby the BH Enterprises kit is probably the easiest and as it is skirted can be popped over several chassis including the Farish DMU bogie or one or two of the tiny Japanese ones. The bigger problem with it as Toby and with some of the other kits is that white metal kits (or indeed in many cases brass ones) and small children are not a good mix, but for entertaining them it's a nice easy kit to throw together - basically ends/sides/roof, glue, detail. It's certainly buildable onto a DMU bogie by a relatively inexperienced kit builder. It's much too fat for the real W&U locos but it is a toy train we are talking about in this case.

Would Percy work as a hack up of something suitable on something like the Backwoods Miniatures chassis ?

http://www.backwoodsminiatures.com/x040chassis.jpg

[Sithlord75]

That chassis looks to be a good start.  I keep hoping for a Carley Pug which is the closest prototype I have found - a few mods would be required but nothing too drastic.  After all, the look would be all that is needed for the under 10s!

[HellsGuardian316]

I only have the Thomas one with Annie and C, excellent and smooth runners and would gladly recommend TOMIX to anyone.

[GB No.9]

We used to have Thomas & Annie & Clarabel, Percy & James on our exhibition layout. They were Tomix & they ran brilliantly. Unfortunately, the member they belonged to, no longer attends exhibitions with us. The kids loved em!! They only made a guest appearance when we spotted a suitable audience............. much to the annoyance of the rivet counters!! The tuts were audible!! But if youve read my other posts about our exhibition ethos, you'll see where were coming from.........

Anyway,  another member spent ages modelling the Silver Jubilee, (full train), with articulated carriages. Its spot on................ but he used to get hot under the collar when the kids shouted, "Here comes Spencer"!!
Oh, we did laugh!! All that hard work.......... for Spencer!!     

However, going back to Thomas, we that heard certain individuals from the company that bought the Thomas rights, (their name escapes me), were doing the rounds at exhibitions..........& if they spotted a Thomas, they were insisting the model was removed from the layout........... or they were threatening all sorts of nasty legal things.  We didnt ever get a visit............. & I dont know how true the story is, but it might be worth checking out before you run one of the little blue fellas in public???

Anyone else heard of that tale? Or is it an urban myth??   

[sprichasm]

Anyone know where I can get replacement traction tyres for the Tomix Henry? ... Mine shed one of its tyres (straight out of the box!) and so now limps a bit. Also it doesn't like R1 curves as the front bogie fouls the cylinders. If you go slowly it just about makes it but derails at speed! James looks better pulling Henry's coaches. Henry would look better with a train of teak Gresleys.

Percy is an excellent runner - I had it creeping along smoothly with the Fleichmann controller set on 5% - though it was only pulling the Sodor Mail coach. Amazing, considering it's just a short wheelbase 0-4-0.

Pity they haven't produced a proper Toby (& Henrietta), as Thomas is better suited to pulling James' troublesome wagons! Let's hope they're next on their production list.

A brake van would be nice too - I use an old Lima one at the moment ....

[moogle]

However, going back to Thomas, we that heard certain individuals from the company that bought the Thomas rights, (their name escapes me), were doing the rounds at exhibitions..........& if they spotted a Thomas, they were insisting the model was removed from the layout........... or they were threatening all sorts of nasty legal things.  We didnt ever get a visit............. & I dont know how true the story is, but it might be worth checking out before you run one of the little blue fellas in public???

Anyone else heard of that tale? Or is it an urban myth??   

Sounds like rivet counters hit squad!  Urban Myth I think you'll find.

Anyone know where I can get replacement traction tyres for the Tomix Henry? ... Mine shed one of its tyres (straight out of the box!) and so now limps a bit. Also it doesn't like R1 curves as the front bogie fouls the cylinders. If you go slowly it just about makes it but derails at speed! James looks better pulling Henry's coaches. Henry would look better with a train of teak Gresleys.

You could try Plaza Japan on Ebay. They stock all the Thomas range as well as lots of Tomix.
If its not on their website email them as they're very helpful chaps.

[Lawrence]

You could try Bullfrog snot from DCC Supplies  http://www.dccsupplies.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=3152  info on how to do it at http://bullfrogsnot.com/

[sprichasm]

Just measured Henry's driving wheels and I make the diameter of the tyre groove to be 11.9 mm. with the other drivers being 12.7 This would make the tyres 0.4-ish in thickness, I suppose. Might there be some suitable tyres from Minitrix/Fleischmann, etc?
 

[GWR-Kris]

would love to collect all these and convert them to DCC. saw a few in shops but they where over priced IMO.

Also about the comment growing out of thomas quickly i never did, and still watch it if i catch it when its on. yeah okay i have now lost the Thomas Tank wallpaper but dont think the misses would approve lol.

[sprichasm]

would love to collect all these and convert them to DCC. saw a few in shops but they where over priced IMO.

They are priced pretty much as you'd expect for "serious" rollingstock ... they are good precision models, not just push-along robust toys, after all. No reason why one shouldn't fit them with DCC, I suppose - plenty of room inside the overscale bodies!

Also about the comment growing out of thomas quickly i never did, and still watch it if i catch it when its on. yeah okay i have now lost the Thomas Tank wallpaper but dont think the misses would approve lol.

At least you should be able to find "wallpaper" for your pc screen easily enough!
I have a nice one of Ivor the Engine for mine! But that's another story.

VBR
Chas

[GWR-Kris]

I have a nice one of Ivor the Engine for mine! But that's another story.

Ivor the engine thats not something i have not heard for years.

[sprichasm]

Try this:
http://www.smallfilms.co.uk/ivor/

[sprichasm]

I'm envious of the variety of rollingstock available in OO (Hornby):-

James looks better pulling Henry's coaches. Henry would look better with a train of teak Gresleys.

The existing "Henry's coaches" could be released as a set of 2 in a different livery: teak and/or green & white?

Pity they haven't produced a proper Toby (& Henrietta), as Thomas is better suited to pulling James' troublesome wagons!

Talking of wagons - Sodor Scrap, Sodor china clay & Farquhar Quarries opens, Tidmouth Milk, Oil & Tar tankers would be quick relivery jobs for Tomix

A brake van would be nice too - I use an old Lima one at the moment ....

Percy's Mail Van could also be reliveried as a more general purpose CCT too.