 Joined: 31/12/2010(UTC) Posts: 3,999 Location: Paremata, Wellington
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Cookee Wellington  |
 4 users liked this useful post by cookee_nz
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 Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC) Posts: 8,482 Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
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Originally Posted by: cookee_nz  And a couple more photos of mine... ...  Hmm, will that actually run on stud contact track? Looks like it is designed for solid centre rail. I imagine it only runs forwards or the shoe would act like a ratchet.
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 Joined: 29/07/2007(UTC) Posts: 1,437 Location: Switzerland
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Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan
I imagine it only runs forwards or the shoe would act like a ratchet.
Yes, it only runs forward, but it is indeed a cute little model. I will take a look at my unit because I think it has a slightly different slider. BTW, talking of unusual sliders, this early thing from HAG also had the reputation of provoking accidents.  
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2 users liked this useful post by Unholz
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Joined: 31/12/2010(UTC) Posts: 3,999 Location: Paremata, Wellington
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Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan Originally Posted by: cookee_nz
And a couple more photos of mine...
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Hmm, will that actually run on stud contact track? Looks like it is designed for solid centre rail. I imagine it only runs forwards or the shoe would act like a ratchet. Actually, no. Contrary to popular belief, that's not the pickup shoe. This is definitely a 2-rail DC version You'll notice it's offset - it's actually a contact shoe, much like is found on most HAMO Loco's, those are a small round button but do the same thing. I think it's mainly a Fleischmann feature. It runs forward and backward quick happily on the rails, I actually give it a burst now and then on a section of straight K-track which if not connected to any turnouts, the outer rails are not joined so can be used as a 2-rail test track as well. The pickup does not hit the studs but I think unless the feature is specifically required, many users would simple remove the shoe to prevent any fouling on turnouts etc. But the true AC version is noted as only running in a forward direction and I can only imagine this would be because a Diode/s was added to rectify the AC for the DC motor but of course nowhere to put a reverse unit. That is another reason the SB kit would appeal, full Digital control. I'm warming to the idea but I did actually get a really tiny N-gauge DCC decoder which believe it or not, does just fit inside. However I'd need to fabricate a proper middle-rail pickup from scratch anyway and still modify the chassis to be able to wire the Decoder in and I'm just not convinced it's worth all the hassle. Plus, these little Draisine's still get a good price on ebay at times and if I jigger this one in trying to convert it then it's only worth parts value. Here's a couple of images showing the original 3-rail AC version - the split pickups are the earlier design, and they also have the motor with the large brass worm-gear which also acts as a flywheel, really smooth running I believe   |
Cookee Wellington |
1 user liked this useful post by cookee_nz
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Joined: 29/07/2007(UTC) Posts: 1,437 Location: Switzerland
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While cookee_nz wrote the above message, I was busy taking pictures of my Eheim unit. The slider of mine looks like the one in his photo:  Thanks to this thread, I had to open the plastic box and saw that the foam inlay had started to deteriorate - phew, saved the little machine just in time! 
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3 users liked this useful post by Unholz
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Joined: 23/11/2010(UTC)
Posts: 193
Location: U.K. Midlands
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Hi. I have one of these ! Many years ago I owned a classic VW microbus/camper - a 23-window Samba or Sondermodel. I used to take it to classic car shows and when a local model shop gave me a catalogue which showed this model I thought about making a layout on the shelf above the rear engine and having a VW bus running on it. Unfortunately it took me about 10 years to find a model and by that time I had sold the van. My model is Eheim not Brawa but I understand that Brawa took over production of Eheim items such as the Trolley bus range and re-branded them. The model has been in my display cabinet for many years but I just took it out and ran it on my test track and it worked perfectly ! Photos.   I also collected models of VW vans and still have them and have a matchbox van but they are stored where I cannot easily get at them so cannot check that the body is by matchbox ( Lesney) but I have heard this theory too. Regards, Colin.
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1 user liked this useful post by EMD_GP7
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 Joined: 18/11/2015(UTC) Posts: 221 Location: Brisbane,Australia
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I have had mine for about 30 years. As I recall, it contained a diode but no slider when I bought it at a swap meet. I made up the slider in the photos by cutting two Marklin sliders and mounting them on a phosphor bronze spring with two arms. Like Cookee I have a test track of K track which enables 2 or 3 rail running. The sliders are longer than the distance between 2 centre studs so they don't drop their points. I removed the diode and now run it basically 3 rail DC in both directions. It will push happily over a C track point but I have never run it across one under power.    I like the original slider in the photos above. Cheers, Howard.
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4 users liked this useful post by ixldoc
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Joined: 31/12/2010(UTC) Posts: 3,999 Location: Paremata, Wellington
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Originally Posted by: ixldoc I have had mine for about 30 years. As I recall, it contained a diode but no slider when I bought it at a swap meet.
I made up the slider in the photos by cutting two Marklin sliders and mounting them on a phosphor bronze spring with two arms.
Like Cookee I have a test track of K track which enables 2 or 3 rail running.
The sliders are longer than the distance between 2 centre studs so they don't drop their points.
I removed the diode and now run it basically 3 rail DC in both directions.
It will push happily over a C track point but I have never run it across one under power.
(snip images)
I like the original slider in the photos above.
Cheers,
Howard. Thanks Howard, nice job on the pickup slider If it's no trouble, and seeing as you have it out anyway........ any chance I could ask you to "pop the hood", and take some photos of the internals, both sides etc, enough to hopefully see detail on how I might modify mine for analogue, AC. Then I 'might' be encouraged enough to revisit my tiny decoder although I also have it in mind for a Faller AMS experiment  |
Cookee Wellington |
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Joined: 18/11/2015(UTC) Posts: 221 Location: Brisbane,Australia
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Well now I am thoroughly confused. My Eheim draisine had an internal diode but no slider. Years ago I removed the diode ( and now can't remember where it was attached) and ran it 2 rail DC. I suspect the diode ran from the bottom tab of the brass frame up to the unused top solder tab. When I opened it to take the photos for Cookee it is clearly a two rail version with the gear train and not the large worms gears. Whoever owned it must have had a go at converting it to 3 rail but gave up or the shoe was unsuccessful.       The two wheel pickups are connected to the common tab at the top which is one brush connection. The slider is screwed in the middle to the brass frame which holds the motor and the bottom brush is soldered directly to the frame. This is seen( just!) in the third photo. The heat damage to the orange motor housing was not of my doing! The profile shot is just to show the phosphor bronze arms coming from the middle of the contact. They are soldered to the centre of each pickup. Cheers, Howard.
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2 users liked this useful post by ixldoc
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 Joined: 09/05/2023(UTC) Posts: 1 Location: Baden-Wurttemberg, Mosbach
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Dear members, I am very much hoping for your help. I am a passionate Lesney collector and am very interested in the subject of the trolley. It is about the EHEIM No.451. According to some sources, the first mould was made by Lesney? Is this true or did EHEIM buy the mould and produce it themselves? The direct comparison of the body shows the same mould as the Matchbox. Thank You  
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2 users liked this useful post by RegularWheel
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Joined: 31/12/2010(UTC) Posts: 3,999 Location: Paremata, Wellington
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Originally Posted by: RegularWheel Dear members,
I am very much hoping for your help. I am a passionate Lesney collector and am very interested in the subject of the trolley. It is about the EHEIM No.451.
According to some sources, the first mould was made by Lesney?
Is this true or did EHEIM buy the mould and produce it themselves?
The direct comparison of the body shows the same mould as the Matchbox.
Thank You
I heard the same anecdote, most likely I read it on one of the Eheim-related sites. It makes sense to have used an existing body in the right scale. I give credit to Eheim for their design of the motor to fit within the compact body size rather than compromise. Whether they purchased the body from Lesney, or had them cast from a mould is unknown. Faller did a very good version of the VW Bus which in my opinion is in proportion but not to scale, closer to 1:76 or 1:64 by all accounts. See further below You will have read above that I have one of the Eheim models. But it's a 2-rail version which I had hoped to convert to 3-rail but it really needs the exact parts for the correct pickup slider in particular so it sits unused sadly. I love virtually all styles of track vehicles (Draisine) but the VW-based models do have a particular charm about them. I also had a lot of time with Matchbox in my childhood so they are always a favourite. For more info, you might like to check out the German forum, there are a number of threads there. Forum Alte Modelbahnen (FAM) - Eheim threadsUsing a browser with auto translation (chrome etc) most of the discussions are easy to follow but there is quite regular use of German idioms which sometimes do not translate quite so readily but you get somewhat used to those and usually get the idea. I would recommend creating an account to the site because this will unlock the ability to see images, otherwise you'll get many "no rights" errors Hope this helps Cookee  |
Cookee Wellington |
3 users liked this useful post by cookee_nz
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