Kato sells a line of 2-axle and 4-axle drive chassis. There have been times where I have had to cut down one of the 2-axle chassis (11-110) so I could use it in place of the other (11-109).
I jotted down these instructions so I didn’t forget how.
BTW, if you want to buy these chassis, I recommend Plaza Japan.
Background
HO narrow gauge modelers such as myself are madly in love with Kato’s line of N scale drive chassis*, and with good reason. Not only are these Kato chassis cheap ($10 to $15 each), they have an actual suspension system which enables them to maintain contact on marginal quality track. They also have excellent performance at low power (they creep along as slow as molasses).
These chassis come in both 2-axle models (11-109, 11-110) and 4-axle models (11-105, 11-106, 11-107)**. (There’s also the 2-axle Kato 11-108 chassis***, but for some reason it’s not as popular.)
Here are the 110 and 109 chassis for reference.
The 109 and 110 chassis have the same wheelbase, but there are a few minor differences. The 110 is slightly longer, and has a handrail and bumpers on each end, while the 109 is shorter but also wider – it has details on the side of the chassis which the 110 does not have.
Those details are one of the reasons why the 109 is more popular with modelers and kit makers; just search on Ebay and you’ll be amazed at how many 3d-printed kits there are.
But I have also some times needed to fit a 110 in a space which is too small for a 109. And then there are the projects like my railvan where I have to cut down whichever chassis I use.
And that’s why I am saving these instructions.
How To
All you need to cut down a 110 is a pair of plyers. Just about any of the smaller ones will do. Here is a before and after so you can see what needs to be done.
First, there are 4 little tabs sticking up. I think they help the 110 chassis snap into place in Kato’s own shells, but they need to go (just snap them off).
Second, trim off as much of the platform on both ends of the chassis. This is going to cost you the couplers, but you have to do it.
And that’s it. It’s that easy.
* * *
* OO narrow gauge modelers also love them, actually.
** Something you should know about the 4-axle models is that they all have the same wheelbase and are interchangeable. They are also really close in length to the 2-axle models, which means you can sometimes swap them out and change the look of whatever locomotive you’re running.
*** The Kato 108 chassis has a body which is slightly longer than that of the 109 and 110. I found out the hard way it is really not interchangeable with the other two chassis; when I tried to force the issue, I broke the 3d-printed shell I was trying to squeeze the 108 into.
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