Lionel coaches

[PatsRailway1]

Newbie here. I have bought a second hand lgb starter set and I want to know if I can use the Lionel battery sets coaches only with the lab loco. Thanks in advance

 

[Gizzy]

Welcome to the forum. By labs loco, do you mean LGB loco....

 

[voodoopenguin]

Which battery sets? There is a Harry Potter and I think a Polar Express but most of them run on a gauge which is bigger, about 50mm rather than 45mm.

Paul

 

[PatsRailway1]

Yes sorry. I want to use Lionel Christmas coaches behind lgb locomotive. I’ve just bought an lgb starter kit and want to build up for next Christmas to go with my lights display. Money a bit tight. Thanks for getting back to me

 

[PatsRailway1]

Can I cut down to 45mm

 

[korm kormsen]

Can I cut down to 45mm

that depends, how they are made.
if they are similar to those in the pic.
when i bought some cheap cars, i found, that the vendor had shortened one of the plastic axles between the wheels and shoved the offcut outside of the wheels on the metallic core.
(IMHO it would look nicer with two shorter offcuts on both outside ends of the axle)



and be welcome.

 

[Paul M]

Welcome

 

[PatsRailway1]

Thanks Is it possible to replace with metal wheels and axel

 

[PhilP]

Thanks Is it possible to replace with metal wheels and axel

I should think so..
It depends a little on if you can easily reduce the 'sleeve' the axles run in?

It might be easier to replace the bogies (trucks)?
This will depend on your modelling abilities.

Good luck!
PhilP.

 

[PatsRailway1]

Only beginning trains but as a kid made airfix and now design and make my own large outdoor christmas displays. Im a scout leader so well able to make do with what I can

 

[Gizzy]

Thanks Is it possible to replace with metal wheels and axel

I would see if you can replace the bogies with LGB or PIKO ones. You would then have LGB compatible couplings as well as the correct 45mm gauge wheel sets.

But you could just re-gauge the wheel sets too if money is tight....

 

[korm kormsen]

good as well for replacing are Newqida trucks. (sometime one can get whole newqida cars cheaper, than a pair of trucks from LGB or Piko)

gauging, regauging, replacing, or even manufacturing wheels or trucks in "G-gauge" is no rocket science. one can get away with nearly everything.
the only "secret": make the cars heavy enough! (most important for pony-trucks on locos)

some proof of my crimes:

the shown above wheel-sets on a scratchbuilt:



from a bump-n-run toy to a run-and-dump toy:



turned by the village smith in plastic (left) and iron:



bump-n-run fake-loco:



they all had one thing in common - they kept me rolling through the low-budget years.

 

[PatsRailway1]

brilliant