Hornby ringfield motor upgrade kits are now available…

We’re delighted to announce that the first batch of motor upgrade adaptors for Hornby ringfield motors is now available.

It’s taken a huge amount of time, effort and testing to arrive at a product that works well and is as simple to use as possible, but we got there…

There are three kits in the Hornby-compatible adaptor family:

Each kit comes with a two-part adaptor, a replacement motor, two pinion gears (one spare), a motor insulator, some clips and a length of heat shrink tubing. You’ll need some tools, but those are all the core components required.

There’s also a detailed, step-by-step instructions booklet, which can be downloaded from our website, and a tutorial video will be published in the not too distant future. I listened to feedback from my Lima kits, so these new instructions are much lighter on text and full of photos.

How do they work?

The adaptors have been developed to avoid the need to drill out the bogie and in most cases require no permanent bogie alterations (although the old brass bushing may still need to be popped out)…that means the upgrade is normally reversible and you can replace the ringfield motor in the future, should you wish.

In fact, for the majority of Hornby ringfield variants, the installation process is all-but plug ‘n’ play  you just insert the adaptor, then the motor, attach the gear, clip it all into place, wire it up and you’re done…it’s far simpler and more straightforward than the hot glue-based methods described in most model railway forums.

And if you have a Co-Co or tender drive model, the adaptor solves the age old problem of how to reattach the central wheel. There’s a hole in the adaptor for the small axle, meaning the wheel can be easily replaced and remain fully functional.

Check out our step-by-step installation video

How much do they cost?

The price of a kit is £15.50 each*, irrespective of the motor voltage. UK postage is still £2.99* irrespective of the number of kits purchased.

The price of the Hornby kits is a little higher than their Lima cousins, for two main reasons: firstly, there are more components in them, and secondly, the adaptors take longer to make and require extra manual work to finish off.

*Correct at time of article publication.

Lima Replacement Motor Adaptor: Finding the Perfect Fit!

Another short video relating to our Lima motor conversion kits.

Today we’re having a look at two alternative techniques for improving the fit between our ringfield motor adaptors and the CD drive motors that go in them.

Normally, the motor will fit into the adaptor with a good interference fit and will sit snugly, but sometimes manufacturing tolerances mean there may be a little play.

The two featured options resolve that issue for good, and take only seconds to do:

    • 01:01 – Method 1 (Permanent)
    • 03:01 – Method 2 (Reversible – Preferred Option)

You can grab yourself a roll of 8mm Kapton tape here (affiliate link): amzn.to/2VeQz4y

To get yourself a conversion kit for your own Lima loco, head to: www.strathpefferjunction.com/shop

This is a follow on video that supplements our previous video on upgrading a Lima ringfield motor to a CD-style motor, using our special 3D-printed conversion kits.

You can watch that earlier video here: youtu.be/A8Pgx9IUDRM

For full step-by-step instructions, please visit: www.strathpefferjunction.com/instructions

#RingfieldReplacement #Lima #Hornby