EHertsGER's Blog

Paul

 

Thank you for your kind comments. I have listed the source of the detailing parts below:

 

All handrails - brass wire [Eileen's Emporium]

Buffers - Lanarkshire Model Supplies LB11B BR early diesel oval buffer

Buffer beam pipes - from the Hornby detailing pack that came with the 'donor' locomotive

Front handrail destination board brackets - fiddly fabrication!

Buffer beam steps - fabricated from 1mm N/S section strip and 0.7mm wire filed to a square section once fabricated and (solder) assembled [Eileen's Emporium], the wire secured in a hole in the plasticard reinforcement (see comment about the chassis below)

Fan assembly - Shawplan, but the insert to the body was discarded in favor of two 0.7mm wires set into the roof. The grille and ring will be set on this last of all to stop me putting my thumb through it. The grille is painfully fragile and best left till you have finished handling the model.

The fan is set onto a plasticard tube below the fan aperture (I have posted about this elsewhere)

Couplings are Exactoscale using their hook (I know its not quite right but its the best profile I can find) and screw link couplings with the top link replaced by fabricated links to better represent the links of the prototype. More fiddly work!

Lamp brackets - more fiddly work fabricated from brass scrap from an etched kit fret

Washer nozzle shrouds were very thin brass snipped out with fine, sharp scissors (remember to put them back in the sewing box before you get caught!) folded over at the top and soldered to wire that acts as a brace secured in a hole and superglued. I felt this was a better represnetation than the ususal plasticard lumps I have seen.

Windscreen wipers and glazing will be Shawplan once it is painted

 

The buffer beam shroud is from the Honrby donor, but with plasticard beam backing and reinforcement, now attached to the LIMA chassis. I has thought of screwing it on as the Hornby one does, but got tired of taking it on and off etc etc...

 

The fuel tank is also from the Hornby model, replacing the LIMA one.

 

Describing how I did the chassis is an answer in itself. In summary the LIMA chassis is lined with black plasticard - 0.080" or 0.060" - not sure, probably the former and fabricated to replicate the Hornby arrangement of securing the bogies. In amongst all that lie several slabs of 1/8" thick lead sheet bringing the weight up to around 250g I think.

 

Once the paint is dry (just cleaned the airbrush!) I can add pictures of the chassis 'as is '. I can also add a blow by blow approach when (!) I do the next one - probably about a week or so hence as I have another project to work through.

 

All in all its a relatively easy conversion depending on your willingness for fiddly bits. If you have a Hornby donor you may be able to use the steps from the buffer beam, but my donor was damaged and two missing. The buffer beam shrouds were snapped in half, hence the reinforcement. As the buffer beams are part of the 'soft' casting, one of those disintegrated while I was sizing it all up so I was driven to fabricate new beams. I can't comment on a 00 version using NEM couplings and the need to mount them as it is not my chosen discipline.

 

Paint stripping was done using Testors Easy Lift Off, but I don't like its relationship with the LIMA plastic - on and off in quick succession before the plastic crazes. Next time I will use ScaleCoat Paint Remover as that is the best here in the USA. In the UK I would recommend Phoenix Precision model strip - I have heard it is ScaleCoat repackaged or at least a similar formula and more gentle on plastic. I tried dilute Sodium Hydroxide but the LIMA paint wasn't having it.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Best,

Marcus