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Airfix + High Level 14XX/48XX

buffalo

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Buffalo WorkBench

 

by buffalo

 

original page on Old RMweb

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This page covers my detailing work on an old Airfix 14XX body mounted on a High Level chassis. These posts have been extracted from my workbench thread on the old RMweb, where they were mixed in with the Buffalo build.

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??? posted on Sun Jul 26, 2009 11:21 pm

 

While I ponder the design of the CSB and decide on a new gearbox for the Buffalo, here's one I prepared earlier. At the start of the thread I mentioned several other projects that have been occupying corners of my work bench. One of these was an Airfix 14xx on a High Level chassis, something that appears to be quite a popular subject on RMweb. As the chassis build has been covered elsewhere with an early contribution by craigwelsh (http://rmweb.co.uk/f...&t=2571&start=0) and more recently by Knottyjohn (http://www.rmweb.co....t=46044&start=0), I'll just focus on some of the detailing work on the old Airfix body.

 

The idea here was to take a cheap Airfix body, picked up on eBay, and to try to create a representation of a 48xx as running in their early years during the mid to late 1930s. As a prototype, I chose 4836 which was built in August 1934 and is known to have been at Bristol in 1938. The modifications entailed removing the top feed, as none of these were fitted before 1944, and the whistle shield and bunker steps which first appeared only on the last fifteen examples built in 1936.

 

Basic detailing was done with the usual Mainly Trains detailing kit which, by itself, provides significant improvements to the appearance of the model. Further detailing involved the cab interior, lamp irons, brackets on the bunker for holding the fire irons, lance cock, replacement tank fillers and vents, and boiler wash-out plugs. Inspired by CK's addition of sanding gear operating levers to one of his panniers (http://www.rmweb.co....art=725#p620976), i thought I might try something similar.

 

 

blogentry-6746-12561502582591.jpg

 

blogentry-6746-12561502613299.jpg

 

blogentry-6746-12561502548835.jpg

 

Since these photos were taken, 4836 has been painted, lettered and numbered, and has had some initial trials on the chassis. A few small details including the cab windows and some light weathering are needed to complete the body. All went well running in the chassis on smooth DC, but as soon as I put everything together with a DCC decoder, she would run for while, then throw one of the drivers out of quartering. My suspicion is that the vibration from all those square waves and back-emf are just sufficient to overcome the stiction between wheel and axle. I'll have to remove the loose driver(s) and use some loctite to overcome this.

 

Photos of the near complete model to follow when I get a chance.

 

nick

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Comment posted by Knottyjohn on Mon Jul 27, 2009 12:21 pm

 

Hello Nick,

 

Thanks for posting the photos of your 14XX/48XX Airfix body here. While I've pretty much finished the chassis for mine, I've not yet done much to the body apart from added new handrails to the bunker and cab, so it's good to see how you have progressed with yours. It looks good so far. John

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??? posted on Mon Jul 27, 2009 3:41 pm

 

As promised, a couple of photos of 4836 in her current state. Cab windows, handrails, sand pipes, and a little more light weathering, etc to be done once the quartering issue if fixed.

 

blogentry-6746-12561503263522.jpg

 

blogentry-6746-12561503226041.jpg

 

Those who know their GWR may question the tank side lettering on an engine built in August 1934 icon_rolleyes.gif In which month did the shirt button roundel made its appearance in? I don't know, so in my world it was September or later, as I much prefer the earlier style icon_wink.gif

 

Nick

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Comment posted by David Bigcheeseplant on Mon Jul 27, 2009 3:57 pm

 

You may want to paint the top of the tanks and spashers black rather than green, as this was GW practice.

 

David

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buffalo

On the old RMweb, there was once a reply thanking David for pointing out the errors in my painting, but it seems to have gone missing in the transfer :rolleyes:

 

Anyway, he was right about the splashers although the tank tops really are a dark grey. The green appearance in the photos is probably reflection.

 

Nick

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buffalo

Since this was posted, several folk have asked how I did the washout plugs. For anyone else who might be interested, here is the answer:

 

The washout plugs were made from a short piece (about 2mm long) of 1/16" or 1.6mm thin wall brass tube with a piece of 1mm square brass pushed in from behind. The 1mm square was filed to a taper until it fitted properly, then soldered into the tube and cut off.

 

Nick

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  • RMweb Gold
57xx
  • RMweb Gold

I remember you'd posted how you made them on the old site, but as the info got lost I ended up buying mine from Eileen's Emporium. They'll do the trick for me, but your's really do look much better.

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  • RMweb Gold
57xx
  • RMweb Gold

I knew I had another question... where did you get the tank vents from, Nick?

Ric

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buffalo

The tank vents were turned from 4mm diameter brass rod. I decided to go for the simpler shape, some engines had a two-piece vent with a flange joint half way up.

 

Nick

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Jim Bob

Hi Nick,

 

Do you have any drawings for the cab rear/bunker front? Or were you able to do some measuring? I could really do with that detail for my own rebuild.

 

Best wishes,

 

Jim

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