johndon Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 (edited) As planning and research for my proposed model of South Pelaw Junction continues: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/79947-south-pelaw-junction/page-1 I've made a start on the locomotive fleet and I'm starting with a Bachmann Class 24 (I know the SLW version is vastly superior and I do own one but, I already have 4 Bachmann 24s so will be upgrading them and running them double headed) with a Penbits sprung chassis. So, here we go, my first go at an etch kit of any sort and my first real go at soldering. I do have some experience of photo etch as I also model warships in 1/350th scale and those things get covered in PE details but most of it is paper thin and glued together. First up, the main bogies frames are removed from the fret and any cusps cleaned up and the bearing slots are 'fettled' to make sure that the bearings can move freely: Next up the bearing carriers: First, make sure that the bearings fit in the hole and, if necessary, open them out slightly. Obviously, there are 8 of these but the fret is ingeniously designed so that all the necessary folds can be made before the individual carriers are removed from the fret: The first fold is made and the join strengthened with very small amounts of solder which I managed without getting it all over the place: Next, the other 2 folds are made using a mixture of brute force and ignorance (note to self, I really need a vice...) So far so good and what I've got matches the instructions at this stage... And now, the first test of my soldering abilities, soldering the bearings to their carriers. First up, permanent marker is run round the flanges to avoid getting solder on them: All ready for soldering: Soldering complete: And we now have 8 bearing carriers that, despite my cack handed soldering, slide up and down, as intended in their runners on the bogies. Some more bending and clean up required but I'm getting there... Before I say anything else I'd just like to congratulate Ian Penberth on the instructions for the kit which are among the best I've ever seen in any modelling genre. The bogie frames folded up and the end stretchers folded up and soldered in to place: The more I do the more I have wonder why the hell it has taken me this long to learn how to solder... John Edited April 12, 2017 by johndon 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 And the bogie subframes are finished: Spring wires pass through all the necessary holes so, so far, nothing is bunged up so a bit of a result. Bolsters are now all but complete. The Bachmann bogies have been dismantled and the gear towers have been modified as per the instructions: A test fit of the wheels and the primary suspension wires. Wheels are the standard Ultrascale drop in conversions so the boss at the back of the wheels has been removed so the wheels fit. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 (edited) So, having temporarily fitted the gear towers and the secondary springs, we now have a bouncy Class 24 :mrgreen: I have to say that I've always been a little sceptical about springing - I have half a dozen sprung wagons and, on my small layout at least, I cannot tell the difference between them and the rigid wagons when running along but this is a whole different ballgame, even just pushing the loco along, it feels so different to a loco that has just had a wheel conversion in a rigid chassis. Whilst this revelation is great for running qualities, I can't see it being good for my wallet as I'm now going to want to spring all my locos. John Edited February 8, 2017 by johndon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 ....I'm not going to want to spring all my locos. ....or at least, not yet.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 ....or at least, not yet.... Perhaps it was a typo, and should have read ...I'm now going to want to spring all my locos. :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 It is March and 'Spring' is in the air, as they say! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted March 8, 2016 Author Share Posted March 8, 2016 Perhaps it was a typo, and should have read ...I'm now going to want to spring all my locos. :-) Indeed it was a typo. John 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted March 8, 2016 Author Share Posted March 8, 2016 Bogie side frames have been hacked up and fitted, loosely for now, on the bogies: John 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted March 9, 2016 Author Share Posted March 9, 2016 While I'm waiting for some bits to get the pickups working, I've made a start on the body modifications. I accept the fact that the shape of the cabs is wrong and that the SLW 24 is vastly superior but, as I have four Bachmann 24s with P4 wheels it seems a shame just to scrap them so I'm going to do what I can... First up, the rainstrips round the centre of the roof are in the wrong place. Compare the Bachmann roof here: to the strips on the actual locos here (photo copyright Bill Jamieson): and it is clear that the strips should come much further down and line up with those at either end so it is out with the scalpel and sanding sticks: and I'll replace the strips with some microstrip. Note also the panel at the right hand end that is in the process of being sanded down to match the panels next to it. John 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted March 9, 2016 Author Share Posted March 9, 2016 The removal of detail continues... Bodyside steps to be filled in: Grille at bottom centre needs to go: Lots of masking tape in an effort to stop the surrounding detail getting damaged: John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted March 9, 2016 Author Share Posted March 9, 2016 Roof vent has gone and the side steps are filled: Which leads nicely on to the next modifications... First up, in the first photo, there is the grille to the centre right if you compare it to the following photo: 24105_ore-empties by Robert Carroll, on Flickr the grille on the model is on it's own raised panel whereas, on the real thing, this panel does not appear to exist so I can either try and remove the raised panel leaving just the grill or remove the whole lot and replace with grille with some photo etch. Next, in the centre of the second photo are a pair of body side 'doors' the bottom of which, as you can see from the prototype photograph, is open on both locos so it would be nice to try and replicate this. I'm thinking of drilling filing the bottom door out and then add some photo etch to represent the open door. John 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted March 20, 2016 Author Share Posted March 20, 2016 A short video of the 24s first run with the new bogies, just the left hand bogie is powered at the moment. It sounds a bit 'clicky' at the minute but has had no lubrication or any running in yet. John 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted April 4, 2017 Author Share Posted April 4, 2017 It's been a while since I've done any work on any locos but the 08 has been out recently. As I think I've mentioned before in another thread it has never been the best of runners and then it started with a pronounced limp. A friend who, as a steam modeller, has a lot more experience with coupled chassis than I have took it away for a couple of weeks and, when I got it back, it has new pickups, Brassmasters coupling rods and a sprung centre axle: And a couple of nights later, coupling rods painted and it has been reunited with it's brake gear. The loco was originally repainted and weathered by Cav of this parish. Weathering of the new coupling rods has started but the camera makes them look far more yellow than they actually are. John 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted April 12, 2017 Author Share Posted April 12, 2017 I've been working on some Bachmann 16 tonners. All have been modified to allow P4 wheels to be fitted along with instanter couplings and the tie bar between the W Irons has been added. Weathering is my normal method of oils for the bodies followed by a dusting of pastel chalk for the underframes and the bodies. To protect the pastel chalk, the wagons have also had a light spray of matt acrylic varnish but this does have the side effect of reducing the contrast of the pastels so some more work is still required. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted April 13, 2017 Author Share Posted April 13, 2017 I've had a go at making 'working' vacuum pipes using a method described by Jim Smith Wright, using elastic thread with a 1mm diameter magnet attached to the end. They work well but... 1. It is a real pain in the behind to line the thread up accurately with the end of the magnet. 2. It is very easy to get the tiny magnet the wrong way round so they repulse instead of attract. 3. They are a nightmare if your 3 links are steel John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted April 18, 2017 Author Share Posted April 18, 2017 Eight completed 16 tonners carrying coal. All RTR Bachmann, including the brake van, with the following changes: 1. Wheels changed for P4, not as simple as just changing the wheels as the rears of the W Irons have to be thinned down as have the brakes. 2. Couplings changed for 3 link and Instanter 3. The MCVs and the MINIFIT have all had the ties added between the W irons. Strictly speaking the unfitted ones should have this done as well but the weathering would need re-doing. 4. Coal added . 5. THE MCVs and MINIFIT all have new decals as, as purchased, the markings were all pre TOPS. The unfitted wagons are left as pre TOPS as the layout will cover the period 1967 - 1985. 6. Vacuum pipes added, as a test to a couple of the MCVs. 7. Weathered. Ignoring the time it takes for the oil paint to dry for the weathering, there really is no more than about 10-15 minutes work per wagon with no special tools or magic skills involved. Hopefully it shows that, just because something is RTR, doesn't mean it just has to be plonked straight on the layout, regardless of the scale/track gauge being used... 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted June 26, 2017 Author Share Posted June 26, 2017 I figured it was time to grow a pair and drill some holes in one of my SLW Class 24s and start to weather it. First up, a hole was drilled at each end to allow the additional air pipes for the iron ore wagons to be fitted. I've also fitted the etched shed plates to the nose and this end has the correct headcode for the iron ore trains. Then it was time to get dirty. There is loads more still to do but the Tyne Dock 24s got epically filthy so it is going to be difficult to know when to stop... Roof: Bodyside: Nose: 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted June 27, 2017 Author Share Posted June 27, 2017 Further progress on the 24: John 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted June 27, 2017 Author Share Posted June 27, 2017 Conscious of the fact that it can be quite easy to go overboard with the weathering I thought it might be interesting to do some before and now comparison photographs and it is surprising what a difference even a modest amount of work can make... And a glimpse in to the future with the 24 doing what it supposed to do: 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted June 29, 2017 Author Share Posted June 29, 2017 Weathering continues with the characteristic staining down the body sides. The windows are fogged due to a coat of matt varnish but they are getting replaced with Lazerglaze in due course... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted June 30, 2017 Author Share Posted June 30, 2017 It occurred to me today that screwing the model back on to it's display stand would have avoided a lot of handling during the weathering process Anyhow, with the exception of the installation of the Lazerglaze, I think I'm calling this one done. The rather unforgiving nature of the camera has exposed that there does appear to be part of a fingerprint on one of the noses but this is invisible to naked eye... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted July 6, 2017 Author Share Posted July 6, 2017 So, what is better than one dirty 'Tyne Docker' Class 24, two of them. D5109 is now making it's way through the weathering shop. D5109 has been renumbered using ModelMaster decals, MU cable is missing from one end which matches a photo I have of the loco on 21 March 1967 albeit another photo a week later shows the cable back in place. Another unusual thing about the loco is that, at the same end as the missing MU cable, the right hand buffer was slightly smaller than the left hand one. I've not, yet, decided whether to replicate this as, in 4mm scale, the difference will be hardly noticeable... John 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted July 7, 2017 Author Share Posted July 7, 2017 Double heading 24s, a bit overkill for a single iron ore wagon but you get the idea Having spent the last week working on the weathering, the plan now is to put them away for a week or so and then come back to them to see if there is anything I'm not happy with... John 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 The weathering looks great, but those windows look like they need a clean - or the driver sticking his head out of the side window ...or are you going to reglaze them? Not meant to be a criticism - just curious! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndon Posted July 9, 2017 Author Share Posted July 9, 2017 The weathering looks great, but those windows look like they need a clean - or the driver sticking his head out of the side window ...or are you going to reglaze them? Not meant to be a criticism - just curious! All the windows are going to be replaced with Laserglaze once I'm sure I'm not going to add any more weathering... John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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