bertiedog Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 In the post today,1/7/2016, one of the Bachmann Skarloey RTR Locos, based upon the locomotives of the famous narrow gauge line at the Talyllyn Railway, Tywyn, in mid Wales. These are made under licence from the publishers of the Rev Awdry books, and are only officially made and distributed in the USA, as Hornby have the licence here, but they choose do not use it for RTR locos and stock. They are imported though, and available in limited quantities over here. The loco has a Thomas the Tank engine style Face, and portrays Skarloey from the popular children's books. However the toy face can be removed, a real smokebox door made and fitted, and you have a pretty good representation of the Talyllyn locomotive. A kit of parts to do the smokebox door, rods and the cylinders is available from Narrow Planet. However the parts are pretty simple to make yourself should you wish. frankly the cylinders are OK as bought, along with the cross head and rods, but the Narrow Planet ones are better than original. The smoke box door is quite easy to remove and a 3D printed one is provided with the Narrow Planet kit of parts.However you can make your own from a plastic disk, or turn up one in brass, or bronze etc., on a lathe. Other details to improve are the front spectacle plate windows, which are blocked by a weight in the cab, more footplate details, and handrails, on the front etc. On the rather plain chassis it would also benefit from brake shoes, and piping around the chassis, although these parts are small and difficult to make easily. The wheels are pretty close to scale, allowing for 009 standards and flange sizes. The paintwork is as per the book's illustrations, not as the real locos, but it is up to you as to whether to totally re-paint the loco, however the red livery is just that, all red, no black parts etc., so plenty of scope to add to the existing rather neatly lined out red livery. The main complaint about the cylinders is that they are over width, but it is quite a small error, and done by Bachmann to get reliable clearances over the front coupling pins. Narrow planet supply nearer scale sized 3D printed cylinders. I am not going to alter them, as I want to fit thicker scale rods, and being farther apart, this makes it easier to fit. The handrails are another issue, the ones on the smokebox are diecast solid, and need filing away to fit replacement ones, which may have to be made as most 4mm ones are too large. They can be made from brass wire, filed in half and wrapped around the handrail and soldered on. This can make a very small and neat support knob. It may pay to add new buffers as well in nickel silver, or stainless steel. There are other details that can be done, but I must study the photographs of the real loco a bit more. Brass nameplates would look finer than the well printed ones, if the printed ones can be removed easily or not. The couplings remove easily, and could be changed to more scale types, but I will keep these for the time being as the Peco stock and coaches are fitted with the same hook and loop type, along with the forthcoming WW1 stock from Bachmann for the Baldwin Trench loco. The new Glynn Valley coaches from Peco would also suit the Loco well, although my main coaches are the L&B bogied stock. The Loco needs running in first, then a total strip down to do the alterations, and re-paint the parts altered, and add black areas on the footplates etc. I will photograph each stage as it is done, as a record of the work. The loco is intended to run on my new L&B extension to the Southern layout I am building, out of area time and place, but with so little RTR what else? Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted July 1, 2016 Author Share Posted July 1, 2016 Managed to find a few more detailed shots on the net of Talyllyn, and they show the front handrail on top of the smokebox to be quite substantial in thickness, with short knobs, and the missing tank top handrails no to have any knobs at all. The ends are bent over and bolted to the tank surface. I also found a detailed shot of the brake pump, and the brakes them selves. These may have to be made in plastic, as shorts would be a risk in metal shoes. The balance weights infill on the wheels can be added with Miliput or similar putty. One some liveries the name is painted on like the model one, so no new brass plates quickly needed till renamed later on. Not sure on first measurements whether the loco is 3.5mm to the foot or 4mm to the foot, I suspect a bit of a mixture. Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted July 1, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 1, 2016 It's pretty much 4mm scale, more here. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/96032-Bachmann-009-skarloey/?fromsearch=1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGR Hooper! Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 I was wondering why the title looked familiar Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted July 1, 2016 Author Share Posted July 1, 2016 After a great deal of searching I finally found a cab shot of the handrails, and left hand grab rail on the cab front. It also has enough of the controls etc, which will be covered by the crew anyway. I assume the locos where one man working, do they do this these days? I have a Monty figure that will suit, and a figure of a boy who could be along for a cab ride, by Stadden Figures. The Brake handle will have to be made from wire, with gauges in brass turnings. The water glasses can be perspex. Starting disassembly this evening, should not take long to modify the detailing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted July 2, 2016 Author Share Posted July 2, 2016 One item not mentioned in reviews are the wheels, which must be the finest flanged wheels commercialy offered in 009 or N gauge. They did not look that fine in the publicity shots, maybe they reduced the flange height on final production, but it meets the NMRA standard comfortably, and put even 2mm scale wheels to shame on this point. Also they are completely free of wobble, or eccentricity, very good indeed from Bachmann. The gears all run true as well. Tested over a sample Peco Mainline 009 point, they run perfectly, with only the slightest suggestion of a twitch over the frog gap. The back to back is accurate on all three axles. Closer examination shows the drivers already have the counter weight between the spokes fitted, no need to fill in the wheels spokes. I have found some brake shoes in brass that might fit, but clearances are tight, and plastic may be better to prevent shorts. The new cab interior firebox end is coming along, much fine work in brass to do, and the brake wheel to make. the cab front has a block weight that is removable to open up the windows, and this will be sawn up and milled to shape to take the boiler back head, glued into place with epoxy to save soldering etc. The upper cab is finished in cream paint, the lower half appears to be black finish. I assume the cab floor is steel, with a wood floor, which can be added in strips of fine hardwood veneer. At the moment I simply cannot see any reason to narrow the cylinders, the clearances become very tight indeed behind the crosshead over the front crankpins. The Narrow Planet kit must address this with adjusted parts all round, maybe new crankpins and a thinner crosshead. Although plastic, the original crosshead is a nice scale item, it is the widening and the angle to the rear pins that is a bit out of scale. If the track has no rabbit warren curves, then the couplings can be redrilled and moved inwards quite a bit, retaining the universal loop and hook couplings used by Peco, Heljan, and Bachmann on the latest offerings. Not too concerned with the buffers and running with L&B stock! As soon as the Heljan L&B and the Baldwin are available, the Talyllyn locos will get a devoted Glynn valley / Talyllyn 4 wheel coach set. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted July 2, 2016 Author Share Posted July 2, 2016 On measuring up the Loco to a drawing and to photos there is an unexpected error in the size and height of the dome, it is simply too small, by about a mm in both directions, and would be difficult to correct without major surgery. However it looks reasonable on it's own, and gives a better look than it being too large! All the other dimensions tally with scale 4mm within reason and a few %, and this is a toy! Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted July 25, 2016 Author Share Posted July 25, 2016 Made all the replacement parts, and a few extras like the figures, so the loco is being taken apart totally today to fit all the rods etc., but not changing the cylinders as yet. Still to decide on a better less pink shade of red to do the painting, or a black and green livery. Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 Hi Stephen, You helped me a great deal with my lorries a few years ago..... I would happily laser cut you brake shoes (and hangers?) if you'd like? Best Giles Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted July 25, 2016 Author Share Posted July 25, 2016 I will PM you on the possibilities.... Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted July 25, 2016 Author Share Posted July 25, 2016 I am impressed by the quality of the parts in the loco, bar the cab interior, where Bachmann spared everything to do nothing! The standard is higher than most Bachmann items for the UK, and of course in this case it was not destined to be sold or used in the UK.....I wonder if Bachmann UK somehow influence the offerings they usually supply, perhaps worry about costs. The motor is well finished, the gears perfect, and the wheels are 100%, no wobble, no eccentricity. Detail is typical of any diecast body. It runs near silent, and pulls well, at least three L&B coaches or about 10 wagons. They bothered to do the right pattern wheels, and even the flanges are NMRA compatible, very fine for 009. I hope the Bachmann 009 Baldwin trench loco is to the same standards and corners have not been cut to keep down costs to much. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR-Green Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 Any idea how to get the face off I've read the instructions and free of my club members have all tried to the point of it almost cut loco in half so to speck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR-Green Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 In the post today,1/7/2016, one of the Bachmann Skarloey RTR Locos, based upon the locomotives of the famous narrow gauge line at the Talyllyn Railway, Tywyn, in mid Wales. Skarloey original rm.jpg However the toy face can be removed, a real smokebox door made and fitted, and you have a pretty good representation of the Talyllyn locomotive. A kit of parts to do the smokebox door. The smoke box door is quite easy to remove and a 3D printed one is provided with the Narrow Planet kit of parts Stephen. How did you do this I am almost making people was up of removing the face all I've done is ended up pushing up the side of the diecast metal and making a pigs ear of the face I haven't got it even remotely loose Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted August 19, 2016 Author Share Posted August 19, 2016 There might be a chance Bachmann have altered the way the face is attached, but mine was simply on moulded spigots that broke under leverage.There are other ways, given requisite care and skill, the centre could be drilled out to weaken it, or filed or ground away to make it thinner and easier to remove. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chameleon Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 Am I the only one who imagine horror pictures of poor lil engines getting tortured in terrible ways? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted August 25, 2016 Author Share Posted August 25, 2016 Just done removing the face, queried by another poster, on a second loco, and you simply grip in pliers and twist to break the glue bond. I am turning up a brass door for this one, and fitting the smokebox top handrails, after removing the cast on handrail. There are no small sized knobs made, and too small to turn, so using half filed brass wire, wrapped around the handrail, and soldered after forming the wires back into one wire as the stem. They can be superglued into drilled holes. Then it is taken apart to paint in the footplate black parts, that are painted incorrectly red by Bachmann. Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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