meld Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Hi Simon. And secondly, adding the distinctive checker plating on the step surfaces. Those steps do look nice ... but please no checker plate .. the real 73 steps have wooden treads with a small "saftey grip" edge. The wooden step actually gives much better traction to the sole of the crews shoes !! .. Any pictures of 73 with checker plate on any of these treads is a latter replacement The steps actually have lips on the edges to act as 'stops' for the wood which is then bolted through, with recessed heads.. the top step would look really good with this edge added if possible .. and I would replicate the wood with some added plasticard ( 5 thou ) to make the thickness at least twice the metal thickness. and how about the small, body mounted step that is forward of the bogie step .. a small etch added for this with the 'lips' would be nice too See attached of 73006 ........ HTH Mike Edit - spelling Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Cheers Mike for the photo; sorry about the delay in responding. Just learnt today that the big "D" are planning to produce a class 73 in OO gauge! Now that's torn it. If it's the later version of the class then I'm not so worried... I've finished the working third rail pick ups x 4 (two per set so 8 tiny shoes in total) and have made a start on the horizontal brake cylinders that sit on the rear (and front?) stretcher bars. These will be followed by the brake gear with the complex compound brake hangers that the class 73 seem to have. Still no sign of my Ultrascale P4 wheels yet, which I now need to work out clearances for such things as the sand pipes and the relationship between the bogie frames and third rail, for accurate pick up shoe registration. Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugsley Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Cheers Mike for the photo; sorry about the delay in responding. Just learnt today that the big "D" are planning to produce a class 73 in OO gauge! Now that's torn it. If it's the later version of the class then I'm not so worried... That was inevitable as soon as you embarked on this project Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Too right Martin! But it won't be in P4 (and Ultrascale might not produce the wheels for it) and it definitely won't have working third rail pick ups; I'm trying to convince myself here... Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold griffgriff Posted April 13, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 13, 2012 Cheers Mike for the photo; sorry about the delay in responding. Just learnt today that the big "D" are planning to produce a class 73 in OO gauge! Now that's torn it. If it's the later version of the class then I'm not so worried... Simon I for one was too polite to mention it ....however I shouldn't worry too much if I were you though, the old Lima body is the right shape and your modifications and accoutrements should catapult it to a stellar orbit... it's the big 'D' who should be worried Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Cheers griffgriff! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Well even if progress has been slow, I've now virtually completed the following bogie items:- Damper support rods All cable runs and brackets Speedo and cable Cab steps Sand boxes and pipes Third rail pick ups Brake cylinders Guard irons. This just leaves the compound in line brake gear to complete which I've already made a start on. The top of the brake hangers will be supported on fine brass rod fixed to the inside of the bogie frames and then connected at the bottom by nickel silver pull rods, linked by cosmetic hinges to the horizontally placed brake cylinders (that lie along the stretcher bars). Photos of all of the above will follow shortly. So it will then be down to making up the new fuel tanks and under frame electrical gear, followed by interior engine room detailing. Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 The P4 replacement wheels have arrived from Ultrascale today! Now I can start to put the bogies back together at long last... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Hi Simon, I am posting a picture of the area of the Hornby motor bogie which has to be carved away, at least with the 00 Ultrascale wheelsets anyway. As I said, with P4 flanges, you might avoid this rather crude operation. Colin In answer to your question Colin, there is no need to remove any plastic on the motor bogie (as you had to) with P4 wheels; the fit is perfect and there is even some space to play with! It is literally a straight swap from the OO steam rollers to the P4 wheel set with no extra modifications needed. Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 Brake gear is now being added to both bogies in readiness to reassemble the bogie frames. The P4 conversion is complete with the motor bogie running well. Photos to follow in due course when I get my camera back. It has to be said that the original version of the class 73, which I'm trying to model, is possibly one of the hardest "modern" BR locos to construct/modify alongside the other ED's. The bogies are incredibly complex and intricate and when you see the virtually complete modified Hornby examples placed over the inner bogies you realise just how involved the things are. On reflection I would never tackle another class 73 and I would hesitate to encourage others to do what I've done as the potential for disaster is very high! Having said that, the final loco "should" with a bit of luck look amazing, especially with the working pick ups. Modifying the bogies as I have transforms an otherwise good but basic model into something very eye catching and attractive. Placing the as bought bogie frames (from a Lima class 73) alongside mine really highlights the original's deficiencies. Having brake shoes in line with the P4 wheels make a huge difference, for example. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Hi Simon, I look forward to seeing pictures of the work so far. You are certainly brave in having a go at modifying the Lima bogie side frame mouldings to this extent, but at least the model will be unique in having working pick ups as a result. With Hornby producing their 4 VEP motor bogies as spares, that might be the easier option for anyone contemplating the sort of conversion that you are undertaking. We shall see what Dapol come up with. Perhaps nobody will bother with the conversion Hornby/Lima models in future. Despite all the tribulations with the chassis, the ex-Lima tooled 73 body is pretty good. Only the moulded grab handles and horns let it down. Those irritating recesses in the cab roofs of the model where the air horns go have to be though! Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Cheers Colin for your post above. At long last here are some very unflattering progress photos of the bogies; the P4 wheels have been fitted and much of the side frame detailing work is now more or less complete. The brake gear is well under way but still needs refining and some tweaking; the tops of the brake hangers will be removed to the point where they meet the brass rod supports. As Colin pointed out to me, the early 73's seem to have a type of double clasp brake shoe, something akin to the ones you find on class 08 diesel shunters. However, as I couldn't find a clear brake shoe photo, and as the brakes are more or less hidden once the side frames are in place, I've modelled mine as single shoes with the additional vertical support brackets (that are fitted over the shoe and the brake hanger). The shoes are in line with the P4 wheel treads, but as there is a little, and necessary, sideways play in the wheels the brake rods (0.03mm nickel silver wire) stand slightly proud of the wheel faces so that the eventual painting of the wheels is not affected by the rubbing of the rods. The rods continue front and rear of the bogies but not in the middle because there is no room under the mech. Again this is hardly noticeable once everything is assembled. The lengths of the end brake rod adjusters will be shortened and refined. The photos seem to make everything look huge, but in reality all looks right and in proportion. In the last couple of photos (with the body and as yet unmodified fuel tank moulding in place for the camera to give you an idea of how things will look) I've tried to show one of the horizontal brake cylinders (held in the rough position with tweezers). There are two per bogie and will be connected to the brake assembly by fine nickel silver wire push rods. Just in case anyone is wondering; the bogie frame that appears in these two photos will not be on this side of the loco; it happened to be handy for the camera and is in place temporarily! Also just under and behind the sand boxes, there will be square cut out bogie extensions which represents what is found on the prototype, but is not found on the Hornby model. I've never seen this modelled. I had a trial fitting of the third rail pick ups which looked very promising also. Overall the modifications are looking very good and once finished and painted the huge amount of work will have been very worthwhile. I have placed a Lima class 73 bogie moulding next to one of my 90% complete bogies and the contrast is clear to see. Just having in line brake gear makes a huge difference, and you can appreciate just how complex class 73 bogies really are. Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 A photo showing the new extensions behind the sand boxes that I referred to above... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Hi Simon, Sterling work there! You have captured the detail of the JA bogie very well. What a fiddle it must have been - well done! The 3-D effect is quite marked in comparison with the Lima example. I am eager to see what you do with the rest of the chassis. All the best, Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanks522 Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Very impressive work there Simon, Your attention to detail is second to none. Graham. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Many thanks Colin and Graham for your comments! Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 A photo showing the new extensions behind the sand boxes that I referred to above... I just realised today that I've made these extensions a bit too long as they hide the outside damper support rods, whereas in reality there is a gap between them. I'm really fed up about this and I can't decide whether to remove them all and do them again? They're a pain to make and to fix in place. What would you do? Mind you there are lots of little cock ups with my modifications so one more might not hurt. I think Colin's smoke and mirror approach might be best here! I really just want to finish the bogies and get on with other parts of the chassis now... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Harvey Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Simon They look fine, they only stand out because they are white there goingto be painted black anyway and will blend in fine, all of the other detail will be what people will be looking at, if your getting fed up of the bogies it's time to move on to another part of the model. Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Many thanks Pete. I think you're right but knowing me it will bug me until I correct the little blighters! All the best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac_basher Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 I don't mean to hijack your topic, but as you inspired me, I thought you might like to see some photos of the 73 I've reccently been doing up.... It's nowhere near as good as yours though, and I'm sure you can see many errors on mine, but I'm pleased with the results. Just for the record, I used Craftsman flush glazing; Heljan Class 33 blinds; Hornby Class 50 wipers; Bachmann 37 or Deltic horns; Heljan 33 buckeye; pipes were a mix of Hornby and Heljan; the pipes on the bogie were done with an old B guitar string (I didn't have any E, hence why I only did one pipe instead of two). Footsteps were made of plasticstrip. In total I reckon I put about 40 hours into this little project! I thought the old Lima model made quite a good starting point. The body moulding is very good (let's not forget it's a 25 year old model we're talking about here!) and I thought the paint/finish was good enough not to warrant a repaint. Even the original glazing was quite ok, but as I already had the flush glazing I thought I may as well use it because at the time I didn't see myself getting another 73 (Now I'm already thinking about doing another one!! ) The only thig is I found the bogies and chassis very difficult to work on as they're made of that sort of rubbery plastic - things would have been so much more easier if they had of done the underframes in the usual brittle plastic. I wonder if Hornby have changed the material for this..... As I said I'm pleased with how this model has turned out and I'm not ashamed to display it with my fleet of new generation models (Hornby 50s; Bachmann 37s; Heljan 47s; Heljan 33s; etc). Looking forward to seeing more progress on yours!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 The first photo shows initial tests conducted yesterday afternoon of the motor bogie. Here you can see the pick ups in contact with the conductor rail for the first time (but not under power). The results were very encouraging, but a fair amount of tweaking is still needed to get them just right. I've made them as close to scale as possible, but they are a simplified arrangement to the prototype, as reproducing these exactly would be impossible in 4mm. The pick up shoes are a bit longer than the real thing to ensure reliable contact and to avoid any fouling of the conductor rail. They are tiny in reality on the model, but the photos make them look exaggerated. When painted and weathered they will look very nice as they skid along the third rail, hopefully creating some arching as they go. The other bogie details are nearly all in place, bar stretcher bars, guard irons and brake cylinders (all made up but just waiting to be attached. The bogie side frame is only temporarily attached to the bogie, hence the slightly crooked look; I need to test the clearances of the pick ups in relation to the third rail, and paint the wheels, etc, before finally attaching the frames. The brake hangers are not out of scale as they appear! They are in fact composite hangers with two parts to them, hence the rather wide look. Likewise, Pete Harvey's excellent etched steps are not glued on yet and are sitting at an odd angle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 I don't mean to hijack your topic, but as you inspired me, I thought you might like to see some photos of the 73 I've reccently been doing up.... It's nowhere near as good as yours though, and I'm sure you can see many errors on mine, but I'm pleased with the results. Just for the record, I used Craftsman flush glazing; Heljan Class 33 blinds; Hornby Class 50 wipers; Bachmann 37 or Deltic horns; Heljan 33 buckeye; pipes were a mix of Hornby and Heljan; the pipes on the bogie were done with an old B guitar string (I didn't have any E, hence why I only did one pipe instead of two). Footsteps were made of plasticstrip. In total I reckon I put about 40 hours into this little project! I thought the old Lima model made quite a good starting point. The body moulding is very good (let's not forget it's a 25 year old model we're talking about here!) and I thought the paint/finish was good enough not to warrant a repaint. Even the original glazing was quite ok, but as I already had the flush glazing I thought I may as well use it because at the time I didn't see myself getting another 73 (Now I'm already thinking about doing another one!! ) The only thig is I found the bogies and chassis very difficult to work on as they're made of that sort of rubbery plastic - things would have been so much more easier if they had of done the underframes in the usual brittle plastic. I wonder if Hornby have changed the material for this..... As I said I'm pleased with how this model has turned out and I'm not ashamed to display it with my fleet of new generation models (Hornby 50s; Bachmann 37s; Heljan 47s; Heljan 33s; etc). Looking forward to seeing more progress on yours!! class73 1.jpg class73 2.jpg class73 3.jpg class73 4.jpg Sorry for the late reply vac_basher! I've not been able to update this thread for months and so was unaware that you'd posted some photos, etc. Your model looks really excellent in every respect and many thanks for taking the time to post the pics. Many will enjoy looking at these. All the best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac_basher Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 Sorry for the late reply vac_basher! I've not been able to update this thread for months and so was unaware that you'd posted some photos, etc. Your model looks really excellent in every respect and many thanks for taking the time to post the pics. Many will enjoy looking at these. All the best Simon Thanks Simon, coming from you that's a real compliment Unlike yours which is an ongoing project, mine was a bit of a quicky which kept me busy for a few evenings and, although nowhere near as good as yours, I'm sufficiently happy with the results. I look forward to seeing yours when it's finished Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 A few progress photos showing the motor bogie under a BR blue body - the eventual version of this loco (I think!). I made a mistake yesterday by adding two brake cylinders, one at each end of the bogie, rather than two apiece. I only discovered the error after I'd glued them on and had added the actuating arms. It seems that in reality the cylinders sit close to the brake hangers, either side of the stretcher bar; mine is placed centrally. It's tempting to leave them as they are as once the loco is fully detailed it would be virtually hidden from view, but a niggling doubt is likely to see them removed and placed in the correct positions... yet more work and four more cylinders to make. I made the error purely because I couldn't find any photos showing the correct set up. In the photos you'll notice the temporarily place fuel tank moulding; I was just using it to hold the body in place for the pictures and this is not its correct position. This will also be completely rebuilt in due course. Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Harvey Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Looking very good Simon. Is there any flex in the third rail pickups when they contact the third rail? Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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