Hi Sean,

 

It'll be going in my blog as a "new build"

 

I am intending to use the N class chassis after a lot of thought. My donor V3 has been dismantled at home and its components are winging its way to uni!

 

I will of course join in here too as it keeps the interest and will make for some interesting comparisons.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Simon

Excellent Simon and thanks for your reply.

My V3 arrived this morning, so once the DIY is finished, (Yes Horsetan, the wardrobes won in the end.... ), I'll be getting to work with the scalpel.

Perhaps Simon, you'll post a link to your thread once its up and running. It's still a bit of a minefield finding my way around the new site and I'm sure there'll be others who want to watch both who have the same phobia's as me. I've only found two threads so far that I'm interested in and I'm sure there's many more to find within the site....

Cheers for now.

Sean.

......(Yes Horsetan, the wardrobes won in the end.... ), .....

Hi Sean,

Here's the link : L1: Kit of Parts

Cheers,

Simon

Have we got off the ground yet?

Have we got off the ground yet?

If afraid time has been tight this week and with DIY stuff needing completing, I've had little chance to finish the Peaks, let alone start this project. Hopefully be up and running over the next week or so though. Watch this space......

Hi all.

So, I've managed to strip down the V1 locomotive and found that the cab rear and bunker are a seperate moulding which will help with the conversion. No photo's as its chucking it down outside...

It would appear that alot of the measurements for the front part of the cab are correct for the L1, so I think I will be able to construct the rear part of the cab and bunker in plasticard, taking measurements from the drawing.

The front buffer beam and fall plate will need altering drastically and I think it would be easier to saw off the front fall plate completely and construct a new one, again, from plasticard in the same way as I did the K1. Problem there though is, since this is a tank engine, the front buffer beam has to be strong enough to haul a train. I may need to use some brass as well in that case.

Why is nothing ever that simple though????......

Having measured the length of the boiler, I find its about 2mm too short, (as Horsetan quite correctly pointed out above) and the cab roof is about 2mm too long! Murphys law I guess. Can I live with it? Probably. Do I want to do it right? Definately! I may need to return to this entry during the build!

Anywho, I'm off to do a little more measuring now and make a shopping list for Warley next week. Hopefully the DMR stand will be full of useful L1 bits.... Hint hint if you're reading Mr DMR! You never know, if I can get two sets of front valve gear, I may resurrect the K1 thread!

Cheers for now.

Sean.

Hi all.

Bit of a gap between postings (mainly because 8 peaks are taking alot longer to do than I thought as DIY keeps getting in the way!).

The news is that the V1/L1 is on the starting blocks and ready to go.

I spent Sunday at the Warley show and Mali and I managed to source various bits to get work under way. We found a Bachmann 2MT from the Bachmann seconds section for a bargain price. I don't think Mr DMR was there, but a visit to the Alan Gibson stand and a chat with the man himself - who was very helpful even though I showed my steam ignorance by showing him the drawing and doing an Andy Pipkin impression, (I want THAT ONE!) and supplied me with all the parts for the boiler and fall plate.

A visit to the ABS stand revealed a white metal or brass L1 kit. I still maintain that my soldering skills prevent me from building a kit this way, but a chat with Mr Swain resulted in the sourcing of the valve gear parts to correct the 2MT chassis. I have not ordered these yet, however, I'm going to order two sets on the pretence that I may need a practice set, but will hopefully end up with a spare set for the K1.

So, thats all for now, work on the Peaks continues and as soon as they're done, I will be attacking this one with a vengeance! I will start a thread in one of the other sections as I have discovered the format is similar to the old site, but will post a link here when appropriate, so all those out there who are like me and computer illiterate can find it.

Cheers for now.

Sean.

Hi all.

Just to let those interested in this project know, I have actually started work and have a thread running here.....

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/topic/4615-thompson-l1-conversion-from-Bachmann-v1/

Take a look and keep me on the right tracks.

Cheers.

Sean.