As I am just picking up where I left things after an entertaining divorce in 2015, I thought I'd start by adding my blogs from my 'x5 Shunter Challenge' to my RMWeb blog feed.
These are all posted on www.grasslandsmodels.wordpress.com ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I have been very busy with work and other hobbies so I haven’t given as much attention to the railway blog of late. It is now ti
So where were we? Oh yes, I remember… I was converting a Drewry Diesel Tram while filming the results (using time lapse recording). Here are the links to days 1 and 2.
Here is the video:
Day 3 consisted of replacing the rather small buffers on the Bachmann Class 04 with the slightly larger versions used on the tram version. The donor for these buffers was a disused set of buffer beams from my Heljan Falcon (blink and you will miss it in the first few seconds of the video). I then
Following my last post about Leader, I discovered that the paint was not fully drying and the finish had warped while in storage.
It is difficult to find a paint stripper formulated to strip resin kits, they are normally designed for metal or plastic models. I sent a quick query to Howes of Oxford about their Model Strip and was advised to test the paint stripper on the underside of the body. I did not see any adverse effects, so I covered leader in the paste.
I left the model
We now return to the development of my Golden Arrow resin and white metal kit of the pioneering Bulleid Leader (click here for part 1).
Leader’s bogies are gigantic, just massive. Leader looks like the monster truck of UK locomotives. These bogies are cast in white metal and have a very nice finish. They are also nice and weighty. While reading how to install the recommended DS10 motor I mis-interpreted the instructions and installed a separate DS10 motor into each bogie. In hindsight this w
Currently on my workbench is… well… my workbench.
The workbench I have used for the past few years is a cheapo laminated chipboard job from Argos. The former office desk was forced into the role of being my modelling desk when we moved to Newbury in 2008. It has now taken a fair amount of abuse from my modelling torture kit, so it is only right that it continues in its role in my new house (until I accidentally cut in half or something or other).
In my new house the desk will be up
Two weeks ago me and my Dad visited the Festival of British Railway Modelling in Doncaster.
It was our first visit and we both really enjoyed the day. The best thing about the show was the number of big layouts (in a UK context), which allowed some good length trains to be run.
Wisbech and Upwell Trams
My interests in the Wisbech and Upwell Railway were well catered for with some interesting discussions about how to model the tramway version of the Drewry tram (see separate post). The h
Finally managed to upload my video and pictures from last Sunday. I was hoping to put them up on Monday morning, but just didn't have the time. So to catch up with my Wisbech & Upwell Class 04 conversion:
The video below includes modifications to the 04s body to take the new Bachmann Class 03 chassis.
On reflection the axle doors on the side skirts are a bit big, but I was modelling at speed at the time and didn’t think to double check.
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Today we answer the question: ‘How much modelling can be done in a day?’
At the Doncaster show a nice chap told me that one of Craftsman Models conversion kits includes the older style cab for an 04 shunter. So a quick purchase of a Bachmann 04 (and said conversion kit) and I was off. I decided to see how far I could get through the conversion in a weekend.
Below is a time-lapse video of the first day of the conversion, enjoy!
http://youtu.be/XuRcH2-5k1E
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I tried to think of a good Leader pun, but ‘falling behind’ works as an inverse analogy.
36001
The picture above shows one of my favourite locomotives: 36001, Bulleid’s Leader; the monstrous experimental steam engine that looked like a diesel. Leader was constructed in 1948 and ran for a brief 1½ year period (from 1949 to 1950). ‘Ran’, of course, might not be the best word for Leader’s trial runs, as she was prone to failure and was often towed back to Brighton Works.
Leader was fitt
The bulk of the conversion is finished.
Chassis Modifications
As predicted (see Pt2), the rear of the chassis was the more difficult section to complete. I took to cutting down the back of the Bachmann chassis by grinding away the raised profile mouldings on the sides of the chassis (where the crank-shaft use to be). I lost a few cutting disks in this operation (goggles recommended). This aspect of the work was surprisingly easy.
The next problem was that the Bachmann chassis’s
I have been trying to answer three niggling questions:
How can I fix the Bachmann chassis into the brass kit body?
How can I fill the gap between the chassis and the front of the loco (see left)?
Can I refit any of the little details from the original brass chassis to the Bachmann one (sand boxes and the lubricator arm)?
As most of my time in this hobby is spent thinking about how to solve such problems (rather than actually doing anything) I decided, in the mean time, to see if I co
Today I ignored the dark and wet weather outside and focussed on making sure my Class 13 would be a strong runner on digital control.
As discussed in part 2, I will be installing two DCC decoders (one in each unit) and setting them to the same address.
I first modified the chassis casting of the slave and master units. Cutting away the lugs that formerly supported a small circuit board (now surplus to requirements). This modification allows just enough space for a Bachmann 3-fun
Motors
Change of plan…
I have just tested the Class 13’s ability to manoeuvre around short radius curves and over point work (which it manages wonderfully). I think this is mostly due to the large buffers I have used (preventing buffer lock). However, the master unit (with the motor) sounds like it is straining to pull the rather weighty slave unit. It would be a shame if the engine cannot pull a long train in the future because of my decision to remove one of the motors, so I have just
I have always been a big fan of diesel shunters. I loved watching little shunters moving around Bescot Yard and the various industrial complexes in the Midlands.
BR Class 13 Diesel Shunter
One shunter I never had the privilege of seeing was the BR Class 13. The Class 13 was a special locomotive, designed to operate over the ‘hump’ in the large marshalling yard at Tinsley. Each one looked like two locos stuck together (which is exactly what they were). Two BR Class 08s were used to create
The running quality of my locos is important to me. Irrelevant of how well made they are or how detailed, if they cannot run along a piece of track smoothly or cross a point without stalling, then the loco is of little use to me.
The long suffering Craftsman BR 07
My BR Class 07 Shunter is one such loco that looks much better than it runs. This Craftsman kit was purchased partly completed in 2003. One of the areas completed was the chassis, which was quite jerky and the rods appeare
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