Gadgie's Blog

Good luck with the conversion, you are braver than me!

 

Kind regards,

 

Nick

Thanks Nick -- I've found that conversions with Alan Gibson components usually go quite well. The EMGS have a library of conversion worksheets for RTR locomotives, and the Alan Gibson website also has a set of excellent data sheets written by Pete Hill that cover some popular prorotypes -- see http://www.alangibsonworkshop.com/Conversion%20Sheets.html.

 

Richard

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Hi Richard,

 

Pete will confirm, but I'm sure that Alan Gibson does wheelsets on axles to fit Bachmann frames (metric rather than Imperial) - no need to drill out but too late now.

 

There are some faults with the Bachmann that I think need attention, not all on every version.

 

All 9Fs had exhaust stem injectors, despite what some books say. When the locos were scrapped, the first items removed were brass fittings and the largest of these was the exhaust steam injector. It was a very large and complicated device originally installed to enable economical use of steam and coal on long sustained runs. 

 

Where Bachmann seem to have gone wrong is to measure up a preserved loco and none of these that came from a scrapyard have exhaust injectors. They would be extremely expensive to have made and would be of no use on locos running on preserved railways at low speeds and over short distances. So two live steam injectors were fitted and Bachmann seem to have assumed that this was the norm. 

 

There are two preserved locos that didn't survive via a scrap yard, 92220 Evening Star in the National Collection and 92203 which David Shepherd bought direct fro BR. Both of these have exhaust steam injectors with their large diameter copper pipe bringing the exhaust steam to the injector. 

 

I've been on 92214 when it was at the NYMR and whilst it doesn't have an exhaust injector, the water valve handle for the live steam injector that replaced it is of the type used on the exhaust injector.

 

Another mistake. The loco I purchased recently, 92113, has, on the RHS of the firebox a fine model of a carriage heating steam valve. None of the class were so fitted in BR days, not even Evening Star. Again it looks as though Bachmann have faithfully copied a preserved loco which has had one of these valves fitted for obvious reasons.

 

The third thing to watch out for and it is trivial and would have been fitted to 9Fs running on the Western region, is the ATC equipment in the cab adjacent to the drivers seat. All other regions either had nothing or late on, AWS much less obtrusive.

 

Oh, and the Dave Alexander Westinghouse pumps are a shade oversize. Not very noticeable on the 9F but very difficult to accommodate on a Tyne Dock O1. The Lanarkshire Models air pumps are better.

 

Martin.

Richard.

 

Nice job with the axles.

 

As an aside, the Lanarkshire Model Supplies pumps are a little more accurate than those supplied in the Alexander conversion kit. They have the correct number of cooling vanes and the pipe take offs are better represented.

 

http://www.lanarkshiremodels.com/lanarkshiremodelsandsupplieswebsite_159.htm

 

P

Thanks Martin and Porcy,

 

I thought the Bachmann injectors looked a bit shrivelled. I have some Comet lost wax castings that I was saving for my Model Loco kit, but maybe I should just use them on 92061 rather than hoarding them :-). The plastic pipework is very fragile, and I have already broken part of it so it probably makes sense to replace evrything -- at least if I replace it with wire it will be round ...

 

I hadn't realised Lanarkshire models did a slightly better air pump, so very grateful for the heads-up -- I might pick up a pair at Scalefour North on Saturday.

 

Richard

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