Signaller69's projects

[Clive Mortimore]

13 hours ago, Signaller69 said:

Sorry, it's all very well Admin putting an apology on top of the page apologising for all the pop up adds, but you CONTROL the page for goodness sake!!!! Anyway I'll stick to Facebook in the meantime, if you want a 2 tier page to push overpriced Chinese made models.

 

Rant over.

 

Later folks.

Martyn

 

I downloaded Adblock Plus, even Faceache is add free now.

[ISW]

2 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Martyn

 

I downloaded Adblock Plus, even Faceache is add free now.

 

I use the Brave browser (https://brave.com/), with its built-in ad-blocker. Same result; no ads.

 

Ian

[AlfaZagato]

Seconding the vote for Brave.  It's free, and has some added protections beyond the ad-blocker.

[MJI]

I found that ublock origin is better than ABP.

[john new]

4 hours ago, ISW said:

 

I use the Brave browser (https://brave.com/), with its built-in ad-blocker. Same result; no ads.

 

Ian

Does that block YouTube ads?

[ISW]

1 hour ago, john new said:

Does that block YouTube ads?

John,

 

Yep. When I play a Youtube video in the Brave browser I get no ads at the beginning or part way through. Indeed, no ads apart from those that form part of the actual video. You do sometimes lose the 'links' at the end, or part way through, a video but that's a small inconvenience.

 

Not loading the ads saves time and bandwidth. According to my Brave summary, its saved 10.69Gb of data, 13.2 hours of download time, while blocking over 947,000 ads since I started using it.

 

(Martyn, sorry if we are getting a bit off topic .)

 

Ian

[Signaller69]

Very little modelling done lately, but I have revisited a couple of Lima CCT Van's which have been lowered using a stash of cast axleguards (ABS?) and flush glazed which required making up new window bars from Slaters Microrod.

 

 

 

A bit more weathering to be applied on the chassis to blend in the new parts.

[Signaller69]

Whilst I am waiting for more roof vents to arrive for the CCT's, I have felt like doing a little more on the languishing fourth Hornby Class 25 conversion, which will become Class 24 no.5098 in BR blue c.1971 condition.

Namely sanding the filler on each cab end as well as the side foot/handholds, drilling out new tail lights and scoring the triangular bodyside access panels (which are not as prominent as the photos might suggest), removing the moulded roof fan grille, plus fitting LMS buffers as usual. Small jobs, but it takes the project a step nearer to completion!

 

 

The cab roof domes are next up for sanding back. Etched parts such as cab roof vents, boiler compartment blanking plates and lamp irons will follow, with headcode discs and handrails to be added after painting.

[sulzer71]

@Signaller69

 

Morning Martyn

 

Seen your post on FB earlier about this loco earlier and noticed you said you resin cast some of the parts yourself , I was wondering if there's any chance you could produce the rectangular exhaust ports on their own and make them available to buy? The models I'm doing myself require the ones flushed into the roof , I've managed to do my 25/0 with the port removed from a scrap SLW roof panel but currently on with a batch of Inverness headcode box 24s that have them

 

Regards

 

Dave

[cheesysmith]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143570518179

 

This should be a link to A1 models on eBay. He does etch replacement rectangular exhaust ports. If not, just put a search in for A1 models Doncaster.

[sulzer71]

On 29/01/2022 at 05:21, cheesysmith said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143570518179

 

This should be a link to A1 models on eBay. He does etch replacement rectangular exhaust ports. If not, just put a search in for A1 models Doncaster.

I have some A1 models exhaust ports in different sizes but imo they aren't correct for what I need , thanks anyway

[Signaller69]

On 28/01/2022 at 10:15, sulzer71 said:

@Signaller69

 

Morning Martyn

 

Seen your post on FB earlier about this loco earlier and noticed you said you resin cast some of the parts yourself , I was wondering if there's any chance you could produce the rectangular exhaust ports on their own and make them available to buy? The models I'm doing myself require the ones flushed into the roof , I've managed to do my 25/0 with the port removed from a scrap SLW roof panel but currently on with a batch of Inverness headcode box 24s that have them

 

Regards

 

Dave

 

Hi Dave, sorry for the delay in replying as I don't come on here so often now. 

 

I find resin is very difficult to get good results on very small and/or thin parts, particularly where there is a pronounced "lip" to items such as the exhaust on the locos you mention. The exhaust panels I made for mine suffer a high rejection ratio due the difficulty in achieving a satisfactory thin and curved finish; it probably would have been quicker to make several from plasticard to be honest; I think trying to make just the small exhaust port would be beyond my abilities sorry. For my own locos with the same set up I have cut plasticard blanks, fixed them in place with Mek Pak and then drilled through to create the exhaust port once dry.

 

All the best,

Martyn.

[sulzer71]

2 minutes ago, Signaller69 said:

 

Hi Dave, sorry for the delay in replying as I don't come on here so often now. 

 

I find resin is very difficult to get good results on very small and/or thin parts, particularly where there is a pronounced "lip" to items such as the exhaust on the locos you mention. The exhaust panels I made for mine suffer a high rejection ratio due the difficulty in achieving a satisfactory thin and curved finish; it probably would have been quicker to make several from plasticard to be honest; I think trying to make just the small exhaust port would be beyond my abilities sorry. For my own locos with the same set up I have cut plasticard blanks, fixed them in place with Mek Pak and then drilled through to create the exhaust port once dry.

 

All the best,

Martyn.

No worries Martyn

 

I have spoken to someone that does my repaints and they reckon they could 3D print the exhausts anyway so I think that's the way to go with details like that

 

Regards

 

Dave

[Signaller69]

1 minute ago, sulzer71 said:

No worries Martyn

 

I have spoken to someone that does my repaints and they reckon they could 3D print the exhausts anyway so I think that's the way to go with details like that

 

Regards

 

Dave

Good thinking, 3D printing should provide a much better/easier solution. Please post a photo if possible when you have some, I'd be interested to see how they turn out.

 

Cheers,

Martyn.

[sulzer71]

Just now, Signaller69 said:

Good thinking, 3D printing should provide a much better/easier solution. Please post a photo if possible when you have some, I'd be interested to see how they turn out.

 

Cheers,

Martyn.

Will do Martyn , the bodies won't be going away for mods/painting for a few months unfortunately due to my friends current workload it will be at that point when attempts will be made to reproduce the different exhaust styles for each of the individual models

 

Dave  

[Signaller69]

The 24 is now in primer at least. I modelled a missing bodyside battery isolation switch cover on this loco (or rather, an interpretation of what is behind it) as this is a feature sometimes seen in photos from the early 70s, and not provided for by any of the RTR models.

 

 

 

 

Lots to do yet.

[Signaller69]

A question for those who may know (which I also shared on a FB group):

 

Class 24 D5147 (later 24 147) retained green FYE livery until at least late 1974 and by 1973 had winged headcode boxes at both ends. A Google search produced no useful images outside those in the page linked below, and the good 1973 photo at Fort William in the Strathwood book on the 24s/25s shows the "wrong" side to answer the following queries:

 

1. It is reported that prior to TOPS numbering the loco had 3 cabside numbers in italic style and one in rail alphabet style - does anyone know which cab side had the rail alphabet?

 

2. A photo in green TOPS livery on the Derby Sulzers site: https://www.derbysulzers.com/24147.html

appears to show the original round exhaust position still in situ (though could be just a circular plate over it), but there is no sign of a raised exhaust panel in the later position - the angle though is not conclusive.

Again can anyone confirm which arrangement this loco had c.1972/3?

 

Many thanks for any pointers to conclusive images.....

[Signaller69]

I now have some answers regarding 5147.

 

By photographic elimination, if it did have rail script numbering on one cab panel, it was the No.1 end Secondmans cabside.

 

Also it did retain a plated over original round exhaust (perhaps up until painted into Blue, when it seems to have lost it), with the later exhaust position being on an almost flush-to-roof panel, although the dates the new exhaust was fitted have eluded me thus far. 

 

Either way it will enable me to crack on with it soon.

 

In the meantime, 5098 has had its blue & yellow colours applied. The roof grille and fan have been soldered up this evening, ready for painting and then fitting.

 

I've not been able to get onto Railtec's website today to order numbering for both locos (comes up with a permission error?) But I will try again tomorrow. 

[Signaller69]

Finally able to get to a Toyfair after 2 years! Llangollen seemed well attended, prices much as they were before lockdown much to my relief.

I came away with a Railroad 40, Mainline Restaurant Car and another Hornby 25 body. The Restaurant Car is earmarked for a ScR Griddle Car.

 

 

Happy days!

[Signaller69]

5098 is nearing the finish line!

 

 

Still the glazing, cab handrails, lamp irons and windscreen wipers to fit.

 

Thanks to Steve (Railtec) for sorting the marvellous one piece numbering transfers again - along with some for the 40 and my SLW 24.

 

Work has also started on the final 2 of this batch. First up the easy one, as it's staying as a 25, No. 5176 which will be blue:

This has been lowered on the chassis and had resin class 25 tanks fitted as with the others.

 

The other will become late class 24 no. 5147; this was one of the late 24s which had winged headcode boxes fitted following accident repair (without air horn enclosures) and retained green livery until 1974. Otherwise it needs most of the same jobs doing as 5098 above:

This has also been lowered and had class 24 tanks fitted, and the wings either side of the headcode box have had the horns removed and filler applied to give a better profile.

 

Onto the various bodywork jobs next......

Edited February 28, 2022 by Signaller69
Edit to add to post.

[Signaller69]

5176 is almost ready for paint, once the etch primer has dried on the boiler vent covers and they have been fitted. Most of the detail changes can be seen here.

 

Testing of the Railroad class 40 I purchased the other week was undertaken and nothing happened when power was applied, other than a stutter - odd as this loco has 4 pickups per side and should, in theory, be a nice smooth runner; it was sold as having come from a "display collection"**. I wondered if it had been DCC fitted, so whipped the body off......no DCC chip, just a blanking plate. Further investigation showed 2 pickup wires had detached from the soldered connections on opposite bogies (which looked quite poorly done at the manufacturing stage, with not much play available in the wires during rotation of the bogies on sharp curves, despite them being looped and secured to the chassis frame with black-tac type goo), so these had to be soldered back in place. It does now run nicely I'm happy to say, and the Hornby finish is actually rather good in their defence. So just a record shot before it also starts to receive some backdating work.

 

**the usual advice of taking "sales talk" with a pinch of salt - rather like the used car salesman old line of "it's only had one careful lady owner, never raced or rallied, honest guv"!

[leopardml2341]

As detailed on another part of this forum, I recently bought a so-say Brand New Heljan Class 15 from an ebay seller. This exhibited similar stuttering in one direction. I was using a feedback controller so couldn't understand why....

 

Investigations showed that at some point the body had been removed. Brand New? he said.....

 

I removed the body (again) and discovered a DCC chip had been fitted. Brand New? he said.....

 

Heljan don't do DCC fitted, and even if they did, they wouldn't fit a Bachmann decoder would they? Brand New? he said.....

 

Caveat emptor. Though in this case I didn't lose out, but I don't know whether my feedback controller has fried the (bonus) DCC chip.

 

In any case the lcocmotive was certainly not 'Brand New' as offered.

[Signaller69]

2 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

As detailed on another part of this forum, I recently bought a so-say Brand New Heljan Class 15 from an ebay seller. This exhibited similar stuttering in one direction. I was using a feedback controller so couldn't understand why....

 

Investigations showed that at some point the body had been removed. Brand New? he said.....

 

I removed the body (again) and discovered a DCC chip had been fitted. Brand New? he said.....

 

Heljan don't do DCC fitted, and even if they did, they wouldn't fit a Bachmann decoder would they? Brand New? he said.....

 

Caveat emptor. Though in this case I didn't lose out, but I don't know whether my feedback controller has fried the (bonus) DCC chip.

 

In any case the lcocmotive was certainly not 'Brand New' as offered.

Caveat Emptor indeed, as you say!

 

It would be nice if sellers were always honest. I know most are but it is the odd one or two who make it harder for everyone else, as with most avenues of life. 

 

I prefer to see before I buy so don't use Ebay, but if there is no test facility at a Toyfair (not usually a problem at shows!) it can be hard to test if something works anyway - and if tested and it doesn't work, is it simply fitted with DCC not compatible with an analogue controller? Or something more serious? 

 

Physically the loco LOOKED as good as new, no fingerprints, paint marks etc, with a very good box.

 

In this instance an easy fix, but to someone new into the hobby it could be very offputting. Equally if the factory wiring was just a little more resilient it wouldn't happen.

[cheesysmith]

I take a 9v battery for these type buys. Just the right size for 00 wheels.

[Northmoor]

8 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

As detailed on another part of this forum, I recently bought a so-say Brand New Heljan Class 15 from an ebay seller. This exhibited similar stuttering in one direction. I was using a feedback controller so couldn't understand why....

 

Investigations showed that at some point the body had been removed. Brand New? he said.....

 

I removed the body (again) and discovered a DCC chip had been fitted. Brand New? he said.....

 

Heljan don't do DCC fitted, and even if they did, they wouldn't fit a Bachmann decoder would they? Brand New? he said.....

 

Caveat emptor. Though in this case I didn't lose out, but I don't know whether my feedback controller has fried the (bonus) DCC chip.

 

In any case the lcocmotive was certainly not 'Brand New' as offered.

The pessimist in me thinks these eBay sellers will write anything if it helps an item achieve a higher price.  They just gamble that most buyers won't spot the errors until it's too late, the remainder might need to be only partially refunded, so they are still in profit.

 

The optimist in me thinks these eBay sellers are actually a bit thick and genuinely think you can describe something as Brand New based on unmarked external condition, which of course isn't what it means.  The seller has to be the first retailer to buy it from the manufacturer.

 

There's plenty of sellers who describe anything that's not in several pieces as excellent condition (one of the large retailers is developing quite a reputation for this); many clearly have absolutely no idea what the item is, only that it's a model train so must be described as Hornby.

 

There's a whole Ebay Madness thread on this, but I recommend avoiding it unless you might enjoy several hundred pages of the same people pointing and laughing at things they never have any intention of bidding on.