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85A Models Hunslet 15" 0-6-0ST - strip down


SteveyDee68
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I wonder if anyone can advise?

 

My father has a 15" Hunslet 0-6-0 saddle tank which, in one of his last modelling efforts before dementia robbed him of his skills, got accidentally splattered with grey paint. Sadly, it does not look like weathering. He also tried to rub off some of the damage with wet and dry paper, so the bodywork is now a mix of gloss and Matt (rubbed down) paint finishes.

 

I would like to disassemble the loco to clean up, repaint and possibly add weight to this incredibly lightweight plastic loco, but cannot find how to separate chassis and superstructure. Having read the 85A Model Railway's archive web pages about the loco, it appears it has been glued together as per original instructions.

 

Does anyone have suggestions of how to "unglue" the different parts of the loco?

 

Much appreciated.

 

Steve S

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I have one of these 85A Hunslets too, fortunately without the paint damage. I'd like to dismantle it to fit a DCC chip and some extra weight but it was 'factory assembled'.

 

I've been advised that putting it in the freezer overnight will chill the solvent joints so that they part easily. This shouldn't affect the Mashima motor or other parts. I've yet to try it but pass the suggestion on!

 

Dava

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Try the following Google search:

Airedale 85a model David Smith.

This is an account of how he created Airedale. There is reference to removing "heat sealed pips" and then replacing them with small screws.

The tiny details on this model are exquisite but fragile and you may be out shopping for brass handrails etc.

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Took a look at Astley. The main problem is that the frames are cemented / plastic welded to the footplate and any attempt to remove them is probably going to require a replacement chassis in brass.

Does the model run well? If so, I would probably leave alone and try plan B. This might involve some good quality duct tape and covering the wheels and mechanism and sealing them to the underside of the footplate. The motor appears to be totally encased in the firebox and should be safe from paint debris.

Someone on this forum will be able to recommend a plastic safe paint stripper that doesn't require total immersion in water afterwards.

There are strong sentimental and heritage reasons for keeping this bit of plastic history original, and even as a scabby non runner it will probably make a three figure sum on Ebay, good luck with whatever you decide to do.

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Try the following Google search:

Airedale 85a model David Smith.

This is an account of how he created Airedale. There is reference to removing "heat sealed pips" and then replacing them with small screws.

The tiny details on this model are exquisite but fragile and you may be out shopping for brass handrails etc.

Looks like Chris Klein has had one apart. On this forum September 2013.

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Why not put a post on the Templot Website Forum, in a suitable section?  Martin Wynne (aka Mr Templot) is/was Mr. 85A Models in a previous life.  If he doesn't know......

HTH

Brian

Thanks for that suggestion - as the model is discontinued and all info appears "archived" I didn't think it worth pursuing "officially" but will try what you suggest.

 

Steve

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I have one of these 85A Hunslets too, fortunately without the paint damage. I'd like to dismantle it to fit a DCC chip and some extra weight but it was 'factory assembled'.

I've been advised that putting it in the freezer overnight will chill the solvent joints so that they part easily. This shouldn't affect the Mashima motor or other parts. I've yet to try it but pass the suggestion on!

Dava

Thanks for the suggestion - may give it a try if nobody shouts bad idea!

 

Steve

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There are strong sentimental and heritage reasons for keeping this bit of plastic history original, and even as a scabby non runner it will probably make a three figure sum on Ebay, good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have strong sentimental reasons to try to "restore" the model rather than sell it; the grey spray went not only on the body but also the wheels and chassis, so I may end up sending it to one of the master paintsmiths of this parish to do a restore and subtle weathering job in order to rescue it, if need be.

 

It is, at least, in a state that can be rescued ... his 2-6-2 Stannier tank loco is in 5 pieces, whilst his 4-4-0 compound is unrecognisable - and I haven't found the tender! Two years ago both were complete locos - dementia can have some unexpected side effects, such as "improving" completed models due to some perceived fault.

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Try the following Google search:

Airedale 85a model David Smith.

This is an account of how he created Airedale. There is reference to removing "heat sealed pips" and then replacing them with small screws.

The tiny details on this model are exquisite but fragile and you may be out shopping for brass handrails etc.

 

It's here: www.davidlosmith.co.uk/HunsletAiredale.htm

 

The thing is, I assembled my model from the outset with the intention of being able to dismantle it (although I haven't need to yet) so it is all screwed together.  As I say at the end of the page "The model is assembled by screwing together all the major component parts (only the two parts of the tank are glued together); this required quite some planning and extra work but made the painting and lining so much more straight forward."

 

I seem to remember, and I have worked on others' models since, that the 'axle boxes' are sprung into the frames and so they can be sprung out again with a bit of determination, so at least you can removed the wheels and rods as a unit.  The next bit is a rather vague, because I did it only whilst building my model: I cannot recall if the motor has to be removed 'upwards' or if it can be released and removed from below; I suspect only the former.  I wrote "Having dismantled the working chassis to make modifications, I replaced the remnants of the heat sealing lugs with 12BA studs and retained the motor and electrical pickup assembly with washers and nuts." but I can see that this is not very helpful now!

 

Putting the whole assembly in the freezer is well worth a try.  I dismantled the more stubborn bits of my Ixion Model Railways Fowler 0-4-0DM this way (www.davidlosmith.co.uk/GWR_Fowler.htm) but I would imagine that it all depends on the glue, or solvent, that your father used and I would expect that a joint made with solvent would be less likely to succumb to this treatment.

 

I wish you success and do let us know how you get on.

 

David

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It's here: www.davidlosmith.co.uk/HunsletAiredale.htm

 

The thing is, I assembled my model from the outset with the intention of being able to dismantle it (although I haven't need to yet) so it is all screwed together.  As I say at the end of the page "The model is assembled by screwing together all the major component parts (only the two parts of the tank are glued together); this required quite some planning and extra work but made the painting and lining so much more straight forward."

 

I seem to remember, and I have worked on others' models since, that the 'axle boxes' are sprung into the frames and so they can be sprung out again with a bit of determination, so at least you can removed the wheels and rods as a unit.  The next bit is a rather vague, because I did it only whilst building my model: I cannot recall if the motor has to be removed 'upwards' or if it can be released and removed from below; I suspect only the former.  I wrote "Having dismantled the working chassis to make modifications, I replaced the remnants of the heat sealing lugs with 12BA studs and retained the motor and electrical pickup assembly with washers and nuts." but I can see that this is not very helpful now!

 

Putting the whole assembly in the freezer is well worth a try.  I dismantled the more stubborn bits of my Ixion Model Railways Fowler 0-4-0DM this way (www.davidlosmith.co.uk/GWR_Fowler.htm) but I would imagine that it all depends on the glue, or solvent, that your father used and I would expect that a joint made with solvent would be less likely to succumb to this treatment.

 

I wish you success and do let us know how you get on.

 

David

Thanks for the info and the link in the forums.

 

Didn't think of this before, but here are some photos taken on my iPad - hope they show clearly the issues. As to handrails, on closer inspection some of them are damaged so will need replacing. Also noticed some damage to the very edge of the cab roof. From the hand brushed enamel paint job I suspect this was my father's handiwork which meant he assembled it. Unfortunately, and sadly, there is no way he can tell me how he put it together.

post-33747-0-29649600-1538130874_thumb.jpgpost-33747-0-55807300-1538130921_thumb.jpgpost-33747-0-77079200-1538130952_thumb.jpgpost-33747-0-70628100-1538130980_thumb.jpgpost-33747-0-71082300-1538131006_thumb.jpg

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Hi Steve,

 

Sorry to hear about the damage to your father's model.

 

If it was supplied ready-assembled, the wires from the pickups will go up into the smokebox. If it was a kit, the wires from the pickups turn round and run back inside the frames towards the motor.

 

The model can be dismantled if you are very careful and prepared to do some minor repairs on re-assembly.

 

The first task is to remove the brake rigging as a unit by prising the brake hangers off the spigots on the side frames, and from the cross-shaft below the cab. The rigging is delicate and needs careful handling.

 

The wheels, bearings and coupling rods can then be removed as a single unit. The bearings are a push clip-fit in the frames, and can be carefully pulled free. Pull both ends of each axle simultaneously.

 

Then remove the pickup assembly by drilling the heat-sealed spigot. It will need to be replaced with a small self-tapping screw. For a kit-built model you can leave the pickup assembly connected to the wires.

 

For a model supplied ready-assembled the pickup wires need to be disconnected and I strongly recommend cutting through the wires in a place where you will be able to make a new connection, rather than unsoldering them from the pickups. Soldering near the pickup tags risks damaging the pickup alignments.

 

You can then remove the motor plate by drilling the 4 heat-sealed spigots, which will also need to be replaced with small self-tapping screws. The motor on its mounting plate can then be removed from between the frames. For a kit-built model it can remain connected to the pickup assembly.

 

With the working parts removed, you can now dunk the model is some plastics-safe paint remover, or respray it, or whatever is needed.

 

exploded.jpg

 

The original kit assembly instructions are here:

 

 http://templot.com/martweb/kitins.htm

 

More info about the Hunslet archived here:

 

 http://templot.com/martweb/go_hunslet.htm

 

regards,

 

Martin (85A Models). 

Edited by martin_wynne
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Hi Steve,

 

Sorry to hear about the damage to your father's model.

 

If it was supplied ready-assembled, the wires from the pickups will go up into the smokebox. If it was a kit, the wires from the pickups turn round and run back inside the frames towards the motor.

 

The model can be dismantled if you are very careful and prepared to do some minor repairs on re-assembly.

 

The first task is to remove the brake rigging as a unit by prising the brake hangers off the spigots on the side frames, and from the cross-shaft below the cab. The rigging is delicate and needs careful handling.

 

The wheels, bearings and coupling rods can then be removed as a single unit. The bearings are a push clip-fit in the frames, and can be carefully pulled free. Pull both ends of each axle simultaneously.

 

Then remove the pickup assembly by drilling the heat-sealed spigot. It will need to be replaced with a small self-tapping screw. For a kit-built model you can leave the pickup assembly connected to the wires.

 

For a model supplied ready-assembled the pickup wires need to be disconnected and I strongly recommend cutting through the wires in a place where you will be able to make a new connection, rather than unsoldering them from the pickups. Soldering near the pickup tags risks damaging the pickup alignments.

 

You can then remove the motor plate by drilling the 4 heat-sealed spigots, which will also need to be replaced with small self-tapping screws. The motor on its mounting plate can then be removed from between the frames. For a kit-built model it can remain connected to the pickup assembly.

 

With the working parts removed, you can now dunk the model is some plastics-safe paint remover, or respray it, or whatever is needed.

 

exploded.jpg

 

The original kit assembly instructions are here:

 

 http://templot.com/martweb/kitins.htm

 

More info about the Hunslet archived here:

 

 http://templot.com/martweb/go_hunslet.htm

 

regards,

 

Martin (85A Models).

 

Many thanks for your reply Martin - you've beaten me to composing an email to you! I will go very slowly and carefully with this - firstly because my own skills are basic and very rusty (but if I can dismantle and upgrade an Apple laptop following YouTube tutorials, why not?!), secondly because I want to make a good job for my Dad and thirdly because the loco is so pretty!

 

Cheers

 

Steve

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Just one thing I'd add (Martin may be able to confirm or otherwise):  It's possible that due to age some of the plastics may be more brittle than when new, so tread carefully.....

 

Hi Brian,

 

That rather depends how the model has been stored. If it has been in the dark (in its box) most of the time, the plastic shouldn't have changed much. If it has had long exposure to daylight, especially out of doors, some parts (especially unpainted parts) may have become quite brittle.

 

I would be more concerned about paint removers and cleaners attacking the plastic. They need to be tested very thoroughly before risking them on the model. But that applies to other plastic models too, so there should be plenty of experience and advice available from RMwebbers.

 

Martin.

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Thanks for the info and the link in the forums.

Didn't think of this before, but here are some photos taken on my iPad - hope they show clearly the issues. As to handrails, on closer inspection some of them are damaged so will need replacing. Also noticed some damage to the very edge of the cab roof. From the hand brushed enamel paint job I suspect this was my father's handiwork which meant he assembled it. Unfortunately, and sadly, there is no way he can tell me how he put it together.

attachicon.gifIMG_0166.JPGattachicon.gifIMG_0167.JPGattachicon.gifIMG_0168.JPGattachicon.gifIMG_0169.JPGattachicon.gifIMG_0170.JPG

Doesn't look too bad. Once the hand rails are removed this will respond well to patient work with 1600 and 2000 grade wet,/dry sand paper. Use wet with a drop of detergent. A fibreglass pencil will do nooks and crannies. The refills are available in different grades. This should take care of the stray paint and brush marks. After that a clear satin varnish for Area Workshop condition, something much dirtier for Ackton Hall.

Astley came off Ebay and soon required brass handrails and coupling rods but is a great runner. If it means anything to anyone, it was originally Lady Pamela.

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Doesn't look too bad. Once the hand rails are removed this will respond well to patient work with 1600 and 2000 grade wet,/dry sand paper. Use wet with a drop of detergent. A fibreglass pencil will do nooks and crannies. The refills are available in different grades. This should take care of the stray paint and brush marks. After that a clear satin varnish for Area Workshop condition, something much dirtier for Ackton Hall.

Astley came off Ebay and soon required brass handrails and coupling rods but is a great runner. If it means anything to anyone, it was originally Lady Pamela.

Once the loco is all matt it may well respond to a cutting compound like T cut or G5. Could be very therapeutic. Perhaps we ought to have a thread for those of us coping with our parents dementia.
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Perhaps we ought to have a thread for those of us coping with our parents dementia.

My father was an "average modeller" who nevertheless took his time with his modelling. Sadly, his final layout never turned a wheel due to wiring issues. I wondered about writing up his layout plan/modelling history here as a tribute so that his efforts wouldn't disappear without trace. His library of books covering transport from trams to buses to trains is still in the loft... the hours he would spend examining every detail of a photograph and planning his layout. Dementia is truly cruel in so many ways.

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My father was an "average modeller" who nevertheless took his time with his modelling. Sadly, his final layout never turned a wheel due to wiring issues. I wondered about writing up his layout plan/modelling history here as a tribute so that his efforts wouldn't disappear without trace. His library of books covering transport from trams to buses to trains is still in the loft... the hours he would spend examining every detail of a photograph and planning his layout. Dementia is truly cruel in so many ways.

 

That sounds an excellent idea - go for it.....

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I've just acquired one of these locos via a trader & eBay. The most obvious defect is the missing cab doorway handrails. The handrails themselves shouldn't be too difficult to replace as the hole is still present in the footplate floor. However, I'm not too sure about securing their tops as the lugs have either been broken or were intentionally removed.

 

The loco is quite noisy but the gear wheel doesn't appear to show any/much wear so it may be that the loco hasn't been run much (if at all). The wheels at least have been "weathered". There is mention of using the supplied grease on the gears but the grease didn't come with the model. What's best and will that reduce the noise level?

 

I too plan to fit a sound decoder.  There's room for a (YouChoos) Dual IceCube speaker between the frames a the front end and the decoder itself (a Zimo MX645R) should tuck in at the back of the chassis where there's a slot (for want of a better description).

 

The wires between motor and pick-ups run from the motor to the front of the chassis and then back to where they are soldered to the pick-ups. I'm hoping that I can unsolder the wires from the pick-ups and (gently) pull the now loose end out via the front of the chassis and then pull them back so that they pass the motor where I hope to shorten them and connect them to the orange & grey wires on the decoder. I'll then run the red & black wires from the decoder to the pick-ups and solder them in place, probably securing the wires in place with the occasional drop of super glue.

 

I also want to add a crew so I'll try that before I attempt to (re)fit the cab handrails. In fact I'll leave adding the crew until the decoder and speakers are i and all is running ok.

 

Thanks to Martin for the detailed instructions for dismantling the loco. I hope that I won't need to refer to them.

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2 hours ago, Ray H said:

I'm hoping that I can unsolder the wires from the pick-ups

 

Hi Ray,

 

I strongly recommend that you don't try any unsoldering near the existing pickups. Snip through the wires instead. You can add new connections to the unused tags on the pickups if you are very quick and careful.

 

However, I myself would cut the wires well away from the pickups and make new connections to the existing wires only.

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

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Thanks for the advice Martin.

 

The obvious is so simple that it is sometimes over looked. I hadn't thought of that, possibly because I wasn't sure whether I could re-arrange the wires without disconnecting one end. I'll give that a try while I'm waiting for the decoder to arrive.

 

May I ask you a favour? The loco is quite noisy which we've put down to the interface between worm and gear wheel. I took it to the club yesterday to see how it performed on the longest length of dc track I have access too - probably no more than eight feet - and fear the noise may significantly affect the output from the sound decoder.

 

Am I correct in thinking that the careful application of some suitable grease will quieten things down a bit? The question is, what type of grease would you advise using?

 

I do have access to a rolling road and a dc controller at home here but I note the instructions make mention of excessive (continuous) use. Is it worth using the rolling road for a while and how long would you recommend?

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