sem34090 Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 Good Evening All... Recently, thanks in no small part to the Trainz activities of Mr Lancaster622, I have had a growing interest in all things GCR. My long-dormant desire to model a bit of the Met/GC joint line has been reawakened! Add to that the LNWR and GWR lines in that area of Buckinghamshire... I possess a Bachmann GCR 8K (LNER O4) in BR Early Crest livery, which I picked up for £35 at Warley last year. I bought it with no specific aim in mind, but the other day the prospect dawned on me that I could use it to model the earlier GCR Class 8A 0-8-0, a loco of which I have seen far fewer models: (Image taken from: https://www.lner.info/locos/Q/q4.php) As best as I can tell, though I'm probably very wrong, is that the main difference is the wheel arrangement. The boiler diameter is larger on the 8K, but only by a matter of inches. This would be a very simple conversion, I think, though I'm not entirely convinced. Does anyone have a drawing for the 8A that I can use to compare with the 8K? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 See if you can find a copy of Robinson: The Harmonious Blacksmith. https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780903881036/Harmonious-Blacksmith-Robinson-Biography-Anthony-0903881039/plp Scale drawings of, I think, every locomotive class designed by J G Robinson. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sem34090 Posted December 4, 2018 Author Share Posted December 4, 2018 Looks to be a cracking book then. I was, however, hoping this could be a zero-cost project (excepting the cost of the O4 last year). If I don't have any other joy though I'll invest. It looks like it's worth getting at some point anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
webbcompound Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 (edited) So you would be trying to do this? Main difference is the shorter length of the smokebox, boiler and firebox. I cheated by just modifying the smokebox and firebox.My build is an early GCR one so I needed an early chimney and dome. The wider part of the footplate is in slightly the wrong place, and a new front end and buffer beam needs fabricating. Mine has Alan Gibson P4 wheels, but in 00 there is no need to change these. I used a drawing from a Millholme kit, Johnson's Locomotives of the Great Central Railway Volume 1, and an edition of Locomotives Illustrated which I can't lay my hands on so don't know which number it is. . I took 4mm off the firebox, 2mm off the smokebox, and the front footplate will be 7mm shorter. Edited December 4, 2018 by webbcompound 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 I've got a whitemetal one somewhere awaiting it's turn through Hednesford No.1 Shop for a repaint. Prior to finding it however my own idea was very much along WebbCompound's lines. I know the boiler and running plate are not quite right (and I remember somebody on the LNER forums building an 8A around a modified 8K chassis which required more in the way of scratchbuilding than bashing of the Bachmann body), but in all honesty?- it looks the part in all the right places. Interested to see what you come up with! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr.king Posted December 5, 2018 Share Posted December 5, 2018 I pondered such a conversion but decided against on account of the 8A / Q4 having slimmer boiler, shorter firebox and longer cab, plus of course the waisted-in lower firebox sides and "3 in 1" rear splashers found only on the last batch of 8A locos. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted January 3, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 3, 2019 Ahoy there Sem, you may be interested in this O4 to Q4 conversion: https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8378&hilit=Bachmann+Q4 and this O4 to Q1 conversion: https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6981&start=90 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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