G-BOAF Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, PJT said: As far as the 'ski jump' is concerned, though, it's genuinely a really easy fix (and before anyone asks, I think I ought to send a copy of this post to Hornby, just in case they're unaware). Pete T. Um, accoring to this post, on Book Law, the ski jump is not simply a question of a misplaced washer. It requries some significant surgery to force the plastic to a different position https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/100735-a3-book-law/page/3/ Edited April 16, 2019 by G-BOAF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PJT Posted April 16, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 16, 2019 Thanks, G-BOAF, I've just had a look at the post you pointed me towards and yes, it seems that poster had a rather different experience to me. As I said though, I've now corrected in excess of a dozen locos, including either three or four Book Laws and six Minorus and the fix really was as simple as I've described (and I never had an outcome where the footplate became straighter but was not entirely cured). I guess I have to accept fom your comment that there must be models out there that can't be easily sorted out this way and modify my statement to say that removing the washer might fix the 'ski jump' rather than implying that it definitely will. However, I reckon if I've done so many and genuinely cured the problem on all of them, then surely the odds must be pretty good for others who fancy giving it a go. Pete T. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie Whizz Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 (edited) Well chaps, I've just had a go at the suggested 'fix'. I got the body off ... and there was no such clear plastic washer as PJT describes; the screw goes straight into a circular threaded brass fixing embedded into a short piece of plastic tube moulded into the underside of the body. So no joy, and clearly not all recent A3s are alike! However, the act of slackening the screw does seem to have eased the ski-jump effect a little - it's still not "right", but better than it was. Unfortunately, removing the body seems to have dislodged a small metal lever from somewhere - about an inch long with a crank at an angle at each end. A quick read of the thread G-BOAF linked to suggests this may be the 'ashpan lever' underneath the cab side, which looks as if it was stuck on with two tiny dabs of glue into - certainly not holes, possibly just dimples. I don't know whether to refix it or not - if it's going to be this fragile it might be more trouble than it's worth once the loco is subject to the routine handling of operating. What have others found? There also seems to be some debate on that thread as to which side of the body the lever should go anyway, depending upon the period and whether the engines were left- or right-hand drive. Does anyone know which is correct for 60103 at this period (early 1950s) please? I don't have a clear photo of her at this time; Scotsman seems to have been a bit camera-shy compared to many of the A3s that ran on the GC. Many thanks. Edited April 16, 2019 by Willie Whizz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PJT Posted April 16, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 16, 2019 Sorry to hear that, Willie. Would have been great if it had worked for you. Clearly from your response and G-BOAF's I was just very lucky to deal with so many easily curable ones, unlikely though it may seem. Pete T. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-BOAF Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 (edited) What is certain is the the A3s used to be fine. They are not now, and something in the moulding or assembly is inducing this error; in some cases it is not an easy fix. The point is however that it should not be there in the first place, and still has not been sorted by Hornby after a number of years. The boiler on the A3 is made is two halves - the seam on the top is actually a join between two components, no the normal mould parting line. As per 2008 Aussie Scotsman. This doesn't look any better/worse than pictures of the latest release. Edited April 16, 2019 by G-BOAF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete the Elaner Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 4 hours ago, Willie Whizz said: Does anyone know which is correct for 60103 at this period (early 1950s) please? I don't have a clear photo of her at this time; Scotsman seems to have been a bit camera-shy compared to many of the A3s that ran on the GC. But we are led to believe that it is 'the most famous steam loco'? Surely everyone would have been taking & publishing photos of it. Or could the most famous bit be recent marketing nonsense from the NRM, with Rocket & Mallard probably being the most famous 2 British steam locomotives? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 4 hours ago, Willie Whizz said: There also seems to be some debate on that thread as to which side of the body the lever should go anyway, depending upon the period and whether the engines were left- or right-hand drive. Does anyone know which is correct for 60103 at this period (early 1950s) please? I don't have a clear photo of her at this time; Scotsman seems to have been a bit camera-shy compared to many of the A3s that ran on the GC. Many thanks. It was one of the last to receive left hand drive. 1954 according to BR Database. http://brdatabase.info/locoqry.php?action=locodata&type=S&id=600112003&loco=103 Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 I don't know where this idea of it being camera shy comes from. I've seen loads of photographs of it during this period. Some in colour. Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiddles47 Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 (edited) 5 hours ago, Willie Whizz said: There also seems to be some debate on that thread as to which side of the body the lever should go anyway, depending upon the period and whether the engines were left- or right-hand drive. Does anyone know which is correct for 60103 at this period (early 1950s) please? I don't have a clear photo of her at this time; Scotsman seems to have been a bit camera-shy compared to many of the A3s that ran on the GC. Many thanks. The grate lever went on the opposite side from the ejector pipe along the side of the boiler. As she was RND then the grate lever will be on the left hand side. Like wise LHD locos will see it on the right. See attached pics. The early pic shows her in 124 guise but clearly shows the lever underneath the cab. Edited April 16, 2019 by Tiddles47 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie Whizz Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 Most interesting - thanks, Tiddles. The little traces of glue appear to suggest it was fitted on the RH side of the model's body before I knocked it off during removal, not realising it was there. The photos earlier on this thread appear to back this up. And yet your words and pictures indicate that before conversion to LHD it should have been on the left. So this looks like something on this particular blue version that Hornby have definitely got wrong. As regards 103 being rather 'camera shy' while working on the GC, all i can say to Steamport Southport is: I have a number of books on the route covering this period; she appears in comparatively few of them and from memory most of those are rather murky. You may have different books! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hilux5972 Posted April 16, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 16, 2019 Just noticed on a photo on eBay of a TMC weathered model, the superheater cover on the side is not on straight. I would have thought being curved to fit the smoke box that this wouldn’t have been possible but there you go! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Strange, my 'Aussie' Scottie is straight. Is the body different? Al. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hilux5972 Posted April 18, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 18, 2019 I Assume it’s seperate fitting anyway so that would explain it. Annoying but I imagine it would be able to be cut off and reapplied straight Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmcg Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 On 18/04/2019 at 15:18, Hilux5972 said: I Assume it’s seperate fitting anyway so that would explain it. Annoying but I imagine it would be able to be cut off and reapplied straight I agree. Has to be a separate fitting unless the engines without the cover have a whole new smokebox. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonnyRailMan Posted April 30, 2019 Author Share Posted April 30, 2019 Pulls a rake of 10 coaches with ease. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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