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Brian's 7mm Diesel Workbench, Belated up-date!


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Another little project that has been on the go is a conversion of a Heljan B Tank to an A Tank. I have used a couple of the early pre-production models for this and started by removing the barrel from the chassis and then prising off the ends. The donor barrel had 10mm cut off each end with a circular saw to keep it parallel. After gluing on the end of the tank it was filled and sanded down. Now I know the seams on the barrel should be in a different place but I just can't be bothered to replace all these seams, it looks ok as it is. That nice man Pete Harvey has done some logo fixing clips that are a fold up etch. Using the Heljan Esso logo plate as a template drill .7mm holes just inside the bolts and place this on the model to drill through for your fixing holes. The Heljan logo is fixed to the model with double sided tape, it's a bit strong but they do come off with a bit of leverage under them. The A Tanks do not have a hand wheel on top to unload them but there appears to be a plate bolted to the top to cover the hole. There is also a vent the other side of the filling hatch. These items I have sourced from my scrap boxes so are not a hundred percent correct but better than nothing. I did this mod on an MMP B Tank as that is supplied as a B Tank but just with a longer barrel but I could not find anything in the scrap box the same as I used on this tank, typical! On the chassis most A tanks have little J hangers on the end of the suspension which I recreated by using the ends of Slaters Southern PMV springs that you get spare when you build their BR wagons, remember, don't throw anything away. I also added a little bit of plasticard in the slot at the end of the springs that's there after you remove the Heljan molding there. So there you go, paint it grey with a red solebar and now I have a Heljan A Tank. We might send it to Heljan to see if they want to do this version of tank.

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Edited by brian daniels
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Hi Phill

 

There's nothing wrong with the 22 if you build it as it comes but who does that with a kit. I wanted to illuminate it so made more work for myself. If you don't mind the sideframes being glued on then it works ok. The only thing I don't like is having to put the windows in first and the fact that you can't now get into the cab interior. At the end of the day it's a nice kit that's not hard to build and does look very nice when done. It's slightly different than previous JLTRT kits but still nice to build. And don't forget that if you want a class 22 this is all there is!

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Brian,

 

Would you say the JLTRT Class 22 has been a reasonably trouble free build & does this build compare favourably with your other JLTRT builds?

 

Cheers Phill :)

Im tempted too Phill, I still have a set of slaters wheels.

 

Hi Phill

 

There's nothing wrong with the 22 if you build it as it comes but who does that with a kit. I wanted to illuminate it so made more work for myself. If you don't mind the sideframes being glued on then it works ok. The only thing I don't like is having to put the windows in first and the fact that you can't now get into the cab interior. At the end of the day it's a nice kit that's not hard to build and does look very nice when done. It's slightly different than previous JLTRT kits but still nice to build. And don't forget that if you want a class 22 this is all there is!

Thanks for summing up Brian. I understand that Steve Beattie is coming back with an improved range of kits 

 

BTW Brian, do you do your spraying outside or do you have an indoor booth ?

 

Keep up the good work.

 

ATVB

 

CME

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I spoke to Steve Beattie at some length at the Bristol Show last January about 10800. He might be bringing his kits back, but the only improvement seems to be that he is using 3D CAD printed masters for the castings (which can only be an improvement).

The etchings are the same and whilst these looked good for 10800 when I built mine, there were a couple of items missing and sorting out the bend radii in the top of the bonnets took some doing due to the number of large apertures in the sides. I'm not certain I can see a significant improvement in his resin castings either, but I would be happy to be proved wrong. He didn't have any samples at Bristol, other than his recent efforts at cast resin engines.

 

Regards,

 

Jim

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Compared to the whitemetal castings I got with the 10800 kit, anything would be an improvement. They were so good that I still have almost all of them, unused and replaced by scratchbuilding components. His 3D masters might turn out to be no better, but I suppose that at least all the castings that should be identical might actually be so this time.

 

Regards,

 

Jim

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Perhaps at the same time you could drop them the hint to use wheels that comply with the 0.75mm flange thickness that has been pretty universally adopted as the 0 finescale standard. Then I won't have to get the wheels out to turn the backs so that they can go through 31.5mm gauge track.

 

Jim

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Guest eddie reffin

Really like the Class 22, out of era and region for me ( a 21/29 would be closer).

 

As a newbie to O gauge, this thread has been a great source of inspiration as I embark on my first JLTRT kit and Heljan 26 conversions. So much so that I really fancy doing a 27 next. Might need to work a few extra Sunday's to pay for it!

 

Couple of quick questions if you don't mind.

 

Which motor/gearbox would be a better option than the Slaters one that is specified in the JLTRT instructions?

Is there an alternative supplier of buffers that you would recommend or stick to the ones supplied

 

Thanks, Eddie

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Perhaps at the same time you could drop them the hint to use wheels that comply with the 0.75mm flange thickness that has been pretty universally adopted as the 0 finescale standard. Then I won't have to get the wheels out to turn the backs so that they can go through 31.5mm gauge track.

 

Jim

Woops......is that their locos too?

Edited by JeffP
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I found that the wheels on any of the above benefitted from having their flanges reduced. The only Heljan locos that have so far not needed this treatment are the 31, 52 and 55, which would make you think that they had finally got it right. Hence, the wagon comes as a slight disappointment.

 

Jim

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Was fortunate to bump in to Brian in Howes yesterday - he had D6328 with him so was able to see it in the flesh

 

The photos are great but in the flesh..... wow!

 

Fantastic work Brian, many thanks for sharing it with me

 

Phil

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I am getting into this modelling lark again now the weather has perked up a bit. I finished a JLTRT class 27 that has been nearly finished for a year. I just need to add the windows and handrails (did the handrails this afternoon) Also illuminating the dominoe's at the moment.

 

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Don't know if I like the heater elements in the drivers window I had a go at making. They are a bit thick but I could not get the paint to flow through my bow pen any thinner. As you can see the real 27030 had them so I thought I'd give it a go.

 

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Another project that stalled was this Heljan Western up-grade. That's now finished and heading for the paint shops.

 

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Had to cut the end of the skirt off and set it back to clear the JLTRT brake castings.

 

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Love the 27 but ummm. it's sort of a no for the heater elements Brian. Could you put them in by cutting a pattern on the inside with an Olfa cutter? The marks would reflect the light and maybe look like the elements..

Jon F

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Hi Brian,

 

I think Jon F has a point.  I remember building model aircraft years ago when replicating the detonation cord on aircraft canopies, I would scribe the line into the inside of the canopy with a sharp scalpel.  The marks that remain are thin and when seen on the outside of the canopy look very similar to what you are trying to replicate.

 

Cheers

Lee

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Looks awful in this picture doesn't it, think I won't bother, but nothing ventured nothing gained.

 

Hi Brian,

 

Great work as always.

 

I shall need to to do the same for my Cl33's.

 

Would you be able to scribe some thin lines in and then infill using one of those silver craft type pens that the Scalextric boys and girls use - ie a nice thin line (you maybe able to just draw it on without the scribed lines).

 

Kindest,

 

CME

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