Ragtag's (Nodding) Donkey Sanctuary

[Ragtag]

Hi all,

 

currently working on some stock for my Ashington, Blyth & Tyne layout. Some of these pacers were originally started several years ago for a layout based on a modern take on the Border Counties line at Kielder, but life got in the way and they were never finished. A key focus with these models has been to represent some of the many detail differences found within the class. If I can get the hang of fitting the DCC lighting then more Northern Rail units may follow (after, perhaps, the 2 Northern Spirit ones get sorted)

 

This page will be an overview of the current status and will be updated as projects progress. I'll add additional posts underneath to document the work being undertaken.

 

Currently in the Donkey Sanctuary are:

 

142020 Northern Rail - detailing on the bodyshell for this one is almost complete, but there's still plenty to do to get a finished model from it.

Work done already:

• modifications to the roof heaters
• doors modified to 2-leaf
• NRN radio pods fitted
• improved exhausts scratchbuilt and fitted
• moulded handrails removed and wire replacements fitted to cab fronts
• wire handrails added to side of passenger doors
• chassis replaced with DCC-ready version

 

Still to do:

• replace unit interior with correct layout and seat type (ex-ATN) - 1 car done
• fit DCC lighting - 1 car done
• repaint into Northern Rail livery
• transfers
• corridor connection

 

142026 Northern Rail - This one is as-released by Hornby. It needs quite a lot of work to bring it up to standard but I'm hoping to preserve most of the original finish and therefore avoid a full repaint.

Still to do:

• NRN radio pods fitted
• improved exhausts scratchbuilt and fitted
• moulded handrails removed and wire replacements fitted to cab fronts
• wire handrails added to side of passenger doors
• doors modified to 2-leaf
• replace unit interior with correct layout and seat type (ex-ATN)
• fit DCC lighting (ironically will require removal of the DCC socket
• paint headlight housings black
• extend yellow warning panel around cab sides
• corridor connection

 

142058 Northern Rail - This unit originally came from my very first trainset in TWPTE colours. Detailing on the bodyshell has been started, but it still has a long way to go.

Work done already:

• modifications to the roof heaters
• doors modified to 2-leaf
• moulded handrails removed and wire replacements fitted to cab fronts
• roof ribs removed and correct-pattern replacement roof ribs added using styrene strip
• improved exhausts scratchbuilt and fitted

 

Still to do:

• NRN radio pods fitted
• wire handrails added to side of passenger doors
• replace unit interior with correct layout and seat type (ex-Merseyrail)
• hardwire for DCC (a few options being considered here: either run as 2 powered cars as it is now; or remove one motor and through-wire as per modern Hornby versions; or replace with a DCC-ready chassis; or remove motors altogether and form a dummy unit)
• fit DCC lighting
• repaint into Northern Rail livery
• transfers
• corridor connection

 

Also stabled, needing the same work as those above but yet to be started:

142025 Northern Spirit

142050 Northern Spirit

 

Also stabled:

144012 Northern Rail

Edited August 20, 2019 by Ragtag
Progress update

[Darlington South Junction]

Do you think you could upload some photos? interested to see how your project goes!

 

[Ragtag]

Was going to leave it until the morning when the light was better but sure why not?

 

Here is 142020 as she is currently:

 

A closer shot of the work done so far on the handrails:

[Ragtag]

A view of the inner end of 142020 - not much done here except for the new exhaust. Wish I could remember where I got the white wire from - need to make 4 more sets of these!

Edited August 13, 2019 by Ragtag

[Guest JiLo]

I have a Pacer in GMPTE Orange in the works, I plan to leave it in its current livery, add lighting and repower using the Branchlines kit.  I have everything I need, just have about 17 million other projects in front of it! Looking forward to your updates

 

I've bought Shawplan WIPAC etches to help with alignment when drilling out the Hornby moulding for the LEDs

Edited August 13, 2019 by JiLo

[Ragtag]

8 hours ago, JiLo said:

 

I've bought Shawplan WIPAC etches to help with alignment when drilling out the Hornby moulding for the LEDs

 

That's an interesting idea, where did you get them from? I've never had much luck getting Shawplan to take an order via email.

 

To show a little more, here's a pic of 142058's roof as it stands currently:

 

And a first pass at an ex-ATN interior. If anyone has any photos to help here they'd be much appreciated:

[Guest JiLo]

15 minutes ago, Ragtag said:

 

That's an interesting idea, where did you get them from? I've never had much luck getting Shawplan to take an order via email.

 

 

I got them from Shawplan direct, never had a problem getting items from them, although its been a year or so since I last ordered

[Ragtag]

Will have another go then, thanks for the tip

[Guest JiLo]

5 hours ago, Ragtag said:

Will have another go then, thanks for the tip

When I was ordering I would put the subect as "Order Query"

 

I'd ask if the parts where in stock (using the description and part number from the website) and if so could they send a Paypal invoice

 

I would always have a reply within a day or 2, but as I said, been a while since I last ordered

 

Let me know how you get on

[Ragtag]

A trawl of the high street finally revealed the source of Class 142 exhausts I was after, so 142058 has this evening had new exhausts fitted.

 

As can be seen the paperclips are of a slightly smaller diameter than the ones I used back in 2011 on 142020 (shown on the left) but I think they're passable, especially once painted. Still some tweaks to be made to the top of the stack.

Edited August 18, 2019 by Ragtag

[Ragtag]

Apologies for the poor photos here, low light and a mobile camera do not a good combination make. Progress also made tonight on the lighting setup. This will probably go into 142020. Given that all I've soldered since leaving high school some 15 years ago is track I was quite pleased to be getting to grips with LEDs and resistors again. A pair of 2mm tower LEDs and an 0603 LED and you have the makings of a pacer light cluster. The 0603 LED which will become the marker light was a little fiddly but took the leads well, hopefully the others are just as compliant as there are 8 of the things to do per pacer!

 

It's alive...

Edited August 18, 2019 by Ragtag

[cheesysmith]

Remember, don't use paper gangways, because unlike other trains, they didn't have bellows gangways like older trains. The gangways on Pacers are sprung loaded plastic sheeting. They have a smoother appearance and have seen it done in the past with foam between the coaches.

[Ragtag]

Thanks for that - I think I've seen the foam before, possibly elsewhere on RMWeb - will have to re-read James Hilton's old blog and see if it was on there. I bought a load of corridor connectors for the 142 from Modeller's Mecca (not cheap either I might add) but sadly they're the paper bellows style. They may at least make a useful cutting template...

[Ragtag]

Apologies again for the poor photos - the mobile doesn't seem to cope well with capturing lights.

 

Anyway, bit more progress today on 142020's dummy car with headlight and marker lights wired in:

 

With flash they don't even look illuminated. Ah well.

[Ragtag]

Also managed the tail lights:

 

Finally, a test run of the door open warning lights:

 

Quite pleased with how things are going with the lighting, fitting the decoder is the next job I reckon.

Edited August 18, 2019 by Ragtag

[Ragtag]

Managed a slightly better shot of the lights in daylight, and got the door warning lights situated:

 

 

[Ragtag]

Spent some time this evening wiring in the decoder which seems to be working well. Getting an interior in is going to be a challenge though. Definitely learned a few lessons along the way with this, and need to use shorter wires in places to keep things a little tidied.

 

At the outset I thought the electrics would be the most daunting part of the project but as I now look to the next task of masking and painting the Northern livery I'm beginning to think I may have been wrong...

[Ragtag]

Managed to arrange the wiring in such a way to get the interior fitted. I couldn't face grinding down all the existing seats so hacked out the centre section and replaced it with some styrene sheet.

 

Here's the beginning of the Arriva Trains Northern interior, still some work to do but getting there:

[Ragtag]

As can be seen in the last post the new Hornby interior required several of the seats to be hacked about to clear the moulding. These have been reinstated with some thin styrene sheet cut to shape. I've also added the toilet. I was going to add the partitions but they're mostly glass and the bits that aren't won't be visible once the shell is together so decided not to.

[Ragtag]

Bit more progress with lighting and decoder fitted to the powered car as well. Both cars have been coupled together and taken for a test run where (as expected) they jerked along the track like a bag of spanners. I'm hoping a bit of running in etc. will sort some of the issues but I do have a suspicion that even with white metal seats in both cars and the chassis weight, some liquid lead may need adding in places to get things running smoothly - we'll call that Plan B.

 

Plan C is one of the replacement chassis kits although this would be problematic at this stage with the lighting already wired in. 

 

I couldn't find a suitable TCS decoder at a reasonable price for the powered car so have used one of Hattons' own as a test run - it's a bit larger though and this has meant I've had to extend the 'box' at the rear further into the seating area. I'll post a pic of that later.

[Darlington South Junction]

Good work so far! 'tis a shame that the prototypes are being withdrawn as I've developed quite a liking for them!

[Ragtag]

I've never thought they are as bad as the press and indeed many others like to make out.

 

Anyway, as promised here are the interiors. There were a few differences in layout between the 2 ATN cars which I've captured, including the slightly odd sideways seats in the former luggage rack of one car. The extended 'decoder box' can also be seen but shouldn't be too prominent once painted up.

[Jack374]

Excellent work Ragtag...the lights look great and the detailing brings the model to life. I’ve done a Hornby Pacer too, with many of the same upgrades like LED lights and improving the doors. Just one thing to watch out for is the cab interior moulding may need chopping about after you’ve added the LEDs, as I had to take quite a bit of material out. I did the lights the same as you and I can also recommend Shawplan's etched WIPAC clusters (used on other projects since), although as has been mentioned it may take a few emails to get through to Brian as he’s extremely busy and a one-man band. It’s best to talk to him at an exhibition.

 

I used foam for the gangway and it works great. The foam is quite light (i.e. lots of air space - low density) and grey coloured which works a treat. I’ve used one decoder and there’s a multi-pin connector between the vehicles.

 

Keep up the great work!

Jack.

[eastwestdivide]

On 14/08/2019 at 08:19, Ragtag said:

ex-ATN interior. If anyone has any photos to help here they'd be much appreciated

Over on the first page of this thread, interior of an ex-ATN one:

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/142370-pace-yourself-photos-of-the-final-pacer-countdown/

 

 

[Ragtag]

Thanks Jack, the cab interior has been hacked back to the driver's seats - I may see whether the control desk can be refitted above the LEDs though there's not much room.