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Scratch built lanky signal box


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There is a lovely picture in 'The Pilling Pig' of one of these on the Garstang and Knott End Railway just after the grouping. L&Y blackcurrent livery, with a painted on LMS number and the L&Y circular numberplate removed to reveal the original green livery underneath!

Edited by Daniel W
Grouping, not Nationalisation!
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These L&Y tanks worked over the Isle of Axholme Railway, a seldom modelled line that may not have been very glamourous but had much charm. One working a 2 carriage train was common. Ideal for those who like to model our railway backwaters.

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1 hour ago, Daniel W said:

There is a lovely picture in 'The Pilling Pig' of one of these on the Garstang and Knott End Railway just after nationalisation. L&Y blackcurrent livery, with a painted on LMS number and the L&Y circular numberplate removed to reveal the original green livery underneath!

 

I'll bet that was a real sight. A friend of mine was telling me about the ex caley 0-4-4 tanks that was sent from scotland to be used in the West Riding. He said that the tank was in the bay at keighley & he used a coin to scratch the paint back to find the original caley blue. What a treat that must have been.

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This evening I didnt fancy a build I thought I would do a rtr conversion.

I've a stack of these to do so thought I best get cracking & get some finished. 

 

I chose the stanier mogul as I had a set of markits drivers a friend gave me so a relatively simple conversion. I've used gibson wheels for the rest of the model & gibson return cranks. I've still the other side to finish in the morning but it should be fine. Once I know shes running I will add balance weights, screw coupling & tender pick ups. 

 

I think this is the most I've looked at this model since I bought it last year. It's a very nice model too. I do like Mr Staniers locos, they just look right.

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Over the weekend I managed to complete the conversion of the stanier mogul which is a very easy conversion. My only problem is the gibson tender wheels did not want to sit straight on the axle & therefore the tender has got a shake to it. I think I'm going to have to fit new wheels to it, I will have another look at it before i do to see if anything can be done. 

 

Yesterday i made a start converting a Hornby black 5 with a gibson conversion. So far I've done the tender & bogie & tonight i will start with the driving wheels. Shouldn't be to much of a job I've done plenty of these now.

 

Dont suppose anyone has done one & what spacing washers were used behind the drivers?

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Yesterday I had a very productive day to say the least. I got 3 projects completed in total which I wasnt expecting to do.

 

Firstly the Hornby black 5 conversion I finished off without any real issues. It's still to be detailed but I'm waiting for bits from Wizard models but shes a runner.

 

Next up was a craftsman lanky a class I purchased off ebay. It's a beautifully built model but it wasnt the best of runners. I swapped its axles for EM ones & spaced the wheels with gibson washers. It's a mass improvement although I still feel it needs a new gearbox. I'm not a fan of open frame motors & worm & gear type gearbox. I think I nice high level box will be the solution.

 

My last project was a Maj models lanky box van that needed wheels, weight & couplings. That's now ready for the paint shop & that'll be in lanky livery. 

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10 hours ago, Portchullin Tatty said:

Simon, is the black five sitting back on its haunches a bit?

 

Like your stuff by the way!

I think it's the spring on the rear driver or camera angle. Its sat fine to my eye when I'm looking at it. Thanks for the comment, I will keep posting. I'm doing a bit of scottish stuff next. I've had a 90% built J38 for far to long.

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  • 2 weeks later...

A while ago I started another conversion of a Bachmann standard class 5.

 

Alls not gone to plan with this one, the black 5 I converted works a treat but this one I could not get the wheels to stay straight. 

I added a gentle radius to the ends of the axles so they would fit in the wheelboss better but they've ended up wobbly. 

The standard 5 I finished this evening & it's a very nice runner but it's the first model train in history to have parkinsons.

 

20200424_180840.jpg

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I decided to crack on this evening building a Pdk ivatt 4 mogul kit in EM.

Not an easy task this one as the kit is designed for 00 gauge, you cant space the chassis out with em spacers due to the resin boiler or the way the chassis is designed. 

Having asked Paul at Pdk if it could be done he wasnt sure so this could be a first. 

I'm treating it as if it was a rtr conversion & will just space the axles with gibson washers.

This evening I folded the chassis & fit the spacers. I've also soldered the bearings & built the compensation beams up.

Next job will be to get the rods ready & see if I have a suitable gearbox in stock to fit it. I've a few high level ones in the spares box.

20200425_214911.jpg

Edited by Rhb Simon
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Hello

 

I'll be watching with interest...I have recently posted a photo of my (00) WIP - albeit stalled - on Wright Writes.  I really like this kit, but Bachmann's version re-wrote its' history!

 

I've also got an MOK 7mm version to do...

 

Regards 

Mark 

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On 24/04/2020 at 21:54, Rhb Simon said:

A while ago I started another conversion of a Bachmann standard class 5.

 

Alls not gone to plan with this one, the black 5 I converted works a treat but this one I could not get the wheels to stay straight. 

I added a gentle radius to the ends of the axles so they would fit in the wheelboss better but they've ended up wobbly. 

The standard 5 I finished this evening & it's a very nice runner but it's the first model train in history to have parkinsons.

 

20200424_180840.jpg

 

Hi Simon,

Hope you dont mind me asking, how do you make the return cranks on the valve gear? This is something i have really been struggling to do.

Great looking conversions.

Paul.

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  • 4 months later...

These conversions of LMS locos are right inspiring. Do you often need to work with valve gear for clearance, like on the Black 5 or Stanier mogul? And how much side play is usually desired between the wheels and spacing washers? Beautiful locomotives! 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Afternoon chaps sorry I've not updated this post for a good few months. 

My day job of driving artics has kept me very very busy & with lockdown & the weather being nice I've not done a lot of modelling. 

 

Regarding the return cranks specifically on gibson wheels I will tell you how I do it.

Gibson do a cast return crank & the instructions say to tap it 14ba & fiddle with it blah blah blah. 

 

I totally ignore this because I am not a fan of tapping stuff out. I replace the steel gibson crankpin with a brass 14ba bolt. I then use a broach to open the hole out in the return crank to snugly fit onto the crankpin & solder it to the pin with a very quick touch of the iron. Do not dwell with the iron it will melt the crankpin hole.

 

I've been building a few bits recently which are all Em gauge LMS period items. I recently became the owner of a very nice layout called Bodgers Brow built by Arnold Bellfield. I was very lucky to also buy a lot of the layouts stock so I've been updating a few bits & fine tuning them.

 

The lyr barton wright 0-6-2 is still in the box & will be out again one day, I became the owner of one built beautifully by Arnold. 

My latest project is a cotswold lyr class 31 large boiler I've just picked up off ebay. 

 

I hope to update on the build once i sit down & get some progress done on the model. 

 

Hoping to once again get weaving with some models.

 

 

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What I forgot to mention in my previous post also was that I have migrated from a dungeon of a garage workshop to a room in the house. 

My workshop is now very small so I keep it extremely tidy which really does help.

 

So this is my current 2 projects I've started. 

 

Firstly a old Wills Midland flatiron.

 

I bought the flatiron a few years ago that was one of the collections of em that we seem to get through the club.

It was built well in em but with a old triang based chassis & romford wheels with the centre flange turned off.

This model has sat in my workshop in a half stripped state which was going nowhere fast.

As I now have a layout itll look nice on I've decided to crack on & get it running. 

I've got a se finecast chassis & a built high level box. Ive had a look & found a set of crab wheels which are the correct size so I'm going to use them & I've ordered some bogie wheels & high level hornblocks. 

As I have said many times before I do not understand why designers make chassis kits designed from the off with hornblocks it makes the job harder for the average builder. I'm going to add blocks to this & compensate it, not my favourite thing to do but it's a trial.

 

Second up I've just started a Sutherland models / Cotswold lanky large boiler 0-8-0.

 

Whilst these kits are ancient by modern standards they really were a foolproof design to make a running chassis even for a complete novice.

I know technology & design has moved on I still think something like this would be perfect for a newcomer to kit building. It's a basic body kit with a almost rtr chassis you can guarantee will be straight, true & rolling within minutes. 

Mine will need spacing out with dummy plasticard side frames for em but a easy job to do.

 

Cant wait to get working on new locos for my layout both lms & pre groupers 

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Hi Hayfield 

 

It does come with the etch & I did think about adding it. The problem is the models already built very well but with aryldite. It's meant to be a quick build more than anything although I do fancy another at some point in Midland crimson lake

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1 hour ago, Buhar said:

Round topped firebox and shorter smokebox perhaps? 

Alan 

 

Probably wont go that far Alan. As long as they look right to my eye I'm ok with that. 

Once upon a time I would have gone the whole hog but a family & day job doesnt give much modelling time so projects need to be relatively quick builds or I get stalled on them & nothing gets done. 

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I decided to have a little session this afternoon & it dawned on my I have a project that's been on the go for a few years now so it's time to finish it off.

 

It's a london road models 4ft 6inch lnwr tank. This is actually for John Redurp of london road models & it's been sat far to long ( Sorry John )

 

Anyway it's like anything from London road a joy to build. This is a superb kit the part fit is spot on & I will be making myself one of these in the future.

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I had got as far as building the footplate & valances plus a few cab details before it got shelved. This evening I've stuck an hour in & got the cab spectacle plate built up which has a good number of parts to fit. I've also folded the bunker sides up & got the rear bunker sheet & bunker top fitted. 

 

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That's all for this evening as my eyes can barely stay open. 

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1 hour ago, Michael Edge said:

You're going to struggle fitting the bars across the back windows now - or hadn't you noticed them? Maybe they weren't always there? Nice neat work so far though.

 

No mention of them in the instructions as far as I can see Michael, I'm following them for once too.

Thanks btw it's a lovely model to make. Sods law I'm half way through assembling the front spectacle plate & the power has gone down. 

Keighley has the worst electrics in the world

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Well the power came back on & I got weaving!

 

Firstly I finished the bunker & added all the beading. The fit is so good the bunker backplate beading was the only item that needed a little bit of a trim to fit.

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Once that was completed I got on with the front spectacle plate. This needed riveting, plus spectacle rings on both the inner & outer. It also had a 10ba bolt added cut to 6mm fitted to hold the boiler in place.

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I then moved on to making up the side tanks which is a neat little bit of folding to make everything up before both the tank tops slot into etched grooves. Again all parts fit perfectly.

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Although it's a long way off being completed it is starting to resemble a loco superstructure. I couldnt resist a dry run of all the parts.

 

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Edited by Rhb Simon
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