Retro-style Models

[Sophia NSE]

9 hours ago, LNWR18901910 said:

Thanks for the tip, Darius. Lining decals proved for me to be a nightmare to apply on, sadly. The first time I tried it was on my LNWR custom-made locomotives, but they didn't work so I thought it best to improve my painting skills and try very hard despite the shaky-hand I would sometimes can't help but get. I am rather prone to it at times, but if anyone else suffers that way, I'm not alone.

 

On a lighter note, my Streamlined B17/5 is taking shape and runs nicely. I will share pics of it, soon. Progress on the model is going smoothly whereas the Triang-Hornby George the Fifth is still undergoing construction.

A good masking tape is always a very useful tool if you're brush painting lining!

[cypherman]

Hi all,

A Bow pen and acrylic paint watered down to a slightly thinner consistency along with a metal ruler works well for straight lines. Just make sure you allow it to dry properly.

On the matter of tender coupling I was right. You can get rid of the plastic plate and use a Hall tender drawbar. I now know that the reason for the strange plastic coupling was because of the footplate sticking out so far. It made it easier for children to just slide the tender into place rather than have to fiddle about connecting it. To be honest it was not really that hard to reconnect the tender with the hall drawbar. But I might file the footplate back a couple of mm anyway. Yes you guessed it my next victim the N15 has arrived.

Edited September 12, 2020 by cypherman

[cypherman]

Hi LNWR,

Most professional sign writers and people who do pinstriping use a wrist rest to help with the wobbly hand. Basically you rest your wrist on it and only then have to move your hand. keeps it more stable and neater.

[David_Belcher]

On 08/09/2020 at 17:16, Northmoor said:

Improving 1970s/80s models, instead of just buying the new ones, appeals to me.  Here's my Tri-ang Metro-Cammell DMU, with cab ends modified to look more like a Class 101.  Yes it's too short and the bogies are crude, but when I was a kid and the Lima Class 117 was still in the future, this is what I would have wanted:

It still needs the brake hoses and inner end buffers adding (plus some weathering of the "engine") but I'm quite pleased with it.

 

rob

The little things make a big difference...in this case the proper sized buffers (which I think Tri-ang's AL1 & EE Type 3 had as standard?).

[David_Belcher]

On 09/09/2020 at 10:46, cypherman said:

Hi all,

LNWR I found the picture I mentioned of the black Sir Dinadan. So here it is. A lovely looking engine.

Looks pretty decent. The original had the tender off the L1 IIRC? The 6 wheelers were a Brighton/Chatham lines thing as the water capacity didn't need to be massive & LBSC turntables (dunno about SECR) were too short for Urie 'watercarts'.

[LNWR18901910]

Here we are with the LSWR coaches as promised (finally)!

And a bit more has been done on the LSWR S15 in 1970s Hornby Railways style (note the moulded handrails I have filled in with bits of wite as best as I can; I would have shown the overhead shot but the stupid 10MB allowance won't let me).

Edited September 13, 2020 by LNWR18901910

[cypherman]

Hi LNWR,

Well you are getting there with your loco and coaches. Well done.

[LNWR18901910]

Here we have it - my 1980s Hornby Railways Streamlined B17/5 4-6-0!

The paint has not been added, yet. This is just a dry-run as the chassis needs some adjustment to fit as well as the body. The chassis runs well but because of the faulty screw at the back, it cannot run entirely well. The model still needs work and also it is to be numbered and named 2859 East Anglian after the original real-life locomotive. Plus, I picked up three Gresley coaches dating from the 1980s respectively.

[LNWR18901910]

1 hour ago, cypherman said:

Hi LNWR,

Well you are getting there with your loco and coaches. Well done.

Thank you, Cypher! Indeed I am.

 

Also, here is the overhead shot of the S15 I promised.

Have a nice day, nunkies!

Edited September 14, 2020 by LNWR18901910

[Il Grifone]

On 09/09/2020 at 00:26, LNWR18901910 said:

I don't know if you read the Hornby-Dublo book I acquired second hand, but I heard about an unproduced streamlined Duchess/Coronation model. A Pre-War pre-production mock-up was madeusing an A4 chassis, but this never happened because of WWII. In fact, you could take the Hornby-Dublo Duchess Chassis and fashion an LMS streamlined Duchess and pair it with LMS coaches by Hornby-Dublo. I challenge anyone here to attempt this retro-style model!

 

Mine is underway. A GBL Streamlined Coronation body on a Dublo Duchess chassis. I have hit problems though: the front bogie wheels foul the 'skirts' and I need to file lots more metal from the cylinders. The coaches are not a problem - I have lots. Trix Twin made one pre-war complete with headlamp and coaches with horizontal lining. It was rather short* to fit an H0 scale German DRG Br01 chassis. (They also put a 'Princess' and a 'Scotsman' on it.)

* The nearest would be the Tri-ang/Hornby model which is also horizontally challenged.

[LNWR18901910]

1 hour ago, Il Grifone said:

 

Mine is underway. A GBL Streamlined Coronation body on a Dublo Duchess chassis. I have hit problems though: the front bogie wheels foul the 'skirts' and I need to file lots more metal from the cylinders. The coaches are not a problem - I have lots. Trix Twin made one pre-war complete with headlamp and coaches with horizontal lining. It was rather short* to fit an H0 scale German DRG Br01 chassis. (They also put a 'Princess' and a 'Scotsman' on it.)

* The nearest would be the Tri-ang/Hornby model which is also horizontally challenged.

In that case, maybe a 1960s-style Triang-Hornby Streamlined Duchess Coronation won't be such a bad idea, after all. The body is plastic and it would use the same loco and tender chassis by said-company. Would that work?

[Il Grifone]

The Tri-ang Hornby Coronation is a complete model, so really 'retro' rather than 'retro style'. IIRC it uses their 'Flying Scotsman' chassis with the result of being too short.

 

[LNWR18901910]

18 hours ago, Il Grifone said:

The Tri-ang Hornby Coronation is a complete model, so really 'retro' rather than 'retro style'. IIRC it uses their 'Flying Scotsman' chassis with the result of being too short.

 

True, very true indeed.

 

Wait, why the A3 Chassis?

[cypherman]

Hi LNWR.

I believe it was the only pacific chassis they had other than the BB that was not based on the older princess one. Triang Hornby's usual trying to save money by making something they already had fit the bill. Just like the 0-6-0 Jinty chassis being used in at least 5-6 other engines.

[Il Grifone]

They made the Jinty chassis wheelbase too short by 2mm for some unknown reason* - 29mm + 33mm rather than the correct 32mm + 34mm (8' 0" + 8' 6"). This is still under several models and incorrect for all of them AFAIK.

TBF they were not alone in this. Dublo were not above using the A3/Duchess wheelbase for their Castle and that of their N2** for the R1 0-6-0T. The 8F has equal axle spacing so that only one stamping was needed.

 

* Fisherman's ruler? 1:80 syndrome? Not to make the Princess look too ridiculous?

** Also too short at 26mm + 31mm approx. (about right for H0 scale).

[LNWR18901910]

On 15/09/2020 at 14:00, Il Grifone said:

The Tri-ang Hornby Coronation is a complete model, so really 'retro' rather than 'retro style'. IIRC it uses their 'Flying Scotsman' chassis with the result of being too short.

 

True, very true indeed. I've just seen the pics of the model and she looks so nice! What about a Triang-Hornby Duchess model?

[LNWR18901910]

Just an update: my 1980S Hornby Railways LNER Streamlined B17/5 4-6-0 is taking shape and more will be added to it along with buffers, handrails, apple green livery, lettering, numbering and naming.

 

Also, my 1960s Triang LNWR George the Fifth 4-4-0 is taking a bit longer than expected, so it will be ready by the end of the year hopefully.

[Il Grifone]

7 hours ago, LNWR18901910 said:

True, very true indeed. I've just seen the pics of the model and she looks so nice! What about a Triang-Hornby Duchess model?

 

The problem would be a suitable body. The Dublo (and Rowell) bodies are the right length.

[cypherman]

4 hours ago, Il Grifone said:

 

The problem would be a suitable body. The Dublo (and Rowell) bodies are the right length.

Hi all,

You have missed out on a vast source of bodies and spares for not too much money. The Amercom GBL range of static models. The range was released in this country as a magazine part work with about 70 issues Lots of interesting engines to to get parts for. I think. You can still buy them direct from Amercom or second hand via Ebay. There is a whole thread here on RMweb about them and how people turned them into runners. They do a streamlined Coronation as well. Very good read.

Amercom are here. make sure you pick the 00 and not n gauge engines.

https://www.amercom-hobby.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=63

GBL posts here on RMweb

 

Edited September 19, 2020 by cypherman

[Il Grifone]

The Amercom/GBL models are again scale length*. AFAIK the only 'Duchess' they did is the streamlined one I mentioned earlier. There is the Kitmaster model (if you can find one - unbuilt kits command collector prices), but again to scale length (we'll ignore the tender!).

 

* There are some (GWR pannier tank and small prairie come to mind) which were copied from less accurate models but this generally true. (I'm ignoring errors of a few millimetres.)

Edited September 19, 2020 by Il Grifone

[LNWR18901910]

Just an update for you all to hear on this thread;

 

My 1980s Hornby Railways LNER Streamlined B17/5 is coming along nicely and has been straightened out at the back. All I need to do now are to get some screws sorted out as well as priming, painting, numbering, naming and boxing.

 

My 1960s Triang-Hornby LNWR George the Fifth is doing alright. The tender has been assembled together on a Triang Hornby tender chassis respectively and much better than builfing it from scratch though modifications are needed. The locomotive in general has a long way to go. Perhaps I could find some clerestory coaches and repaint them into LNWR colours (most likely in keeping with the Triang Hornby feel).

 

As for my 1970s Hornby Railways S15, well, decals are another matter as soon as I find the right ones. More to come soon.

[LNWR18901910]

Here are a couple pics of my Streamlined B17/5 model:

The screw I had with me fits fine and the back is another matter as I used blu-tack. But, with a drop of UHU (I haven't got any threadlock with me so it had to do), it should hopefully fit fine. It does run well in both directions which is a nice bonus.

 

As for my other model, the Triang-Hornby George the Fifth, it's steadily coming along fine. Hopefully, it will be constructed soon.

[The Johnster]

On 16/09/2020 at 15:57, Il Grifone said:

They made the Jinty chassis wheelbase too short by 2mm for some unknown reason* - 29mm + 33mm rather than the correct 32mm + 34mm (8' 0" + 8' 6"). This is still under several models and incorrect for all of them AFAIK.

TBF they were not alone in this. Dublo were not above using the A3/Duchess wheelbase for their Castle and that of their N2** for the R1 0-6-0T. The 8F has equal axle spacing so that only one stamping was needed.

 

* Fisherman's ruler? 1:80 syndrome? Not to make the Princess look too ridiculous?

** Also too short at 26mm + 31mm approx. (about right for H0 scale).

I think it was so they could use the same coupling rods as on the Black Princess, and a standard jig for drilling the axle holes.  A similar thing applies to the 3MT and is the reason for the undersize wheels. 

[LNWR18901910]

I managed to purchase a Triang Hornby 2P 4-4-0 from the 1970s and a Hornby Railways 1990s GWR Saint Class 4-6-0 on E-Bay which I intend to turn into No. 2999 Lady of Legend based on the replica at the Didcot Railway Centre.

Now that I have acquired an old RTR Saint model even though it's the tender-drive model, but who cares? I intend to make a model of the exact replica Saint. All I need to do are make some alterations on the smokebox, cab and running-board and get some customs decals and name and numberplates added on.

 

As for the 2P, it's for another project which remains a secret.

[LNWR18901910]

Well, my Saint Replica of Lady of Legend is taking shape after it runs well and better.

The running board is suppsoed to look more like the original Churchward style as opposed to the later Collett rebuild/modifications.

Perhaps there's something to be said about these olde tender-drive Hornby trains; they run better compared to Hornby's Railroad models like the B17, the D49 and the 2P. Once I obtain the nameplates and numberplates, she'll look lovely!