Porkscratching Posted February 12, 2021 Share Posted February 12, 2021 Having with trepidation pulled the trigger on one of these ( v expensive for a plastic kit !) ..after looking at a few generally positive reviews..I'm wondering if anyone on here has built one ? I'd love to hear your experience constructing it..also has anyone made one into a "runner" ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapford34102 Posted February 12, 2021 Share Posted February 12, 2021 Might be worth a look https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235042646-br52-steam-loco/&tab=comments#comment-3120732 Stu 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted February 12, 2021 Share Posted February 12, 2021 Often been tempted but never taken the plunge. The smoke deflectors put me off. Brass ones are available as part of an upgrade kit but that adds at least50% to the price. You can easily double the price by adding various upgrades. Bernard 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted February 12, 2021 Author Share Posted February 12, 2021 i'll check out that forum, there's a couple of build vids on youtube i found too.. The smoke deflectors would be an easy enough thing to cut from thin sheet metal tbh, to replace the odd looking version on the kit ! ...that said I've seen many pics of the locos in service without the smoke deflectors fitted at all, so assume they werent always fitted, in fact I tend to prefer the look of it without them anyway ! I reckon a lot of upgrade bits could likely be scratch made rather than spend loads more on it, but once you get going on something you know how it escalates!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted February 12, 2021 Author Share Posted February 12, 2021 Just checked out the brit modeller thread btw, very handy for some detail bits especially in the cab, and interesting to see how another person got on with it..I see theres some, albeit small, moulded in pipes along boiler, theyd have to go for a start..there's no excuse for those at that big scale !! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 I find Scalemates to be a very useful site for plastic kit information... https://www.scalemates.com/kits/trumpeter-00210-baureihe-52-mit-steifrahmentender--104146 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium readingtype Posted February 13, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 13, 2021 Looks like it will take a while, so best get started :-) I am exploring the 1:35 field too but I have started at the shallow end with a wagon :-) These are static kits and it's the overall appearance and detailing which matter most. On a diorama the loco and wagons might end up lying on their sides with the chassis details exposed. In contrast, railway models prioritise being able to pick up power, run along the track, etc and the underframe details come second. I think you can see how these different priorities play out in the comparison of these axles below: the plastic one is the 1:35 kit, the metal one is Slaters gauge 1 (1:32 scale). Apologies, I haven't actually assembled the plastic wheelset yet and it's still got its moulding pips. The wheel discs are nicely shaped, the tyres very fine and the flanges too, but the tyre running faces are not coned. Looking at the Trumpeter loco build reports around the web it strikes me some of the 'working parts' don't look right at all, especially around the wheels, valve gear, rods and the machined metal shapes they are made up of. You can see that, when model manufacturers who are not especially focused on the way railway vehicles look and work design models, they interpret these shapes differently. Not surprising, on reflection, but I guess that distortion would cut both ways -- there will be areas where railway model manufacturers will be less proficient. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium readingtype Posted February 13, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 13, 2021 (edited) 25 minutes ago, readingtype said: it strikes me some of the 'working parts' don't look right at all, Sorry, in musing on this I have fallen into the trap of making a criticism when I intended to make an observation. Without contradicting myself, there are a couple of mitigating points I should make: Firstly I was thinking in particular of areas like the journals on the rods, which once mounted onto the wheels with washers, keepers, nuts etc in front will be partially hidden. Secondly these are parts which get a huge amount of attention from railway modellers as particularly in smaller scales they're difficult to make strongly enough to survive being played with, aka. operation while remaining even remotely accurate replicas of the real thing. Taken in the context of a massive loco like a BR 52, they will have no effect on the overall appearance at all and are far closer to the prototype than what's on a smaller scale model intended to run on a layout and made with stamped metal rods. I didn't mean to pour cold water on the model which I think is pretty exceptional! Edited February 13, 2021 by readingtype further clarification 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted February 13, 2021 Author Share Posted February 13, 2021 (edited) Thanks for the input gents, interesting to hear from someone who's got a related trumpeter railway model too, ( is it the german "gondola" wagon ? ) ...i do envisage it really as a static model, (but couldn't resist the fantasy that it could by some stretch of imagination be made to run somehow !) As a "runner" youd have to fabricate a suitably robust chassis with wheels and all associated gear etc etc ! The kit should arrive next week sometime I'd think, i found another build on a ship forum with some good prototype photo links in there ... https://modelshipworld.com/topic/22158-br-52-steam-locomotive-by-cdw-trumpeter-135-scale/ Edited February 13, 2021 by Porkscratching 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted February 13, 2021 Author Share Posted February 13, 2021 Forgot to include above, here is a great set of "walkaround" photos of the real loco, showing some excellent detail that will be invaluable no doubt ! http://www.primeportal.net/transports/hans-hermann_buhling/rahmen/index.php?Page=1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium readingtype Posted February 13, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 13, 2021 3 hours ago, Porkscratching said: interesting to hear from someone who's got a related trumpeter railway model too, ( is it the german "gondola" wagon ? ) Actually it's the Thunderer G10 van. I'm cheap and there was one on on an online auction site that didn't have far to travel. There used to be a model aircraft shop (Oxford Model Centre) near the bus stop in Oxford where I got off the bus from London. For several months there was a Trumpeter 1:35 BR 86 kit in the window, and eventually I arrived on the bus in business hours and couldn't resist the temptation to go in and ask about it. I was just about able to exercise enough self-control not to buy it -- good thing as I usually took my bike with me on the bus and would have struggled to lash up something to get the whole lot home in only the same number of pieces it was already in. But that was the seed planted. Here's an alternative finish you could aim for on the BR52: ÖBB black all over except red wheels, lots and lots of rust and flakes (and optional tree). In Das Heizhaus museum, Strasshof, Austria. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted February 13, 2021 Author Share Posted February 13, 2021 (edited) Nice ! I'm certainly looking at a well weathered/battered finish for mine ( tho will be prob representing a just about "still in service" end of WW2 machine) The slippery slope has begun for me now ...as I found a comparatively reasonably priced set of the eduard etched brass extra detail parts ! Edited February 13, 2021 by Porkscratching Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted February 13, 2021 Author Share Posted February 13, 2021 (edited) Going by the bloke on brit modeller's version beloiw, the cab detailing has some good potential with the etch parts. I might on my version be tempted to carve off the moulded-on pipes and replace with copper wire or something Edited February 13, 2021 by Porkscratching Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted February 14, 2021 Author Share Posted February 14, 2021 As regards getting one running, heres a chap from Germany who's done a super job of doing just that, tho I would think the plastic motion work from the kit might not survive much extended running ! The same guy has done a few very interesting videos of detailing the kit somewhat beyond the basic detailing sets available for these, (pity I can't understand German!) 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium readingtype Posted February 14, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 14, 2021 That's excellent. Actually under that video he answers most of the obvious questions which have kindly been asked already by other people in English :-) I recommend a read. It's radio controlled (well, they are, both loco and tender). RC is something I'm interested in. Absolutely no knowledge at all at the moment. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted February 15, 2021 Author Share Posted February 15, 2021 (edited) Radio control is a cool notion to be sure! This whole BR52 business is quite a "rabbit hole" once you start looking into it, there's some more great walkaround pics. https://www.flickr.com/photos/blaubar/albums/72157700221416912/page1 I discovered these from another German lad, who's gone far into the details of these locos, initially to correct some of the errors in the kit, and ended up scratch building to a greater extent! As an example, the lavish cab details are somewhat suspect, the 52 had only one sight glass,( the left one), for instance, the loco being a simplified war economy development of the class 50. That said they continued in use, and indeed being manufactured, long after the war, and doubtless had many design mods subsequently, I'd be wanting to represent a WW2 period loco really so I'll have to do a fair bit of homework it seems! Edited February 15, 2021 by Porkscratching Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 6 minutes ago, Porkscratching said: Radio control is a cool notion to be sure! This whole BR52 business is quite a "rabbit hole" once you start looking into it, there's some more great walkaround pics. https://www.flickr.com/photos/blaubar/albums/72157700221416912/page1 I discovered these from another German lad, who's gone far into the details of these locos, initially to correct some of the errors in the kit, and ended up scratch building to a greater extent! As an example, the lavish cab details are somewhat suspect, the 52 had only one sight glass,( the left one), for instance, the loco being a simplified war economy development of the class 50. I'll have to do a fair bit of homework it seems! A good place to start is the book by Peter Slaughter, Alexander Vassiliev and Roland Bier. In case you are not aware the rigid frame tender in the kit is a bit unusual as most had the bath tub tender. The rigid frame tender was an Austrian built variant. Bernard 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted February 15, 2021 Author Share Posted February 15, 2021 I will check out the book, what's the title btw? This is a good film.... ..near the end shows a host of the locos, both types of tender seem to be present, so at least I can legitimately get away with the square type !! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted February 15, 2021 Author Share Posted February 15, 2021 I found the book anyway!.. I've ordered a used copy via the rather convoluted Abe books system which is some kind of third party malarkey where you await the actual seller to invoice you..unfortunately there wasn't just a copy on ebay to buy in straightforward manner ! It doesn't seem to be an easily available book so at least I should get it, eventually! Thanks for the heads up anyway Bernard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted February 15, 2021 Author Share Posted February 15, 2021 (edited) Here's a couple of in cab views of real 52s a bit less busy and 'blinged up' than the model's offering! A bit difficult to find clear straight on shots of the cab interior of these.. Edited February 15, 2021 by Porkscratching Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted February 15, 2021 Author Share Posted February 15, 2021 (edited) Well I've paid for the book now anyway, be an interesting read no doubt. Seems to be a v. pricey book generally (as are many railway books) they seem to up the anti considerably as soon as the word "railway" appears..! This one was a princely 40 quid second hand, the cheapest I could find. Hopefully a generous tome stuffed with good info Edited February 15, 2021 by Porkscratching Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted February 16, 2021 Author Share Posted February 16, 2021 Well the kit arrived, in a box about the size of a medium suitcase ! Looks decent enough mouldings wise at first very cursory glance, tho others who've built it have remarked that there's a lot of mould ejector marks and the like to attend to just about everywhere on the kit, all part of the fun eh... Perusing the instructions over coffee.. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted February 16, 2021 Author Share Posted February 16, 2021 Of course I'm now thinking about some wagons! I grabbed a reasonably priced soviet box car to be going on with, ( I'm applying the logic that the Germans used a load of regauged soviet stock) and I'm now tempted to get some wheel sets and scratch build some more, seeing as how the 1/35 stuff is rather expensive it makes sense to go diy ! There isn't much in the way of plans or diagrams for German / east European basic rolling stock that I could find initially...if anyone can steer me in the right direction that'd be great... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 I had a few photos in my gallery section of the forum. Can't find the originals. A later date than the era that I presume you are modelling. It does show what handsome beasts thay were. Even better after the GDR had tarted them up. I never managed to have a ride in the DMU. Only in the piglet carriers/blood blisters that at one time operated from this side of the station. Leipzig for those who do not know it. Bernard 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted February 17, 2021 Author Share Posted February 17, 2021 (edited) They are a lovely imposing loco but with a tough utilitarian aspect too, thanks for the great pic, I'm collecting them off the internet for reference. ( many detail differences between individual locos) As you say I'm looking more at the earlier (ww2) period, and still scratching my head a bit as regards a base colour, some of the old footage implies a lighter grey than the "panzer grey" thats been suggested to me...obviously old film footage in B/W is not ideal to go on, and I'm not having much luck finding original "agfa" colour shots of a 52 ...some of the modern pics online show various greys but they are likely to have been painted with any old grey paint available to "tart up" a display loco or whatever! I'll look at your other pics if i can. Ps, thats some nice ironwork above the station in Leipzig ! Edited February 17, 2021 by Porkscratching Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now