Lima Class 09 - Any good?

[Halvarras]

Here's a Wrenn model purchased in 1975 and upgraded in 1991 using a spare unpainted body which could be had for a quid at the time. The large hole in the roof was filled in and filed smooth - body securing is now by means of a self-tapper into Plastruct at the front and a soldered sliding brass latch into a wire loop at the rear, both using the original HD coupling pivot holes. The steps were all filed thinner and the cab windows enlarged (ignore previous post about doing this to a Lima one, it was this one!) Etched brass ladders, staple grab handles and MTK plastic buffers added. The windows were flush glazed and backed with black card to hide the motor - I felt this looked better than painting them deep black on the inside. The plastic keeper plate was replaced by a PCB version with pick-up 'skates' between the wheels to bolster the meagre current collection, and wire sanding pipes fitted. I selected D3255 because I saw it at Wenford Bridge on 18/4/68 and it was the only early 08 with external hinges in the area at the time - despite never receiving a TOPS number it still exists in preservation AFAIK, courtesy of a stint with the NCB......

 

 

[Peter-C]

15 hours ago, Legend said:

Maybe a bit unkind , but I nipped up the loft fora comparison . This is my 1978 Lima 09 and a Hornby 08 . The 08 was originally a DCC sound model but the shop I purchased it from had removed all the DCC gubbins  and it runs on analogue , although in the opposite direction  to all my other models . I need to sort that out 

Thanks for sharing those pictures - they provide a really interesting comparison between the two. I bought a Lima 09 from eBay last night following everyone's comments on here and my plan is to detail it up and make it look better and more like the Hornby 08 - it'll never be perfect but it should be something - and hopefully those images will provide a useful reference/comparison to see what needs adding/changing on the Lima model.

 

12 hours ago, stovepipe said:

It’s funny, just been glazing a Lima 09 today. It improves the looks quite a bit. There’s a few people doing the CD remotoring kits now, diesel-trains.co.uk is another.

 

it’s worth pointing out that the non-doc ready ‘split chassis’ Bachmann class 08s can be had for quite a bit less money than the dcc ready ones. They all come in the original branchline boxes, and do take a bit of looking after, but will run better than the previous generation of models by quite some way.

Great minds think alike and all that!  Out of interest, how did you glaze the windows? If it's going to improve the look then it's something I'll look into.

I use both DC and DCC for my layout (not at the same time, obviously - I swap the controllers over when I want to change system) as a fair proportion of my fleet is still DC; when Hattons reopen their DCC-fitting service, my plan is to get my engines fitted by them as I'm not really willing to do it myself - even if it means I have to pay however much their service costs. This is a long-winded way of saying the split-chassis models wouldn't really work for my layout - thanks for making me aware of them as I didn't know Bachmann had made Class 08s using that design before.

 

11 hours ago, Neil Phillips said:

Here's a Wrenn model purchased in 1975 and upgraded in 1991 using a spare unpainted body which could be had for a quid at the time. The large hole in the roof was filled in and filed smooth - body securing is now by means of a self-tapper into Plastruct at the front and a soldered sliding brass latch into a wire loop at the rear, both using the original HD coupling pivot holes. The steps were all filed thinner and the cab windows enlarged (ignore previous post about doing this to a Lima one, it was this one!) Etched brass ladders, staple grab handles and MTK plastic buffers added. The windows were flush glazed and backed with black card to hide the motor - I felt this looked better than painting them deep black on the inside. The plastic keeper plate was replaced by a PCB version with pick-up 'skates' between the wheels to bolster the meagre current collection, and wire sanding pipes fitted. I selected D3255 because I saw it at Wenford Bridge on 18/4/68 and it was the only early 08 with external hinges in the area at the time - despite never receiving a TOPS number it still exists in preservation AFAIK, courtesy of a stint with the NCB......

 

 

Now that looks really cool! I like the idea of using black card for the glazing: I've seen lots of people use that for buildings and it works well. From the distances you'd normally view a model from, I expect you probably wouldn't be able to see much of the detail in the cab anyway. I assume you've painting the chevrons on the front and rear? They make a big difference as well.

 

Thanks all once again for all of your responses: they've been really super and helpful. I'll share some images of my Lima 09 when it arrives.

 

-Peter

[John M Upton]

Flushglaze by South Eastern Finecast is what you seek:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FlushGlaze-Windows-SE-09-Lima-Class-09-0-6-0-Diesel-Shunter-OO-Gauge-/322013340814?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

 

[Peter-C]

1 hour ago, John M Upton said:

Flushglaze by South Eastern Finecast is what you seek:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FlushGlaze-Windows-SE-09-Lima-Class-09-0-6-0-Diesel-Shunter-OO-Gauge-/322013340814?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

 

Ah lovely - thanks very much  The packet in the photo shows "LIMA CL 09 x2" - does this mean two windows, or enough to glaze two locos? Apologies if this is obvious.

 

-Peter

[Pete the Elaner]

5 minutes ago, Peter-C said:

Ah lovely - thanks very much  The packet in the photo shows "LIMA CL 09 x2" - does this mean two windows, or enough to glaze two locos? Apologies if this is obvious.

 

-Peter

Enough for 2 locos.

[Peter-C]

6 minutes ago, Pete the Elaner said:

Enough for 2 locos.

Excellent - thanks for letting me know

 

-Peter

[Halvarras]

2 hours ago, Peter-C said:

 

Now that looks really cool! I like the idea of using black card for the glazing: I've seen lots of people use that for buildings and it works well. From the distances you'd normally view a model from, I expect you probably wouldn't be able to see much of the detail in the cab anyway. I assume you've painting the chevrons on the front and rear? They make a big difference as well.

 

 

Peter, just to be clear (no pun intended!) my Wrenn 08 was flush glazed with clear plasticard cut and filed to shape, then black card glued inside the cab to hide the motor. I was never convinced that those gloss black painted engine room windows Mainline fitted to their Warship model looked right (and the later 'illuminated' Bachmann ones with grey-painted windows looked even worse!) The black card through the glazing just introduced a hint of 'depth'. In my opinion anyway!

My method for applying the wasp stripes is to paint the ends yellow first, then lightly mark a line down the centre of the cab; slice up some masking tape on a piece of glass (or similar hard surface) to the appropriate width by eye and then cut diagonally in both directions so you get matching pieces where the angled ends can be butted up against each other along the marked line. The exposed areas are then painted black and the tape moved. The radiator end is similar except that shorter pieces of angle-cut masking tape are butted up against the radiator panel, paying attention to surrounding details to get them the same both sides. Once the front angled stripes are done, the horizontal side stripes are painted in line with these. I make no attempt to get the stripes exactly as per the real thing as that would be extremely difficult and they varied in reality anyway. I hope this makes some kind of sense! 

I'm sure no Bachmann Class 08 models were 'split chassis' - I have a first blue release 08623 and it has a normal chassis with wiper pick-ups, although on the first ones these were in contact with the top of the wheel treads which makes them prone to dirt collection and are not the easiest thing to clean - this will be what stovepipe means when he says they take a bit of looking after. He's also correct that the first releases were not DCC-ready, which is why they are usually a bit cheaper than DCC-ready ones. Suits me, I'm a happy resident of DC-land!

 

[Peter-C]

1 minute ago, Neil Phillips said:

 

Peter, just to be clear (no pun intended!) my Wrenn 08 was flush glazed with clear plasticard cut and filed to shape, then black card glued inside the cab to hide the motor. I was never convinced that those gloss black painted engine room windows Mainline fitted to their Warship model looked right (and the later 'illuminated' Bachmann ones with grey-painted windows looked even worse!) The black card through the glazing just introduced a hint of 'depth'. In my opinion anyway!

Ah yes - apologies. What I meant to say was "I like the use of the black card behind the glazing"  I agree with you on Mainline/Bachmann models with blanked-out windows not looking amazing.

 

1 minute ago, Neil Phillips said:

My method for applying the wasp stripes is to paint the ends yellow first, then lightly mark a line down the centre of the cab; slice up some masking tape on a piece of glass (or similar hard surface) to the appropriate width by eye and then cut diagonally in both directions so you get matching pieces where the angled ends can be butted up against each other along the marked line. The exposed areas are then painted black and the tape moved. The radiator end is similar except that shorter pieces of angle-cut masking tape are butted up against the radiator panel, paying attention to surrounding details to get them the same both sides. Once the front angled stripes are done, the horizontal side stripes are painted in line with these. I make no attempt to get the stripes exactly as per the real thing as that would be extremely difficult and they varied in reality anyway. I hope this makes some kind of sense! 

Thanks for explaining - I'll almost certainly use this method when I come to paint my own engine as it's probably going to be done up as one of FGWs/GWRs shunters, so it'll need those wasp stripes. Seems a pretty simple way of doing it as well. I like the way you don't try to make it perfect; having read through this forum and others like it, there tend to be few things on the real railway which are done to the exact specifications that modellers often try to reproduce models to.

 

1 minute ago, Neil Phillips said:

I'm sure no Bachmann Class 08 models were 'split chassis' - I have a first blue release 08623 and it has a normal chassis with wiper pick-ups, although on the first ones these were in contact with the top of the wheel treads which makes them prone to dirt collection and are not the easiest thing to clean - this will be what stovepipe means when he says they take a bit of looking after. He's also correct that the first releases were not DCC-ready, which is why they are usually a bit cheaper than DCC-ready ones. Suits me, I'm a happy resident of DC-land!

Oh OK - again; thanks for explaining  I might look into those at some point then, as they do look to be decent models. I've got my eye on so many shunters at the moment that it's hard to keep track of which is which!

 

-Peter

[stovepipe]

Ah thanks for the correction Neil. I’ve not owned one of those early Bachmann ones; it looks like I’ve only half-remembered what I was told... sorry for any confusion.

 

The catalogue numbers for reference are 31-675/6/7, 32-101 to 107, 111/2 dating from 1996 to 2004.
 

Confusingly some of the subsequent ltd edition releases with suffixes, on these catalogue numbers, date from the non DCC period and some later ones are DCC ready. Bachmann generally start with Z suffixes and work backwards for LE releases and forward from A for main range...

Edited April 1, 2021 by stovepipe

[D9020 Nimbus]

I bought my Bachmann version second-hand for £38 about ten years ago. Despite little use it has stopped working correctly — behaving as if it has "split gears" (a very common problem on their N gauge models).

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

This is cheaper and no worse than S E F glazing!

 

 

Mike.

[Peter-C]

15 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

This is cheaper and no worse than S E F glazing!

 

 

Mike.

Haha - I never would have thought to have used that.

 

7 hours ago, stovepipe said:

Ah thanks for the correction Neil. I’ve not owned one of those early Bachmann ones; it looks like I’ve only half-remembered what I was told... sorry for any confusion.

 

The catalogue numbers for reference are 31-675/6/7, 32-101 to 107, 111/2 dating from 1996 to 2004.
 

Confusingly some of the subsequent ltd edition releases with suffixes, on these catalogue numbers, date from the non DCC period and some later ones are DCC ready. Bachmann generally start with Z suffixes and work backwards for LE releases and forward from A for main range...

Thanks for the info: it'll certainly come in handy if I ever buy a Bachmann 08, which is looking more likely now the fact that DCC is more possible for them.

 

-Peter

[Peter-C]

I said I'd share photos of my Class 09 when it arrived; here it is!

 

It came from eBay for just under £30 including postage, which is a decent price considering that some people are selling parts of engines for that. It's been repainted into BR Green at some point and it's a good paint job; it's been done with a spray thing to remove any brush strokes. When I'd been looking at the model online I forgot conversations on here about the models not having glazing as standard so didn't think to buy any glazing pieces, which was lucky as it came with glazing pre-fitted anyway!

I've tested it on my layout and it works well - a bit loud, but nothing serious. Because the paint job on it is so good I'm probably not going to repaint it as first planned and instead buy another one at some point to repaint if I really want to.

 

Thanks all for your helpful comments on here - it's thanks to you lot I've got a lovely little engine to add to my layout.

 

-Peter

[Legend]

Looks really good Peter . The paint job certainly enhances it as it looks noticeably more glossy than my Matt original version .  Buffers nicely done too . I hope you have great fun with it . 

Edited April 4, 2021 by Legend

[Peter-C]

20 hours ago, Legend said:

Looks really good Peter . The paint job certainly enhances it as it looks noticeably more glossy than my Matt original version .  Buffers nicely done too . I hope you have great fun with it . 

It is a decent model, especially for the price. Thanks

 

-Peter