Triang/Hornby R127 Crane Conversion

[MartinTrucks]

Only just found this thread. I have just bought an old R127 with the intention of improving it at some point, but on the model I have, the sheave block at the top of the jib seems to be high to gauge. Have those of you who have 'improved' the model made the jib sit lower on the carriage?

 

The other question(s) I have relates to the prototype. I do not have access to a copy of the article mentioned earlier. I assume these cranes were ordered by the wartime Railway Executive? Were they each allocated to one of the 'Big 4' companies? Were they supplied with runners (I suspect not)? If not, what did the four companies use (I am aware of what BR used in later days, thank you) as runners?

 

Thanks,

Martin

[zr2498]

On 10/12/2017 at 21:24, jonhall said:

Send me a personal message (envelope icon top right of screen) and I'll tell you all about it.

 

Jon

Hello Jon. Dare I ask if the detailing kits are still available?

Dave

[jonhall]

Yes they are, although they are starting to dwindle as I haven;'t done a resin demo for some years now.

 

I'm having a bit of a multi-discipline domestic disaster at the moment which means following burst pipes I've got to empty half the house contents into the other half so that the plaster an come off the walls and the floor and walls dry out - probably worth reminding me in a couple of weeks time and I'll be in a slightly better position to answer.

 

Jon

[zr2498]

Understood Jon. Must be a nightmare for you. Good luck with it. Just seen your PM come in, very kind of you. Studying Peter Tatlows book - volume 3 before final choice of upgrade. Cheers, Dave

[BluenGreyAnorak]

Hello folks,

 

Sorry to drag up an old thread but I've just acquired one of these cranes and also one of Jon's excellent detailing kits.

 

 

 

The crane has already been dismantled to its component parts:

 

 

And I've made up all of the pulleys in the kit using a simple jig:

 

 

Unfortunately, like a lot of RMweb, all of the earlier pictures in this thread have disappeared and I'd be ever so grateful if anybody could re-share some of their completed conversions. I'm particularly interested in the rigging of the cable!

 

Many thanks.

[Trofimow]

15 hours ago, BluenGreyAnorak said:

 

Unfortunately, like a lot of RMweb, all of the earlier pictures in this thread have disappeared and I'd be ever so grateful if anybody could re-share some of their completed conversions. I'm particularly interested in the rigging of the cable!

 

Unfortunately, I no longer have the pics I posted pre-meltdown during the conversion, but here are a few taken today.

(Perhaps I should have dusted it first...)

[BluenGreyAnorak]

That looks great. Thanks for posting those.

[BluenGreyAnorak]

It's been a few weeks since I dismantled my crane so I thought I'd share my progress to date. I thought that this was going to be a relatively quick conversion - whack on Jon's detailing kit and apply a bit of paint - but it's fair to say that I've found myself getting carried away!

 

To mimic the the Exmouth Junction crane that the detailing kit represents, I've extended the rear upper framework to receive the larger counterweight and filled in the lower sides:

 

 

I've also cut away all of the internal 'Hornby' cross pieces and fabricated new cross-beams and cable drums, and cut away a good amount of the base and made new side steps complete with a representation of the supporting beams. None of it is glued together yet here in this cruel close-up:

 

 

The head of the jib has been opened out and drilled to receive the pulleys from the detailing kit and the chassis has had decent coupling hooks added (Wizard Models), the jack brackets removed from the upper decks and tiny holes drilled to receive handwheels for the axle jacks. All of the major parts have had a coat of primer in readiness for painting before assembly:

 

 

Looking at that picture, I've just realised that I've forgotten to add the tie-down hooks to the corners of the chassis that come with the detailing kit. I'll have to stick them on before I go any further.

 

The only parts that I'm missing are transfers, which I've just ordered from CCT, and suitably small handwheels for the axle jacks. I initially planned to use some etched wagon hand brake wheels but then realised that they're far too big, so if anybody can point me at a source of smaller ones it'd be much appreciated 🙂

Edited March 13, 2023 by BluenGreyAnorak

[BluenGreyAnorak]

So, progress on this little project has been glacially slow, not helped by having to re-build the plastic parts following a botched paint job and subsequent failed stripping 🙄 The old plastic went soft and scabby, for want of a better term:

 

 

I ended up buying another crane and performing the surgery to the plastic parts all over again, although I did at least manage to salvage and re-use the fabricated parts:

 

 

With that complete, I could finally get some primer on it and try a dry fit of all of the major parts, which is where things currently stand:

 

 

With a bit of luck, I'll get to break out my air brush and apply some better paint in a less ham-fisted way over the weekend, and then I can begin assembly proper. Wish me luck 😬

[cctransuk]

12 hours ago, BluenGreyAnorak said:

The old plastic went soft and scabby ....

 

Dettol?

 

CJI.

[BluenGreyAnorak]

I'm not sure that I follow - are you asking if I used Dettol or suggesting I try it? If the former then no, and if the latter the moment has already passed.

 

What I did was paint the thing with some acrylic but it came out as a very matt finish and I decided that I'd chosen the wrong colour anyway. I then tried stripping with a cleaning product called 'Totally Awesome' (yes, really) that was demonstrated by the chap on the YouTube channel called Everard Junction. It didn't work as well as his demo but I persevered and then re-painted with enamel but the finish was awful, so something had gone wrong somewhere. I then tried stripping again, this time with a product called 'Clean Slate', but that resulted in the mess shown above. 

 

In hindsight, which is always a wonderful thing, I think I used the wrong stripping product for the wrong paint type, if you see what I mean? Anyway, I chalked it up to experience and started again.

 

All of this does mean that if I factor in the paints, strippers and the purchase of another crane, this will be the most expensive conversion in all of Christendom🙄😬

Edited March 31 by BluenGreyAnorak

[cctransuk]

29 minutes ago, BluenGreyAnorak said:

I'm not sure that I follow - are you asking if I used Dettol or suggesting I try it? If the former then no, and if the latter the moment has already passed.

 

What I did was paint the thing with some acrylic but it came out as a very matt finish and I decided that I'd chosen the wrong colour anyway. I then tried stripping with a cleaning product called 'Totally Awesome' (yes, really) that was demonstrated by the chap on the YouTube channel called Everard Junction. It didn't work as well as his demo but I persevered and then re-painted with acrylic but the finish was awful, so something had gone wrong somewhere. I then tried stripping again, this time with a product called 'Clean Slate', but that resulted in the mess shown above. 

 

In hindsight, which is always a wonderful thing, I think I used the wrong stripping product for the wrong paint type, if you see what I mean? Anyway, I chalked it up to experience and started again.

 

All of this does mean that if I factor in the paints, strippers and the purchase of another crane, this will be the most expensive conversion in all of Christendom🙄😬

 

The former - I have heard of this happening with Dettol.

 

I don't use acrylics, so I can't offer advice on stripping it - but I swear by Mr. Muscle (orange can) spray oven cleaner for enamels; even though the fumes catch in my throat.

 

Put the model in a poly-bag; spray in the white foam oven cleaner until the bag is full; seal the bag and leave for 24 hours.

 

The paint should then rinse off with a minimal application of an old toothbrush.

 

CJI.

[BluenGreyAnorak]

That's good to know, thanks. It's sort of what I was expecting to happen with the Totally Awesome but I think I just used it on the wrong type of paint.

[cypherman]

Hi all,

Does any one do a replacement jib for one of these cranes. I have one where the jib has snapped in 2 places.