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Thompson A2s - Bachmann rebuilds


Timara

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I've just been watching developments up to now, but with an ever growing smile on my face. :) Like them or loath them, Thompson's Pacifics were an integral part of the 1950's ECML, and it isn't possible to create a true picture of that era without them. My attempts to do so go back 40 years now, and until now these locos have always been the major difficulty in any project, simply because they don't like curves. That's entirely prototypical - the real things were apparently banned from some parts of MPD's having fallen off too often. I've had to live with locos that have had so much taken off the rear of the cylinders that frankly they looked faintly ridiculous, and even those that John Houlden has recently built for me have needed quite a lot of fettling to get round curves, though he managed not to perform major surgery on the cylinders.

 

I am in complete accord with Tony Wright when he talks about "layout locomotives". My stock is there to be run, not to sit in a case looking pretty. If that means some compromise, so be it. RTR chassis are now excellent from the running point of view, so to use them where possible is for me at least a sensible and pragmatic solution. Thanks to Tim and Graeme I shall shortly have the best of both worlds, because these two locos will give me all the benefits that RTR bring, while still managing to look uncannily like the real thing. :biggrin_mini2: The rather ungainly look is there, but nevertheless these engines have an obvious Great Northern/LNER pedigree. They are certainly imposing, and from some angles at least they have a degree of elegance about them.

 

New England shed always had nearly a quarter of the Thompson Pacifics on its books, so for a model of Peterborough North they are absolutely essential. These two are going to enhance my layout enormously, and I've seen for myself that they run as well as they look, so to say the least I'm delighted with what Tim is achieving here. No doubt they will make the announcement of a RTR A2/3 much more likely, but I'm getting used to that, Hornby having just decided to duplicate my lovely but expensive set of Thompson non corridor stock. :mad: Thanks for doing such a fantastic job Tim, I can't wait to get them working for a living!

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Thankyou Gilbert! I'm rather looking forward to seeing them running on the layout, not least in some more photographs once they're delivered. :good:

 

Meantime, here are some pics to whet appetites..... With the exception of nameplates, worksplates and weathering, 60523 is pretty much finished now. I decided to use the Woodhead lining in the end and it has matched up very nicely indeed. Any colour discrepancy will soon vanish when the minimal grime goes on the running plate. Glazing is thin clear acetate held in with Kristal Kleer. Superb stuff that!

 

post-6712-0-07712700-1325964494_thumb.jpg

 

post-6712-0-04231700-1325964523_thumb.jpg

 

A head-on shot to show how far we've come since the start. Certainly a powerful-looking machine.

 

post-6712-0-28535300-1325964619_thumb.jpg

 

Couple of pics showing 60515 to follow later.....

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Thankyou Gilbert! I'm rather looking forward to seeing them running on the layout, not least in some more photographs once they're delivered. :good:

 

Meantime, here are some pics to whet appetites..... With the exception of nameplates, worksplates and weathering, 60523 is pretty much finished now. I decided to use the Woodhead lining in the end and it has matched up very nicely indeed. Any colour discrepancy will soon vanish when the minimal grime goes on the running plate. Glazing is thin clear acetate held in with Kristal Kleer. Superb stuff that!

 

post-6712-0-07712700-1325964494_thumb.jpg

 

post-6712-0-04231700-1325964523_thumb.jpg

 

A head-on shot to show how far we've come since the start. Certainly a powerful-looking machine.

 

post-6712-0-28535300-1325964619_thumb.jpg

 

Couple of pics showing 60515 to follow later.....

Tim

 

Congratulations, what a fantastic example of railway modelling your almost finish model looks superb, the sort of locomotive I can only dream of owning unless the two main manufacturer's produce an A2/3 in RTR form.

 

Regards

 

David

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What can I say Tim. I hate to be one of those posters who keeps saying, Amazing, Well Done...Great work....but really Tim...You have done a superb job, simply stunning when it isn't your chosen region too!

 

Although I would prefer Apple Green mind...hint hint.... :P

 

Well done matey! :drinks:

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What can I say Tim. I hate to be one of those posters who keeps saying, Amazing, Well Done...Great work....but really Tim...You have done a superb job, simply stunning when it isn't your chosen region too!

 

Although I would prefer Apple Green mind...hint hint.... :P

 

Well done matey! :drinks:

 

Thankyou! Yes, I know exactly what you mean - one of those things I suppose.....!

 

Pair of images to finish tonight off - current state of 60515 from the driver's side.

 

post-6712-0-13453200-1325966184_thumb.jpg

 

 

Both locos together. Still a little bit of work to do on "Sun Stream", but that's easily done in an hour.

 

post-6712-0-92048700-1325966218_thumb.jpg

 

Cheers!

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You're not the only one Tom! I have a feeling Gilbert is of the same opinion..... ;) Gave myself a day off from these today to build a turnout. Something I've not had the pleasure of doing for around 4 years now...!

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Gilbert, do you have 60113 for this era?

 

What's the model's provenence, if so?

 

I hope Gilbert doesn't mind my answering for him on this one, but I know for a fact that he hasn't got a model of "Great Northern" yet. I have a feeling it was down to thinking that it was otherwise in work during the time period operated on Peterborough North. Since then, I have a feeling an image has turned up showing that it was indeed running.

 

I dare say I might get possibly get a future commission for a conversion based on the Hornby A3 using Graeme King's resin parts, but that's not my call at all! :no:

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I hope Gilbert doesn't mind my answering for him on this one, but I know for a fact that he hasn't got a model of "Great Northern" yet. I have a feeling it was down to thinking that it was otherwise in work during the time period operated on Peterborough North. Since then, I have a feeling an image has turned up showing that it was indeed running.

 

I dare say I might get possibly get a future commission for a conversion based on the Hornby A3 using Graeme King's resin parts, but that's not my call at all! :no:

 

You know what Tim, if it wasn't for the beautiful paint job you did on my PDK model...I'd be employing your services on a Hornby A3...A1/1....still can't convince you on the apple green one.....

 

I'll get my coat!! :secret:

 

I have my apple green A2/3 from you to look forward to anyhow! :D

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I think "Sun Castle" is about as finished as it's ever going to be now, having been at the receiving end of my airbrush this afternoon. The nameplates that arrived this week had gone on too, so there wasn't anything standing in my way to stop me!

 

I will admit that I've never really had much chance to use the airbrush for weathering, having normally done this job by hand. Suffice to say, the brushes decided for some reason known only to themselves not to play ball, so I thought "sod it" and brought "Edward" ** in from the garage.

 

I've followed Tim Shackleton's method as prescribed for Roy Jackson's "Great Northern", though with a few diversions as required. Just a few further tweaks are needed before this one can be ready to haul trains on Peterborough North..... :sungum:

 

post-6712-0-21975500-1326397873_thumb.jpg

 

post-6712-0-79218800-1326397922_thumb.jpg

 

If the sun decides to be out tomorrow morning, I'll take a couple in natural light, as they should be!

 

 

**( ... the compressor)

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I've followed Tim Shackleton's method as prescribed for Roy Jackson's "Great Northern"

 

 

Hi Tim,

actually Master Shackletons captions are wrong......Great Northern was built by me, not Roy, out of an early Crownline kit, including the resin boiler!

Nice work on that pair looking at the pics........hope to see them in action soon!

 

Pete

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Hi Tim,

actually Master Shackletons captions are wrong......Great Northern was built by me, not Roy, out of an early Crownline kit, including the resin boiler!

Nice work on that pair looking at the pics........hope to see them in action soon!

 

Pete

 

Hi Pete,

 

Well they say one learns something new every day! Thinking about it after something Mr Gee said to me, I must admit that I did think it unusual that Roy would have even gone near something that he couldn't solder....... But there you go!

 

Cheers!

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Finest A2/3 in 4mm....fact....the weathering is superb....the modelling just as much so!

A big well done mate, Mr Barnatt will be over the moon I'm sure!

 

The kind of modelling this hobby should be all about!

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Only just found this thread, and it's all been a very enjoyable and interesting read. Those images, in post 64, really capture the feel of these locos magnificently. I'll admit to not going out of my way to lusting after these ones (although I've a soft spot for the A2/2s), but this thread has begun to change my view entirely. First rate models... a splendid conversion job!

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Only just found this thread, and it's all been a very enjoyable and interesting read. Those images, in post 64, really capture the feel of these locos magnificently. I'll admit to not going out of my way to lusting after these ones (although I've a soft spot for the A2/2s), but this thread has begun to change my view entirely. First rate models... a splendid conversion job!

 

Thankyou Jon :). If I'm honest, they've gone a long way to change my views on them too! Put it this way, when you've spent two months with them almost every day, they do have a habit of growing on you. With an unbiased hat on, I'd probably compare them in the "ungainlyness" stakes with the LMS "Princess Royal", even though I really think the latter are a superb locomotive, for the simple fact they got painted red and looked every better for it! I've got one of those to do for myself soonish, but I digress...... :drag:

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I think "Sun Castle" is about as finished as it's ever going to be now, having been at the receiving end of my airbrush this afternoon. The nameplates that arrived this week had gone on too, so there wasn't anything standing in my way to stop me! I will admit that I've never really had much chance to use the airbrush for weathering, having normally done this job by hand. Suffice to say, the brushes decided for some reason known only to themselves not to play ball, so I thought "sod it" and brought "Edward" ** in from the garage. I've followed Tim Shackleton's method as prescribed for Roy Jackson's "Great Northern", though with a few diversions as required. Just a few further tweaks are needed before this one can be ready to haul trains on Peterborough North..... :sungum: post-6712-0-21975500-1326397873_thumb.jpg post-6712-0-79218800-1326397922_thumb.jpg If the sun decides to be out tomorrow morning, I'll take a couple in natural light, as they should be! size]
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Second pair.... This was actually the first shot taken to get a feel of the richness of the green.

 

post-6712-0-56451600-1326458039_thumb.jpg

 

I couldn't resist a nice side on shot - the light was just right!

 

post-6712-0-67452200-1326458126_thumb.jpg

 

Now to go and fit that pesky AWS conduit to the LHS running plate valance..... :rolleyes:

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