Hest Bank in 4mm scale

[MacDuff999]

Looks rather nice Tony. 

[TerryD1471]

Lovely model of a splendid prototype.

 

Back to Hest Bank:-

 

Firstly a couple of Black 5s built from DJH kits.

 

These kits have been in stock for far too long and eventually I have got around to building them. Sometimes one's modelling mojo takes a bit of "kicking in", but the end result (so far) has been very satisfactory. Both locos run very sweetly and powerfully, although the choice of different motors/drive trains bring very different results. The upper one has a can motor/gearbox which runs much more slowly than the one below which has a D13 and 40:1 gears.

Next is a very ancient Hornby Dublo Duchess (about 60 years old!) which has had some surgery around the firebox, scale wheels and towing a Ks destreamlined tender. Not too good at slow running but very powerful. It will pull just about anything you put behind it, so the customary load of 12-14 bogies is well within its capabilities. Just needs frame extensions over the rear pony, deflectors and a paint job.

 

Also a work-in-progress, being a Ks Duchess and its accompanying scratch chassis. Markits wheels and a Comet motion and valve gear set are under way. It will be powered by a large KTM motor (Pittman copy!) and a set of 30:1 gears and will tow a Comet tender. It will be City of Hereford.

 

 

Also for further work later on there is a further scratch brass chassis and a Comet chassis.

 

 

The Comet chassis is of course made from very slim section metal and needs as much as possible in the way of cross bracing to achieve rigidity, "egg-box" fashion. Just one of these can be seen in place, but as many as possible will be incorporated in the final build.

[TerryD1471]

On 27/04/2021 at 10:41, t-b-g said:

Mick Moore, builder of the signal gantry, doesn't really "do" social media and internet forum stuff but I have shown him some photos of where his signal ended up and he asked me to pass on a message to say how pleased he is that it has been put to such good use.

 

Tony Gee

Thanks Tony

 

I bumped into Mick  Moore myself (at Spalding show?) and thanked him for his workmanship on the signal gantry and assured him it had been put to good (and authentic) use.

 

Once again Valour looks a treat!

 

Terry

 

 

[MacDuff999]

Well, there is just a little progress on the 'Duchess' 46232, in the form of a Comet chassis kit, a set of Markits bogie wheels, and a pair of Mike Edge etched smoke deflectors. I am waiting for delivery of a copy of the LMS Loco Profiles on 'Coronations', from Titfield Thunderbolt Bookshop in Bath. I feel I need to at least have a browse through that, to see if there are any glaring areas for attention, before I commence the ritual reaming out of axle holes for bearings, and assembly of the coupling rods to test initial accuracy of the chassis wheelbase on my Avonside jig. I have assembled the Comet mainframes onto a pair of Comet axle jigs (the threaded ones with barrel-shaped metal spacers), and they fit under the H/D body fairly well, although a little work will be necessary to ensure any below-running plate gaps are filled. How do you secure your chassis to the H/D bodies Terry? There is a screw hole between the forward part of the frames on the body, which could be used to join to the chassis front end; it looks like another screw hole will need to be drilled in the cab floor to secure the chassis rear.    

[TerryD1471]

On 06/05/2021 at 19:15, MacDuff999 said:

Well, there is just a little progress on the 'Duchess' 46232, in the form of a Comet chassis kit, a set of Markits bogie wheels, and a pair of Mike Edge etched smoke deflectors. I am waiting for delivery of a copy of the LMS Loco Profiles on 'Coronations', from Titfield Thunderbolt Bookshop in Bath. I feel I need to at least have a browse through that, to see if there are any glaring areas for attention, before I commence the ritual reaming out of axle holes for bearings, and assembly of the coupling rods to test initial accuracy of the chassis wheelbase on my Avonside jig. I have assembled the Comet mainframes onto a pair of Comet axle jigs (the threaded ones with barrel-shaped metal spacers), and they fit under the H/D body fairly well, although a little work will be necessary to ensure any below-running plate gaps are filled. How do you secure your chassis to the H/D bodies Terry? There is a screw hole between the forward part of the frames on the body, which could be used to join to the chassis front end; it looks like another screw hole will need to be drilled in the cab floor to secure the chassis rear.    

Hi Ian

 

My normal method is to Araldite the square headed fixing screw permanently into the hole between the front frames and then file it down flush so it becomes invisible. The screw can then be located in a hole at the front of the chassis.

 

At the rear, there is no need to have another fixing screw. I suggest a couple of options:-

1 Solder a strip to the chassis to locate in the slot under the cab, or

2 Solder a couple of lugs to engage with the front of the cab floor.

 

I'll see if I can illustrate these two options with photos.

[MacDuff999]

I had certainly thought along those lines Terry, especially for the front end fixing. With the Comet frames fitting so well into the body, a suitably placed, slotted spacer firmly soldered will hopefully make it not too difficult to secure things just aft of the front buffer beam. The below-cab fixing will, I think, need more careful thought, although your two suggestions sound quite do-able. I take it you were able to fit the correct diameter drivers when you did these H/D conversions? Another issue to be aware of, I think, is to make sure you get ride height of the body right.         

[TerryD1471]

On 16/05/2021 at 20:44, MacDuff999 said:

I had certainly thought along those lines Terry, especially for the front end fixing. With the Comet frames fitting so well into the body, a suitably placed, slotted spacer firmly soldered will hopefully make it not too difficult to secure things just aft of the front buffer beam. The below-cab fixing will, I think, need more careful thought, although your two suggestions sound quite do-able. I take it you were able to fit the correct diameter drivers when you did these H/D conversions? Another issue to be aware of, I think, is to make sure you get ride height of the body right.         

Yes, I have used 26 mm drivers throughout, as the slightly overscale flanges are less obvious as you get to the larger diameters. I have used some 27mm Markits wheels as well, but I am less confident that they will resist derailment so well. The ride height should not be too difficult to get right as the fit of the wheels inside the splashers will give you a good guide. I am still cranking myself up to dismantling 46247 and 46250 to photo them as a guide!

[MacDuff999]

I have been looking again at the Duchess photo in your post of 29th. April Terry. It looks as though you have fitted new front buffers. Did you solder them in place or just superglue them? Have you ever tried soldering anything to the H/D bodies? I was thinking you might be able to do that with low-melt solder, as it is white metal. 

[MacDuff999]

Just to let you know Terry, that I have posted on the Motive Power for Camden thread, details of a new thread I have started under the heading 'Up-grading Hornby-Dublo and Wrenn 'Duchesses', in the modifying /up-grading RTR models category. This is so that I can solicit help & advice from more experienced modellers, without hi-jacking someone else's thread on a different core topic. Please feel free to access my thread, and make any suggestions you think will help to solve a niggly issue I have with a recently-acquired 'Duchess'. Thanks. 

 

 

 

 

[MacDuff999]

Posted a query on my 'Up-grading Duchesses' thread re length of their name plates. Can anyone enlighten me please; scale drawing seems to indicate c.6ft. (24/5mm).

[MacDuff999]

A message for Terry. I have a query about 'Coronation' modifications, which I am sure you will be able to help me with Terry, but can you contact me on e-mail, i.ogden88@btinternet.com, rather than clogging up your thread on Hest Bank. Thanks.   

[TerryD1471]

On 11/02/2022 at 10:42, MacDuff999 said:

A message for Terry. I have a query about 'Coronation' modifications, which I am sure you will be able to help me with Terry, but can you contact me on e-mail, i.ogden88@btinternet.com, rather than clogging up your thread on Hest Bank. Thanks.   

Hi Ian

 

I have a horrible feeling I should have responded to you and have failed to do so. I apologise. It's no excuse , but I have been wrapped up in other things, which have now dispersed, so I can devote some attention to this if it's still relevant.

 

I'll also contact you by Email. I wouldn't be surprised if you have sorted this out anyway, but I'm all ears!

 

ATB

 

Terry