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Great British Locomotives


EddieB
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Both wrong I'm afraid - you need to look at the rear pony truck more closely. I'm building 35018 Belgian Marine. Once I have next month's pay cheque, an order will go in to Golden Arrow for a series two resin kit of the Bulleid Merchant Navy. Chris Leigh's timely Model Rail article this month reminded me I've had this on the back burner for some time. Originally I was going to use Dapol's plastic Bulleid kits to cut and shut a merchant navy but I think the resin kit will be quicker and more accurate.

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When I was at work I gave some thought to the issue of the smokebox door. Would I be best to file it down to make it smaller, or file the hole for it to make it larger or a combination of the two? Has anyone else tried to modify it yet?

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.... smokebox door. Would I be best to file it down to make it smaller, or file the hole for it to make it larger or a combination of the two? Has anyone else tried to modify it yet?

You wouldn't be looking to make it smaller. It's probably easier to file down the excess length behind the door and ring, instead of increasing the size of the hole in the boiler front.

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When I was at work I gave some thought to the issue of the smokebox door. Would I be best to file it down to make it smaller, or file the hole for it to make it larger or a combination of the two? Has anyone else tried to modify it yet?

The diameter of the door is the same as the smokebox (or maybe a few thou bigger) so you'd lose some rivets.  I think the way is to file/sand/abrade the outer 3mm or so of the inside of the over-thick smokebox door so it sits inside the smokebox.  If you are thinking of replacing the dart you could drill through the door there and attach to a mini-drill.

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Just to reinforce Ivan's comment further back, this is the stretched 1947 version, not the standard Stanier version (so far as such a thing existed.)

 

The Ivatt-tweaked LWB Black Fives had four inches added to the frames (so 7' x 8'4"), running plates and smokebox (6'8.5" long).

 

ADDITION: they were numbered 44658-44767, so 44781 as depicted is not a "stretched" one.

 

Having had a further look at the smokebox and boiler barrel, the boiler itself seems fine, but the smokebox barrel appears not to have been stretched - if you remove the excess plastic behind the smokebox door ring, you end up with a "normal" 6'4" long smokebox. I'll get the digi-callipers out and verify this later. Nothing wrong with the door itself - it really is a good rendering of the Stanier door; just lop off the moulded handles and rail and substitute your own items.

 

I think you could use a lot of the Brassmasters and Comet etched parts to help turn it into a runner, plus some upgraded castings - especially the chimney. The main casting that may not be easy to find is the ejector (at the cab end)

Edited by Horsetan
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I went and got one from Smith's this morning - they keep them hidden behind the door...

 

It looked reasonable from one side - although there are a couple of glue fingerprints which should paint out and the boiler band painting is a bit erratic. Unfortunately the cylinders were a bit out of place, so I glued them in place - and then I looked at the other side!

 

Black5_zpsba461049.jpg

 

I'm not planning to modify it other than touching up the paint, painting the wheels and motion and perhaps a bit of light weathering. For me it's another good model spoiled by poor execution.

 

In other news the Schools repaint is going well (by my standards) and now has nameplates and a decalled tender - apart from the lining, which I can't find anywhere, but Fox tell me that Maunsell lining for a Schools is on their to-do list, so I'll do what I can and hang on until it goes onto the done list. Annoyingly I forgot to order cabside number plates when I ordered the nameplates, so that area looks a bit bare. Photos later.

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Don't panic Smiffy

Behind the cylinders is a plastic tab that fits into a hole in the chassis a small drop of super glue applied with a cocktail stick and you will be able to reattach the cylinder to the chassis.

 

If anyone else wishes to remove the lion and wheel crest or remember the loco some white spirit on a cocktail stick and a lot of rubbing will remove them. It does leave a patch that does not quite match the rest of the surrounding area but a bit of weathering will blend it in.

 

One question what colour are the numbers supposed to be? some photos and the model show white numbers other photos and the HMRS transfers are a yellow / cream colour.

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Done that. Humbrol RC401 is a good match - I painted up close to the boiler band lining where it had gone a bit fuzzy, and where I scraped the mould lines off. Just painting the wheels matt black before a light drybrushing with gunmetal/dirty black and then gunmetal and a bit of brown ink on the motion.

 

This is the first of two, the second one is my subscription. May go LMS or may go Swapsies, not sure. Still waiting for T9s in LSWR and Maunsell green...

 

I'm thinking of making a photoplank...

Edited by Smiffy2
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WHSmith in Brum had 4 in stock today.

 

Unlike others on here I was not particularly impressed.

The finish looked poor compared to some of the other previous editions and all 4 had a noticeable sag in the boiler at around handrail height on the left just in front of the dome.

On one the smokebox door was off!

 

Keith

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...all 4 had a noticeable sag in the boiler at around handrail height on the left just in front of the dome.

 

That might be an optical illusion caused by the moulded handrail. I had the same impression of a sagging boiler on my sample, but then realised it was the moulded handrail that was causing it! Shave it all off and it should be fine.

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That might be an optical illusion caused by the moulded handrail. I had the same impression of a sagging boiler on my sample, but then realised it was the moulded handrail that was causing it! Shave it all off and it should be fine.

I don't think so.

Each sample was different and when I held them at an angle to look across the side of the boiler there was a definite flat visible.

 

Keith

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Listed tonight on E-bay is a Bachmann City of Turo empty box. It has been listed for 99p starting price if some one wants one to put their GBL loco in when it arrives....

Followed by a rapid flogging-on on eBay, complete with indistinct photo?

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Picked up a Black Five from our local Co-op of all places. The only one they had, so it was take it or leave in respect of the quality.  Seemed not too bad so I took it (after paying for it, not into five fingered discounts!).  Probably a bash into a Wardale 5AT is miles in advance of my current skills, so it will have to wait a bit. :-)

Edited by Theo C. Cupier
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Don't panic Smiffy

Behind the cylinders is a plastic tab that fits into a hole in the chassis a small drop of super glue applied with a cocktail stick and you will be able to reattach the cylinder to the chassis.

 

If anyone else wishes to remove the lion and wheel crest or remember the loco some white spirit on a cocktail stick and a lot of rubbing will remove them. It does leave a patch that does not quite match the rest of the surrounding area but a bit of weathering will blend it in.

 

One question what colour are the numbers supposed to be? some photos and the model show white numbers other photos and the HMRS transfers are a yellow / cream colour.

Hi,

British Railways used both white and pale cream lettering for steam locomotives. Although the size was specified for all classes from several standard sizes of number, several works used a size other than the 'correct' one from within the range - this often harked back to pre-grouping practise and was another example of works not towing the line as dictated by the BTC/BRB.

Regards.

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....I think you could use a lot of the Brassmasters and Comet etched parts to help turn it into a runner, plus some upgraded castings - especially the chimney. The main casting that may not be easy to find is the ejector (at the cab end)

 

Possible upgrade/ alternative parts list include the following:

 

Brassmasters

 

H101 Hornby Black Five detail pack

(Also worth asking if they will supply the all-singing, all-dancing chassis from their full Black Five kit separately)

 

If the GBL tender is not good enough for you, then use:

 

T101 Rivetted tender kit

T102 Welded tender kit

T103 Part-welded tender kit

 

Comet

 

LCP3 Black Five chassis kit (OO spacers)

LS10 EM spacers

LS20 Stanier cab etch

LS21 Live and exhaust steam injectors

LS33 Stanier-type loco / tender steps

LS40 Mechanical lubricators

LS41 Black 5 chimney

LS42 Stanier sandboxes

LS55 Hornblock bearings and coil springs

LS60 P4 spacers

LS71 Smokebox door handles (1 plain, 1 flanged)

 

If keeping the GBL tender body, but binning the moulded underframes:-

 

TF1 Tender outside frame kit, standard axleboxes

TF2 As above, but later pattern axleboxes

TC3 Tender inner chassis

 

Wheels/gears/motor - your own selection.

 

AGW

 

4903 LMS sprung buffers

4M765 Class 5 chimney

 

Sky's the limit.

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