my kitbuilding efforts, BEV upgrade

[cheesysmith]

 

Just to prove real life hasn`t got in the way too much, and having not posted anything for a while, I thought a photo of a pair of 3h coke hoppers in my own version of the colours of rust and muck would not go amiss.

[cheesysmith]

My latest effort, a BR ferry open wagon. This has taken me about 3 months to build, and uses bits from cambrian, parkside, 51l, LMS, romford and Bachmann. I went to town on the detailing, and even included the handrails under the buffers. In one of the photos you will see it parked next to a woodern bodies 13t open. This i built today, just because i had to goto the shop for some screw couplings for the ferry open, so i picked it up at the time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS-In one of the photos, it looks like the buffer are not level. They are, it`s just the camera angle with the fact the buffers are rotated a bit.

 

[cheesysmith]

My latest efforts are finnishing off the lima 47522 I remotored and detailed using Heljan bits. If you look you will see where I had a glue failier with the glasing at one end, and the ETH cable requires re-attaching to the bufferbeam. Also, because of the temporary good weather, I too advantage to get the sprays out and paint the ferry open and a ODA i built.

 

[cheesysmith]

Having just seen how much a kit built ODA wagon went for on ebay, I thought I`d show how to build one yourself. This would be a perfect job as a first step into modifying a kit. It is easy to do and requires minimal tools.

 

 

 

This is the parts used.

 

 

This is underframe removing the trussing, not needed

 

 

This is were I removed the buffers and the slot in the buffer beam to fit a smiths screw coupling. Notice I drilled the buffers all the way through with a 2mm drill, to allow the fitting of LMS buffers (I used b009) and drilled a 0-5mm hole for the replica air pipes.

 

 

The body is just built as normal, and then we move onto the underframe.

 

 

First thing you do to the underframe is remove the axleboxes and the springs, and the small v hangers.

 

 

The ODA wagon has open w irons Vs the solid plate ones that come with the original kit. You could change the irons, with the problems of getting the replacements square and true, or do as I did, and use a 2mm drill to open up the top of the w irons. This will make it look like the open w irons as the new springs will cover the bits left over.

 

 

This is what you end up with.

 

 

Make sure the top of the springs is flat, to make sure it glues flat to the solebar later.

 

 

Then you add wheelbearings, and attach the axleboxes. Then glue the springs into the solebar, from behind is better.

 

 

This is when you attach the underframe to the body. At the moment they are not glued into place.

 

 

And this is where you use the loom bands

 

 

Put the wheels into place, and the loom bands round the axleboxes, and run glue along the inside edge of the solebar/body. The reason for doing this is it allows the axleboxes to be tight enough to retain the wheels without slop, but loose enough to remain free running. The best bit is the fact that the loom band craze is going out at the moment, so my local toy shops was selling of a bag full for a whole £1 (about 1500 bands).

 

 

Time to get the brake gear into place.

 

 

Then when it is in place, and not rubbing on the wheels

 

 

Glue into place.

 

 

Add the brake levers, door bangers etc.

 

 

And this is the end result after a coat of Halfords plastic primer.

 

All I can say is, go on, give it a go. This is a easy conversion. Any questions, just ask.

 

[cheesysmith]

Having got some likes for the remotoring I have done using Heljan mechanisms I thought I would put a guide up on how to do it yourself. These are easy to do and give you the option of putting better mechanisms into older models.

 

First, you need to find out the wheelbase and bogie distance apart of the prototype.

 

ww​w.clag.org.uk/wheelbase

 

Then find what Heljan make that can be used. Lucky for us, you can get most spares from here.

 

ww​w.howesmodels.co.uk

 

Then find a Heljan loco going for spares. In this case I used a 47 that was suffering from mazac rot.

 

 

Then we start dismantling. Using a flat blade jewelers screwdriver, everything just clips together (or apart). Start with pulling off the bogie sideframes. Then use you screwdriver to lever off the top clip that retains the bogie.

 

 

Then you will have the bogie just held in place with the wires for the pickups.

 

 

Pull the pickups off, and the bogie will fall free.

 

 

The bottom clip will come off using the screwdriver the same as the top, and this a Heljan 47 bogie dismantled.

 

 

Then we remove the circuit board. This is just held in place by the rubber clips

 

 

Then I used the screwdriver to remove the plugs

 

 

Then push the motor out with it`s rubber holders from underneath.

 

 

Then remove the bogie pivot pins by putting them on their sides, and removing them sideways.

 

 

And this is it totally disassembled.

 

 

Be aware that Heljan use 3 different size gears in their bogies. There is the large one from the worm, and two different sized ones in the lower gears. If you don't have the right ones, look on ebay. The small gears I used were mod 0.5, 7mm dia, 5mm thick with a 2mm shaft. I got 30 of these from china for less than £2.

 

 

This is all the pieces I used for a class 37 bogie, using the sprues for the DP2.

 

 

Then assembled.

 

 

Hornby class 37 underframe, that will need the fuel tanks cutting off, as well as the cross member that goes across the trailing bogie opening.

 

 

Then I used 2 piece of 90769 plastruc section, of 2mm x 6.4mm. Cut to length longer than needed. Glue them together using minimal glue. This is to make sure that the holes are the same distance on both bits. For some underframes, they can turn floppy when you cut pieces of the underframe away to add detailing. These sections can be useful to add rigidity by extending to the ends. Mark where you need to put the holes the bogie distance apart.

 

 

Then drill 2mm holes (the largest drill size I have).

 

 

Then using a tapered file  I increase the size of the hole.

 

 

Until it is a loose fit over the bogie pivot pins.

 

 

Then separate the pieces apart. This is what you end up with.

 

 

Using off cuts, add two pieces for the longer sides you have just drilled to sit on. Using some more off cuts, add some pieces across for the motor to sit on.

 

 

The motor is just held on with double sided tape. This is a completed chassis.

 

 

And this is what it looks like with the Hornby 37 body on top. I have some lima fuel tanks to add under this.

 

 

And here is another I did, for a mainline 56. For this I did the same, but just used the Heljan 58 bogies sprues with bits from a class 47.

 

 

Any questions, just ask.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cheesysmith]

Well, my latest effort is a vi trains 37. I picked a model of the great eastern they did in the green, cheap from ebay for only £22. It was discribed as a non runner, but just required the broken blanking plug replacing and the wheels cleaning.

 

Having got this, i now had to decide what to do with it. After finding photos of 37226 at tinsley in blue, with full buffer beam skirts, from 1980, this gave me a idea. The resin noses from shawplan for the lima 37 were obtained, and fitted to the vi trains body. This is where i`m upto now, having resprayed it into blue, and the buffers are the Hornby ones for the 56, just pushed into place at the moment. Still to do are the glasing, as one of the vi trains cab windows broke when removing, a bit of weathering as its far too clean for a freight machine, and sorting out the buffer beams.

 

Anybody any ideas what to do next?

 

 

 

 

[cheesysmith]

You may have noticed the re-motored mainline class 56 chassis in a earlier post. Well, here is the loco it was for. Please note that these photos include the problem I had with glue and finger prints, requiring a touch up of the cab roofs and the sides. If I had been more careful I could have got away without this. As it is, I may need to re-spray it. As it stands, the only bit of the original paint job that has altered has been a re-spray of the ends in Vauxhall yellow, replacing the poor original.

 

I have some shawplan roof fan grills, just deciding if to add them or not. A few things are left to do. Sand pipes front and rear and some lead ballast needs adding.

 

Other than that, I think these old mainline locos scrub up nicely. And mine will pull a full sized load (or will do when it`s got it`s ballast).

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cheesysmith]

 

 

 

 

 

This is what I got from the Doncaster show. 3 variations on the 12t pipe wagon. In grey we have the air braked ODA I covered earlier. Then we have one with the LNER clasp brake, made using the v hangers and brake levers from the VEA sprue. Pic 3 is from the other side. Then last we have a standard RCH brake version. The painted wagons are awaiting vac pipes.

 

Ps-I noticed after I had finished that the LNER braked version required different buffers. Job for the next one I thinks.

Edited February 13, 2017 by cheesysmith

[cheesysmith]

So, the first stage of my class 31 is done, now just needing buffer beams and then i can move onto the body.

 

 

Only 5 more to go through.

[cheesysmith]

Heres a better photo taken this morning.

[cheesysmith]

 

They appear to be multiplying. And IIRC i still have 2 more broken chassis somewhere.

[37114]

DSCF0024.JPG

 

They appear to be multiplying. And IIRC i still have 2 more broken chassis somewhere.

 

Nice work, I will follow with interest as I am doing the same project and got my 31 running this morning:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/127271-parsons-vale-carriage-sidings-37114s-new-00-br-blue-layout/page-4&do=findComment&comment=3081472

[cheesysmith]

I was looking at my 31 locos, and specifically at the underframe. The lima underframe is good, but the fuel tank in the centre is too wide so as to fit in the big metal weight. When you compair it to the super detailed Hornby version, you can see the difference. I have been replacing them with tanks taken off of mazac victims, but I ddecided to experiment using the original battery box sides. I cut away the tank, leaving the battery box sides, and then cut a piece of 60 thou plasticard 17mm wide, fabricated the tank and the battery boxes from that, then glued them to the lima frame. These photos show the end result, which looks good for so little effort. I think this would work on the railroad 31, if it uses the same tanks as the lima version (don`t know as I don`t have one).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here you see the modified lima next to the SD Hornby, then the modified version with original lima bogies, Hornby SD bogies, and against the original lima version.

[cheesysmith]

 

 

Here you can see both sides of a turbot side, where I have cut out the flat panels and added a brass piece, a piece of tin foil (as used in the kitchen), and a piece of 5 thou plasticard. The only question is which do people think is best?

 

Edit-The one on the left from the front is brass, the middle is tin foil, and the right is plasticard. Order is reversed on the rear.

Edited June 24, 2018 by cheesysmith

[cheesysmith]

 

 

Here`s my attempt at a battered turbot, having decided to use the plasticard sides. The wheels have been removed for spraying the primer, just needs LMS cast buffers and vac pipes with smiths couplings to complete.

[hmrspaul]

Why LMS buffers? The Turbots had the BBE Oleo pneumatic buffers.

 

Paul

[Adam]

Why LMS buffers? The Turbots had the BBE Oleo pneumatic buffers.

 

Paul

 

I think he means buffers from Lanarkshire Model Supplies, Paul. At least, I hope he does...

 

Adam

[cheesysmith]

As someone was asking about under runner wagons, I thought I would use bits I had left over to make some.

 

 

This is a ferry tube without a body, still to do are the ferry tie down hooks/loops.

 

 

This is a freelance vac braked under runner. This started off as this

 

 

To which I removed almost everything except the springs.

 

 

These are to be used with this

 

 

I am awaiting getting some smiths hooks, and some more cast buffers.

 

 

[cheesysmith]

This is a easy upgrade. A Lima BEV, fitted with replacement bogies from cambrian, Dapol wheels, DaveF (LMS) cast buffers, and the floor of the body sprayed grey. This even avoids needing new transferes, as it keeps the original Lima printing. Quite why Lima made a wagon almost correct, but it gives us a easy upgrade.

 

[Fat Controller]

This is a easy upgrade. A Lima BEV, fitted with replacement bogies from cambrian, Dapol wheels, DaveF (LMS) cast buffers, and the floor of the body sprayed grey. This even avoids needing new transferes, as it keeps the original Lima printing. Quite why Lima made a wagon almost correct, but it gives us a easy upgrade.

 

DSCF0270.JPG

Lima were a bit like medieval Islamic carpet weavers, who would introduce deliberate errors into their work, as only God was capable of attaining perfection. Thus there was the BEV, with its 'almost-Gloucester bogies, the Seacow likewise, the UKF fertiliser van with Ruritarian State Railways coach bogies, the Iron-Ore tippler with a planked floor, and probably many others.

[Enterprisingwestern]

As much as it irks me to chide a fellow Escafeldian, but there is so much further you could, and need to, go on the Bobol E, to me it looks barely any better than the original.

 

Mike.

[cheesysmith]

Yes, there is further I could go. But this is just a quick upgrade. It`s a ballance between how far do you go Vs how long do you spend? The one above will be getting vac pipes, instantiers, and a nice bit of weathering.  I could go a lot further, but this is just a cheap and quick job.

[SteveyDee68]

When one stumbles across a thread that is full of really useful modelling tips and guides and then the sinking feeling one experiences when the realisation that nearly all the images pre-2018 were lost in The Great RMWeb Crash … 😳

 

I wonder if @cheesysmith might be able and/or willing to restore the lost images? I, for one, will be all over the ferry wagon conversions and eternally grateful!

 

Steve S

Edited March 24, 2023 by SteveyDee68
Correction re lost images