Jack374 Posted February 22, 2018 Author Share Posted February 22, 2018 Cheers Will, and many thanks everyone for the ratings. This week and last I’ve been trying to get 57007 off the workbench. I decided to strip out the "new" wiring I’d put in, after deciding to use the original Bachmann light units and their mounts. A double layer 16-way socket and break out board was soldered up using IC socket pieces and copper clad. This allows for the 8 pins and one flying lead of a standard 8 pin decoder, as well as 3 pins to go to cab lights and 4 pins for the extra function outputs when I (eventually) put a Zimo sound decoder in. The motor and pickup connections were soldered straight in, with the original tail lights being soldered to FO 1 and 2 (function button 0): This is the switch set up underneath which I’ve detailed previously: And below is the modified light board. I unsoldered the marker and headlight LEDs, and soldered white maker LEDs in to replace the yellow supplied ones. One of the holes for the headlight LED leg was drilled through to accept a lead, which goes to a small piece of copper clad with a resistor attached to the negative leg, and the positive leg was soldered to the original pad/hole. Also the two former positive leads have been combined into one lead, so one positive common lead and a negative lead each for the tail, marker and head light are attached to each light board... Each headlight is now switched by the two parallel switches, and the other switch decides what function key 2 (FO4) controls, which is either the no. 2 end marker/headlights or the no. 1 end cab light, so when hauling a train you can have full control of the no. 1 end marker/head, tail and cab lights. This evening I’ve added the light lenses and finishing touches before reuniting the body and chassis, so pictures will follow in daylight. After this I’ve got some minor bits to add before I can sign it off! Keep modelling! Jack. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack374 Posted February 23, 2018 Author Share Posted February 23, 2018 And today I’ve taken the pictures as promised. At the number 1 end in the pics, the switch for the headlight is on and the on-on switch is set for no.1 end cab light instead of no.2 end headlight, as can be seen in the last pic... More soon! Jack. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWT442 Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Been having a little catch up with your thread Jack, and love what you're doing! Those MXA's will make a great little rake when all done and all the re-wiring work on the locos blows my mind! Andy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack374 Posted March 3, 2018 Author Share Posted March 3, 2018 Many thanks Andy! Tonight I’ve done a little more on the MXAs, by gluing the parts for the second box together. On the first box I’ve added two short lengths of brass strip along the remaining sides as these began to bow slightly. After they were put in place, a crocodile clip held them flat against the plasticard whilst the glue dried. This is the first box, which is now ready for the plasticard ribs and top triangular strip, the second has just been glued together and the final box is still in 'flat pack' format! After some final touches, 57007 is finished (for now)! To finish, all the side numbers were removed with a fibreglass pen, and the excellent Railtec numbers were reapplied and sprayed with matt Humbrol rattle can varnish. This was because some had peeled or disappeared due to poor varnishing by a myself at a younger age (this loco features in post 1 of this thread and I’ve only just finished it!), and they were generally in a tatty state... The cab front footsteps were added too following a quick red spray to 'freshen them up' and blend them in with the bufferbeam, and also the white and orange piping was picked out on the bogies. I’ve already got the next project lined up, which should be a (relative) doddle as it will turn out to be almost identical to the above loco! Keep modelling! Jack. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack374 Posted March 4, 2018 Author Share Posted March 4, 2018 A little more has been done this evening. To begin, I did the same job with the MXAs as last night, by gluing up the final box and adding the last pieces of brass to the second. Below is a picture of the setup I mentioned yesterday with the croc clip...the inner piece of brass isn’t glued... And now to wheels. My Hornby ‘super detailed' 67, 67018, hasn’t been running right and has been clunking rather loudly with every wheel revolution. After a bit of fault finding, this turned out to be a broken tooth on the final gear on the rearmost axle. The gear was duly broken off and discarded, so now this is effectively a 3 axle drive loco as this axle rotates freely. Whilst I was at it, I took the chance to replace the 'pizza cutter'-flanged and horrendously overscale Hornby wheels with some more refined Bachmann disc braked wagon wheels. These were chosen as they already have disc brake representations and are of the correct diameter (roughly 12.7mm), according to a very helpful web page: http://www.clag.org.uk/wheelbase.html. Each axle had its gear removed, which was then placed on the new axle after some roughing up of the area beneath the gear. Luckily there is enough side play in the frames to allow for the pin point axles to remain...well...pointy! I had two axles of the new wheels left, which found their way on to my Bachmann EWS MEA wagon. The old wheels were too small and had poorly modelled brake discs. Only afterwards however did I find that the plastic brake discs were added by the previous owner and not Bachmann, and once removed they turned out to be some 12mm coach wheels as found on Bachmann's MK2s! More soon! Jack. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanks522 Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 Hi Jack, Only just discovered your thread, some superb modelling! Graham. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 I like the “ egypt “ tag, remember seeing a photo of that one Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack374 Posted March 18, 2018 Author Share Posted March 18, 2018 Many thanks Graham and Rob...I found a picture of the tag and thought it was interesting so I’ve had a go at it with some enamel paints...it’s my first proper go at graffiti and I enjoyed it! (Only in 4mm:foot though! ) This evening I’ve been plodding on with 37607. I may have mentioned previously that the PH Designs noses don’t fit the older model, so I’m going to stick them on before painting and file everything flush. I’ll also need to file off the nose side grilles because there’s about 1mm either side of the nose due to the older Bachmann body being wider, but luckily Shawplan do etches for these, which will be finer than the originals anyway. In preparation for fitting, I drilled the light holes out using a pin vice and patience, to 1.5mm and 2mm for the marker/rear and headlights respectively. This will allow lighting through some fibre optic I have in stock in this size... The obsolete horn cut outs, cab roof vents and boiler blanking plate have been removed too by either filing them off or adding a piece of plasticard to blank them. The boiler blanking plate is in fact an actual blanking piece on this model; it is a separate insert to presumably save tooling variations, and came adrift whilst I was filing it, so it was removed and filled... Also this week I’ve stripped the body of the 57 ready for DRS blue and the cab front modifications as per 57007. It’s had a soak in 90% IPA for a few days. Eventually this will become 57003... Some of my efforts this week have been for layouts I’m working on (both are in my signature and will be updated soon). The control panel for my club's new layout has been finished, with a new and much more refined panel created with maroon paint this time and wired up fully now I know which wires go where... And for my layout 'Tighte End Yard', I’ve made a small ground frame for the 3 points close to each other: I’ll update these as soon as I can. And finally...a photo of the 67 from the previous post and another previous workbench project, 37411, posed on Tighte End: To me the wheels look a lot better and are worth the effort. Keep modelling! Jack. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack374 Posted March 30, 2018 Author Share Posted March 30, 2018 Recently I’ve gone on a stripping frenzy...stripping paint off locos of course...had to clarify... First I removed the Bachmann 47 body I bought off eBay for a couple of quid, that had been sat in IPA for 2 weeks. On the listing, it looked to be worse for wear, but for lunch money it was worth a gamble. The end result. IPA hardly touched the first layer, and the few patches that did come off revealed another layer of primer. Oh well. I’ve also stripped a Bachmann 66 and Hornby 56, both of which had 24 hours in the "bath" and the paint came clean off, especially on the 56 where I actually managed to scrape both sides off in one, as can be seen by the shrivelled pile of paint... These will both wear the same colour scheme, and I’m stripping them ready for repainting in summer. Which company has class 56s and 66s on it’s books? I’m not looking forward to the 66 though...those ribs... Also I’ve been slowly plodding on with the MXAs, and now 2 are ready for triangular top strip and plastic ribs, whilst one was badly warped so I took off the side and replaced the plasticard (top box). This fell apart earlier though, so I’ve just glued it again. And the prototype wagon has had a red spray all over to match the others once finished. I sanded down some imperfections in the top strip on the box and sprayed it, I didn’t even bother removing the transfers as I’ll be adding the exact same ones on again. The chassis solebar was sprayed after the dodgy warped transfers were removed (I’ve no idea where these came from). I tried to mask over the Railtec data panel, but it was the varnishing that was at fault as I peeled away the tape...and the transfer! The patch can be seen on the solebar, so I’ll spray over it again prior to some new Railtec transfers and a good varnish coat this time. Thanks, Jack. 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium JDW Posted March 30, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 30, 2018 For a second there I thought you were doing a National Power 59! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
86902 Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Lovely work Jack Cheers Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack374 Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 Many thanks Bob and JDW... For a second there I thought you were doing a National Power 59!Funnily enough I do have one ex-National Power HKA in DB red on the worbench, but this is a little to early a period for me to model as I was either not born or very young! Thanks, Jack. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium JDW Posted April 1, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 1, 2018 Ahaaaa - then quite clearly you need to repaint it in NP livery, build a few more, and do a 59 to match... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack374 Posted April 6, 2018 Author Share Posted April 6, 2018 Dream on JDW! Today I’ve added transfers from Railtec to the 3 MXA chassis, then sprayed them with matt varnish to seal: I’ve also repaired the box that I broke, by making the side out of thicker plastic sheet and building it properly. A few gaps have been filled in with plastic strip ready for sanding... And I’ve also changed my colour preference. Halfords didn’t have any Fiat Red Orange in stock, so instead I’ve gone for Volkswagen Mars Red, which looked a close match and they had 3 racks full of the stuff, so it’s clearly more popular. The strip nearer the can is the new colour...I don’t see that much difference. It looks slightly darker in real life, which is good because the old red was a little light anyway. This evening I’ve added a new Replica HI headlight to 57003, and added new lights by drilling out the old ones to 2.5mm and adding some 2.5mm OD plastic tube. This was drilled out to 1.5mm ID once dry ready for fibre optic once painted. The footsteps have also been added on the bottom edge of the cab front, and now it’s ready for painting... And today I’ve started a new project... Complete mechanical strip and clean is in order! Keep modelling! Jack. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium JDW Posted April 7, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 7, 2018 Ahaaa, VW Mars Red, since I passed my test I owned a Mars red Mk1 Golf, did many miles with it across the UK and Europe. It spend the last decade living in my dad's garage though, so finally sold it last year for way more than we payed for it! Oh, yeah, nice modelling by the way! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack374 Posted April 7, 2018 Author Share Posted April 7, 2018 I’m glad it appreciated! The man in the shop asked what I was painting when I was looking for the Fiat red and when I told him he gave me the look of 'oh no you’re one of THEM!' Today I’ve been slowly repairing my bike, but it is now going to a new owner once I’m finished with it because I’ve been and seen about a new bike! In between though I’ve sprayed the original MXA in the new red and it matched well. These two parts are now ready for transfers then all the chassis are done... The last box has been sanded down and now all 3 'new' boxes are at the same stage. They’ll receive the top strip first I think, then the ribs. I may try a new method for the top strip because last time I found it to be so tedious...I’ll see how it goes. The 57 has had the ends sprayed white ready for the warning panels...to me it looks more like a 'Duff' than Bachmann's portrayal: Victa Westlink anyone? Thanks, Jack. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted April 7, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 7, 2018 The 57 has had the ends sprayed white ready for the warning panels...to me it looks more like a 'Duff' than Bachmann's portrayal: 8902786A-7D15-4895-B89D-EF3E0A84B98A.jpeg Don't forget to remove the moulding lines on the front pillars.... MXAs looking good. Cheers, Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack374 Posted April 7, 2018 Author Share Posted April 7, 2018 Good shout Mick, I’ve removed the ones from the wiper holes to the cab roof vent but didn’t see these, which are quite obvious in the pic I posted! I think I’ll get away with the lower part as it’s right where the yellow and blue will meet. Thanks, Jack. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun66 Posted April 8, 2018 Share Posted April 8, 2018 Great job on the MXA wagons Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve shorrock Posted April 8, 2018 Share Posted April 8, 2018 Super modelling as usual Jack nice work Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack374 Posted April 8, 2018 Author Share Posted April 8, 2018 Cheers Shaun and Steve! Well another update much the same as last night, I’ve sanded down the mould lines on the pillars and roof some more, and sprayed yellow... And contrary to my last post, I’ve added the ribs to one side of each box, as well as underneath and on the corners. Once dry these will be sanded flush ready for the rest of the ribs... Back to it tomorrow, so less frequent updates going into the exam period I imagine. Thanks, Jack. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangoman69 Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Good job on the MXAs, they look fantastic! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted April 9, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 9, 2018 Looking forward to seeing the MXAs having a run out.... Cheers, Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signaller69 Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Hi Jack, Your MXA's look great. May or may not be of use but I took this photo in Feb 2017 (at Holywell Jct - in failing light so not great resolution I'm afraid), looks like the nearer 2 are taller than the others, also having huge bogie mounted handbrake wheels (different batch presumably). All the wagons' bodywork was pretty much pristine with fairly dirty underframes and carrying spoil from some North Wales Coast track relaying/renewal work. Regards, Martyn. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack374 Posted April 10, 2018 Author Share Posted April 10, 2018 Cheers Tangoman, Mick and Martyn...thanks for the pic Martyn, I'm doing one with a handbrake wheel but I’ve seen shots of them at the same height as the lever handbrake ones, so I’ve done the boxes all the same height. As you say, there were multiple batches, and I believe the prototype box was fitted with mesh sides, but I’ve never seen a picture of that... Thanks, Jack. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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