Jump to content
 

Nile's Mostly Freelance Bodging Bench - Pre-Grouping Locos


Recommended Posts

No easy way I can see. The Kato power bogie uses stub axles, the motor is in the middle blocking the path of normal axles.

But it does prove that a OO version would be possible using Japanese technology.

OK, accepting that the Kato power bogie cannot be used for standard gauge applications, but is there an alternative to both the Bachmann and Kato solutions for the standard gauge?

 

Regards

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Continuing with the narrow gauge theme for now, I decided to improve the Minitrains Bagnall wing-tank loco. Here is another view of it as it comes.

post-6821-0-64556400-1481978268_thumb.jpg

The main issue for me was the lack of daylight under the boiler, due to its use of the existing mount on the chassis. This could be disguised with various boiler fittings and toolboxes, but I wanted to go further.

 

Disassembly begins.

post-6821-0-10367300-1481978270_thumb.jpg

I think that the screw on the chimney is enough to hold the whole thing together, so I can remove the plastic clips that hold the body and chassis together.

 

Further disassembly of the boiler/tank part.

post-6821-0-39158800-1481978271_thumb.jpg

 

I cut away the 'skirts' under the boiler and refitted it to the body. This is more like it, but I need to fix the underside of the boiler and ideally retain the original weight.

post-6821-0-48826800-1481978272_thumb.jpg

Edited by Nile
  • Like 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I found some plastic tube (Evergreen) the same diameter as the boiler, so used it to replace the original part.

This is a trial fit, nothing is fixed in place yet.

post-6821-0-98975800-1482143497_thumb.jpg

 

I wanted to fit a proper smokebox door. I found one the right size in a box of bits, I think it's a Meridian part.

post-6821-0-05415000-1482143499_thumb.jpg

 

The underside of the round part of the weight needed a bit of filing so it would fit inside the new tube. Once done all the parts were stuck together. Some filler was needed under the boiler at the back of the tank, I also made a filler piece of plastic card to go under the boiler at the cab front.

post-6821-0-17523100-1482143500_thumb.jpg

 

The new boiler needs a dome, this one came off an American N gauge loco. I'm also going to make a new chimney from some plastic tube, it's the closest thing I could find to the right size.

post-6821-0-32527000-1482143501_thumb.jpg

Edited by Nile
  • Like 11
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Thanks Mikkel, I got an error message after my first post, so I did it again and didn't notice it was duplicated.

Back to the Bagnall and its new chimney. Its ingredients are a beheaded M2 screw, some plastic tube and a long thin strip of sticky tape. The tube was fitted onto the end of the screw, leaving enough thread to screw into the chassis. The tape was wound around the end of the tube just below the top. Some thin super glue was run around both edges of the tape to fix it in place and create the impression of a cap. After that had set I reamed out the opening at the top to improve its look.

post-6821-0-31660600-1482232892_thumb.jpg

It looks better painted black.

 

I repainted the loco Reading green, carefully avoiding the builder's plates. I would have masked them but my maskol had dried up. The window frames and tops of the safety valves got some brass paint. I made up some clack valves and pipes from handrail knobs and brass wire, and added reversing lever linkage from the remains of an etched kit.

post-6821-0-27057600-1482232893_thumb.jpg

post-6821-0-20993900-1482232894_thumb.jpg

 

I'm now thinking that there should be another boiler band just behind the chimney, to show where the smokebox ends. And then I might paint the tank tops green as well

Edited by Nile
  • Like 16
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Thanks Charlie, I can see that from the photo in the latest 009 news. The colour of yours looks better too.

On mine I've added a boiler band to demarcate the smokebox from the boiler. I've used thin strips of sticky tape, with the ends secured by a small amount of super glue. The other boiler band is also made from tape, it disguises the joint.

post-6821-0-93192000-1482405680_thumb.jpg

 

I extended the green paint up to this new band. I'm going to leave the tank tops black for now.

post-6821-0-66925000-1482405679_thumb.jpg

  • Like 16
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • RMweb Premium

And now for my next mad grand project. This one has been bubbling away in the background for some time, I've now resolved to get it finished.

 

Back-dating a Hornby LSWR 700 class

 

I've already tackled one of these before, as the first one to be rebuilt was finished in 1920. This was mostly a repaint job, with a few details changed. Here is a reminder of the result.

post-6821-0-99061900-1483884387_thumb.jpg

 

But what I really wanted was one before the Urie rebuild, which is a bit more of a challenge. this will involve lowering the boiler by 3mm and shortening the loco  by 6mm. As before the starting point was the weathered BR version, as this was the only one with the correct tender at the time.

post-6821-0-86641000-1483884388_thumb.jpg

 

This is the loco after a strip down.

post-6821-0-06527100-1483884390_thumb.jpg

 

After much thinking about this I worked out a way to cut out that 3mm from the boiler/cab casting. First thing to do was separate the boiler from the cab.

post-6821-0-33295200-1483884391_thumb.jpg

That was the hard part, cutting the extension off the smokebox was much easier.

post-6821-0-55026200-1483884392_thumb.jpg

Some cutting and filing then removed 3mm from the bottom of the firebox and smokebox. The cab will be dealt with later.

  • Like 8
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

And now for my next mad grand project. This one has been bubbling away in the background for some time, I've now resolved to get it finished.

 

Back-dating a Hornby LSWR 700 class

 

I've already tackled one of these before, as the first one to be rebuilt was finished in 1920. This was mostly a repaint job, with a few details changed. Here is a reminder of the result.

attachicon.gif01.JPG

 

But what I really wanted was one before the Urie rebuild, which is a bit more of a challenge. this will involve lowering the boiler by 3mm and shortening the loco  by 6mm. As before the starting point was the weathered BR version, as this was the only one with the correct tender at the time.

attachicon.gif02.JPG

 

This is the loco after a strip down.

attachicon.gif03.JPG

 

After much thinking about this I worked out a way to cut out that 3mm from the boiler/cab casting. First thing to do was separate the boiler from the cab.

attachicon.gif04.JPG

That was the hard part, cutting the extension off the smokebox was much easier.

attachicon.gif05.JPG

Some cutting and filing then removed 3mm from the bottom of the firebox and smokebox. The cab will be dealt with later.

 

Brave man! But I can believe the outcome will be superb.

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

...

 

After much thinking about this I worked out a way to cut out that 3mm from the boiler/cab casting. First thing to do was separate the boiler from the cab

 

... Some cutting and filing then removed 3mm from the bottom of the firebox and smokebox. The cab will be dealt with later

Wow!

Edited by PenrithBeacon
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Moving bravely on, some material needed to be removed from the plastic running plate moulding to allow the boiler to sit in its new lower position. Part of the middle splasher and some of the smokebox saddle.

post-6821-0-31693900-1484088321_thumb.jpg

 

Placing this assembly on the chassis revealed that some more material needed to be removed from the boiler to avoid it fouling the wheels. These bits where hidden from view anyway inside the splashers.

post-6821-0-52870800-1484088322_thumb.jpg

 

Now to address the major issue of this conversion. The above photo was only possible by removing the motor, there is no longer enough room for it My solution was to replace it with a Mashina 1024, both motors have 1.5mm shafts. With the aid of some bearings on the shafts it fits into the original mounts, with a bit of packing. It should even be possible to fit a flywheel

post-6821-0-84492800-1484088323_thumb.jpg

Edited by Nile
  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

The piece the motor sits in represents the underside of the boiler - so presumably this needs lowering too somehow?

Looking at the last two photos in post 562, that's already been done. How the gearing goes back together is interesting.

 

My guess is that the new motor is mounted on a slight slope to allow the worm to line up with the idler, or a smaller diameter worm is used

 

John

Edited by Dunsignalling
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Apart from changing the motor I haven't made any changes to the chassis yet. I will make a new underside for the boiler and add it later.

Edited by Nile
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

The next thing to modify is the cab. Here it is with the lowered boiler, showing the height difference.

post-6821-0-70924900-1484338720_thumb.jpg

 

Some horizontal cuts to the cab removed 3mm from its height. The parts here aren't fixed together yet.

post-6821-0-83044100-1484338721_thumb.jpg

 

Before gluing the parts back together I glued some plastic card to the back of the boiler. This is to compensate for the material removed by the saw. This was later trimmed to the shape of the boiler.

post-6821-0-05452300-1484338723_thumb.jpg

 

The cab glued together with super glue gel.

post-6821-0-25206700-1484338724_thumb.jpg

 

Getting a smooth finish on the sides took some time. I filled any gaps with super glue gel and filed down, repeating until I was happy. A coat of grey primer was the final check for smoothness.

post-6821-0-34963300-1484338725_thumb.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

This is a very similar method I have used on a BEC's 700 to make a Highland Barney. How about making it something Scottish? If not a Barney then a Jumbo?

 

Keep up the good work

 

Andy G

Link to post
Share on other sites

If you decide it needs a new home let me know!

 

Andy G

Watch it you I'm the Caledonian fan I get first dibs on any Jumbo's going you stick to your lesser Highland Barney's

 

Brilliant stuff Nile keep the reports coming I'm enjoying this one. Steve

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

First to ask gets in my book Steve....

 

I do like the way that you are happy to cut up expensive models to make something much more interesting....

 

Andy G

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Getting back to this Drummond loco. When I was happy with the cab I glued it to the boiler, using the rest of the loco as an alignment jig.

post-6821-0-05820100-1484597915_thumb.jpg

 

The front of the loco has been shortened by 6mm. The join will be cleaned up later.

post-6821-0-26837800-1484597916_thumb.jpg

 

The cab-boiler join needed a bit of filling. With that sorted I tackled the handrails. As most of the knobs are in different places I opted to replace them all and fit them at the correct angle, using Gibson shoulderless ones. I will eventually refit the original handrail, the brass rod is used here for alignment.

post-6821-0-49969700-1484597917_thumb.jpg

 

Then I filled the hole at the front left by the original chimney with some plastic card.

post-6821-0-58307400-1484597918_thumb.jpg

  • Like 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...