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

[TangoOscarMike]

5 hours ago, Mikkel said:

..... seemingly mediocre RTR products.

 

It is often or always the case, I think, that RTR models/toys have lots of nicely moulded detail that is lost to the eye because they are just chunks of monochrome plastic.

 

I wonder about the people who make the original models and work on the tooling. Perhaps they look at the finished product and think "well, that doesn't do justice to all my hard work - hopefully Nile will come along and finish the job properly".

 

[Nile]

Recently a box arrived from Kernow containing four of their new brake vans. I'd ordered a variety of liveries - LSWR, early SR, BR grey, and this one:

This is in early BR condition. I can't remember why I ordered this one (it was a long time ago) and I don't really have use for it, in this condition. So I decided to back-date to LSWR condition as that would be far more useful to me.

This needs a few alterations, the SR lamp irons have to go and their mounting holes filled. A housing for the LSWR side lamps was fabricated from some 2x2 Evergreen strip, with a bit of plastic rod glued on top. This was glued onto the blanking plate fitted by the SR. While I was at it I replaced the moulded handrail on the side door with some brass rod. The printed numbers were removed with Micro-sol and a cocktail stick.

 

A close-up of the mods.

 

I'd removed the chassis to have a look inside. So I took the opportunity to paint the floorboards in the veranda, not that they can be seen easily.

 

The new bits were painted with Phoenix SR brown as this matches the existing finish. Markings from a HMRS Meth-fix sheet. The roof was repainted light grey, they didn't stay white very long.

 

Comparison with the RTR LSWR version. This will need the same mods as well.

 

After checking some photos I made some changes - the door handrail was repainted white to match the other handrails, and the window bars were painted black. That's how they look in all the photos I can find.

Edited July 29, 2023 by Nile

[Graham_Muz]

Officially in LSWR days the handrails were black, In many pictures they look lighter due to the overhead light reflected off them. 

[Nile]

In the OPC book it says they started painting them white around 1920. I suspect that may have only been the new builds (like the Hornby one), there is a photo of 1499 to illustrate this. So I may be stretching things a bit in this case, but I like a bit of variety.

[DanInHisDen]

On 07/02/2015 at 22:08, Nile said:

This is where things get a bit heavy, it's time for Polly to put on some weight.

First the bunker.

 

I then glued the cab floor in place.

There are three holes under the bunker to let any fumes out. The round thing at the front of the floor is from the Electrotren body and matches a hole in the chassis so they can be screwed together.

More lead has been added inside the tanks.

And yet more lead at the front, to balance out the bunker.

 

The body now weighs 100g.

What can I use as an alternative to lead weights?

[Nile]

Hello Dan.

Anything heavy will do, I suppose. That lead came in the form of a sheet, about A5 size when unrolled, from Eileen's Emporium. There is something called Liquid Gravity from Deluxe Materials, which consists of tiny steel balls that can fill enclosed spaces like the bunker above. It's usually a case of finding something that will fit without needing too much work, like cutting.

[cctransuk]

21 minutes ago, DanInHisDen said:

What can I use as an alternative to lead weights?

 

What's wrong with lead - as long as you wash your hands well after using it; (or wear disposable gloves)?

 

CJI.

[DanInHisDen]

3 minutes ago, Nile said:

Hello Dan.

Anything heavy will do, I suppose. That lead came in the form of a sheet, about A5 size when unrolled, from Eileen's Emporium. There is something called Liquid Gravity from Deluxe Materials, which consists of tiny steel balls that can fill enclosed spaces like the bunker above. It's usually a case of finding something that will fit without needing too much work, like cutting.

I will have a look then. I saw your Polly mod, and I have one with a broken chassis so I am doing the same thing but I have no where that sells lead near me. Thank you for telling me about liquid gravity.

 

Dan

[cctransuk]

1 hour ago, DanInHisDen said:

I will have a look then. I saw your Polly mod, and I have one with a broken chassis so I am doing the same thing but I have no where that sells lead near me. Thank you for telling me about liquid gravity.

 

Dan

 

Contact your nearest roofing contractor - he should be able to provide lead sheet; either offcuts or a piece off his roll.

 

CJI.

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

I had a load of Stainless steel bits left over from making a B-B-Que plate (6mm thick) tucked quite a few bits in my loco's, worked well.

 

manna

[Compound2632]

Just catching up here, I'm afraid. The "Mansion House Tank" is a splendid conversion. However, I note that it's not fitted with condensing gear. Did LMWR Mansion House trains change engines, with a District engine coming on for the subterranean leg, unlike the LNWR trains, where the condensing 2-4-2T worked through?

[Nile]

Yes, they changed over at Earls Court.

[DanInHisDen]

On 07/02/2015 at 22:08, Nile said:

The round thing at the front of the floor is from the Electrotren body and matches a hole in the chassis so they can be screwed together.

How did you make it?

[Nile]

It just so happens that I have an Electrotren body to hand. This photo shows the round part in its original location.

I must have sliced it off of there and glued it to the new floor in Polly. Exactly how I can't remember.

[BWsTrains]

On 06/11/2021 at 22:49, Nile said:

Liquid Gravity

 

or..... I found that the weighting balls used inside those sticky note dispensers comprises a similar iron material. I had an old one lying around idle which I just repurposed and recovered ~420g worth! Maybe they could be picked up at flea markets or the like at bargain prices. Then again, iron might be an issue if you use magnetic uncoupling. 

[DanInHisDen]

On 26/12/2014 at 23:44, Nile said:

As a bit of pre-christmas fun I made a tank wagon for all the froth being produced about the Hornby announcements.

The starting point was a milk tank wagon from Hornby's Thomas range that was on special offer.

 

I removed the lettering with a fibreglass pencil, glued the body together properly and smoothed the joint. I sprayed it with white paint and gave it a glossy finish with Klear.

The new lettering was done with Microscale decals.

 

The finished wagon.

 

I'm not sure what the F.Roth company transports but they seem to be very busy around December.

How did you take it apart?

[Nile]

Hello Dan, that was eight years ago  , I'm doing well if I can remember what I did last week   .

However looking at another example of the same type of wagon it looks like the key to getting it apart are the clips on the underside between the wheels. Release those and the body should be freed and separate into its constituent parts. A small flat bladed screw driver should do it.

[DanInHisDen]

On 13/02/2015 at 23:23, Nile said:

It's also very shiny thanks to some Klear.

Where can I buy some Klear?

[Nile]

That would be Johnsons Klear floor polish , I think my bottle dates from the 20th century (It's said a bottle will last a lifetime).

It may have changed name or formulation over time, I've lost track of it. I suggest you do a bit of searching to find out. There may be some useful info in the painting section of this forum. Other gloss varnishes are available as an alternative.

[Dunsignalling]

1 hour ago, DanInHisDen said:

Where can I buy some Klear?

You can't, or not under that name anyway; it was rebranded as (I think) Pledge multi-surface polish two or three years ago.

 

It still gets called Klear on here, possibly because it takes rather a long time to use up a 750ml bottle if only using it for modelling purposes.

 

John

[autocoach]

It's currently called Pledge Revive It Floor Gloss on this side of the pond (US branding, not sure about Canada or Mexico.) It is normally used (brushed or sprayed) on the area on a model to be decaled (waterslide transfers applied in UK lingo/not the mother tongue) to provide a smooth glossy surface. Sometimes applied after the decal as well as a sealer. 

 

Many of the North American extreme modelers (people who measure the size of the rivet head when they count them to ensure accuracy) consider it a standard part of the model railroad building kit. After a RIFC overcoat the model is then dulled of finished with an ultra matte coat to extinguish any hint of gloss. If it is a freight car, it is then weathered to look like it hasn't been washed since it was built and has endured blizzards of snow, hail, pelting rain, dust storms and blistering UV and other spectrum light at 45 degrees Celsius or higher temperature. 

 

I have used Pledge Revive It on my Pergo kitchen floor as well to restore a bit of gloss after 20 years. Works quite well for that too.

Edited March 2, 2022 by autocoach

[NHY 581]

On 22/09/2018 at 22:36, Nile said:

Onwards to completion.

Before it disappeared inside the body I tried to improve the balance of the chassis with some strips of lead around the motor.

 

 

In the cab are plastic ex-Airfix figures, no heavy white-metal here.

 

 

After putting all the bits back together this was the result.

 

 

 

I'll finish with a comparison with the Hatton's P in grey livery.

 

 

Hi Neil, 

 

Dragging this one up once again, I've now acquired a Southern green example, to eventually be repainted. 

 

Can I ask, where did you source the SE&CR red bunkerside plates from ? 

 

Transfers or etched ? 

 

Rob. 

[Nile]

Hi Rob.

 

The answer is neither. I took a close up photo of the cabside of the Bachmann N class model in SECR livery, edited it and printed it on ordinary white paper using a laser printer. The result is ok but an etched one would be better, maybe someone does them now?

[Nile]

Some simple RTR conversions that have passed across my modelling bench recently.

1. LNWR Improved Precident 'Lucknow'.

The problem with this model is the lack of coal rails on the tender, which were fitted at the end of the 19th century. The model of Hardwicke has them, but it has other post-grouping fittings such as the buffers. I considered making them from strips of metal, not an easy task. But it turns out there is a much easier option, buy the correct tender top from Bachmann. Which is what I've done.

I've cut off the top of the lamp iron at the back to make it look more like a socket as used by the LNWR.

 

The next one is a bit more involved.

[Compound2632]

10 hours ago, Nile said:

But it turns out there is a much easier option, buy the correct tender top from Bachmann. Which is what I've done.

 

Having the same issue, I've got a spare set of LRM tender coal rails, which I've yet to fit. This also involves converting the elegant curved coal-space bulkhead to the large rectangular shape. I wasn't aware one could get the tender as a spare from Bachmann. How does one go about that?

 

It's an unusual position to be in, having to forward-date rather than back-date a model to make it suitable for c. 1902! Mine is supposed to become No. 1745 John Bright once 247 Developments finally produce their promised Improved Precedent plates. (John Bright was renamed Glowworm in July 1914; I don't know what he'd done to fall out of favour but at least the idea of luminosity was retained!)