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

[Nile]

What you see there is how it comes from Hornby. Not bad considering it's a railroad model. I'll be painting it black.

[WD0-6-0]

Will the railroad model become another loco like Wye?

Rhys

[Nile]

Probably not, Rhys. I'm still thinking of things to do with what's left of the Hornby compound, it may become parts of several locos. The Bachmann compound is a much better model.

 

Back to the tender, I've removed the molded coal load. I ran a craft knife around its edge, from above and below, until I cut through. I also removed the vents at the rear.

 

 

With the body back on the chassis, you can see there is plenty of room inside. You could fit a motor in there!

 

 

I've made a floor for the coal space from some 40thou plastic. It should slope down towards the front, but you won't see that with some coal in there. I want to maintain room at the front for the connector. The holes for the vents have been filed with some plastic rod that happened to be the same size.

 

 

 

Edited October 29, 2023 by Nile

[Nile]

And now for a bit of wiring. With 8 wheels on the loco picking up current I could re-wire the loco and remove the wires to the tender. But I wanted to avoid taking the loco apart, plus the tender has pick-ups that I may as well use. First I needed to remove the socket from the Bachmann tender, seen below to the left.

 

 

On the Hornby chassis I removed the DCC socket, leaving just the red and black wires from the pick-ups.

 

 

I soldered the wires from the pick-ups to the socket, bypassing the DCC socket. I can refit it later if needed. I screwed the assembly to one of the pillars.The hole at the front of the chassis, just behind the drawbar, needed to be enlarged to allow the orange plug to pass through. To unplug this, the tender body will have to be removed, which shouldn't be a problem as its held in place by clips. The wires will pass under the drawbar.

 

 

Edited October 29, 2023 by Nile

[Nile]

Time for a small update.

Paint it black, and red.

 

 

The raised edges around the panels made it possible to paint the red lining, saving a load of transfers.

A gloss coat (Klear) and transfers next.

 

Edited October 29, 2023 by Nile

[Nile]

The transfers are on. I used 20mm spacing this time.

 

 

When the varnish has dried there are a few small jobs to do to finish things off.

 

Edited October 29, 2023 by Nile

[Nile]

Nearly there. One issue that needed resolving was how to link the tender to the loco. The easiest way was to use the Hornby drawbar, adding something to the Bachmann chassis for it to hook onto.

The best place for this was right under the rear part of the brake linkage. After removing this I drilled a small hole in the chassis and glued a piece of brass rod in it. I've left just enough room for the drawbar to pass over the brake linkage.

 

The drawbar needed bending a bit to stay linked to the loco.

 

 

 

The safety valve is from the Hornby compound, with some steel paint. I've managed to refit the original whistle without breaking it, hurrah!

 

 

 

The upper lamp iron is now on top of the smokebox. Shame about that gap around the front.

 

 

The handrake column is from the original Bachmann tender.

 

 

This is the loco-tender gap. I've no idea what radius curve it will go round, I'll only be running it on fairly straight track.

 

 

Ta-da!

 

Edited October 29, 2023 by Nile

[knobhead]

Very pretty, Nile!

 

Regards,

 

Stefan

[Iain Popplewell]

Lovely stuff Nile.You've got the  spacing of the LMWR on the tender absolutely spot-on it really sets the loco of nicely.

[Jack P]

Yup, that rear tender spacing is fantastic, What's next?! 

[Castle]

Hi Nile,

 

I am really enjoying this thread - it is absolutely great to read something genuinely fresh, creative and inventive. Thanks for posting!

 

Can I make a suggestion with your MR compound body shell? What about getting a Bachmann Dukedog or City and going for a real unholy alliance?! The only reason I suggest this is because it will give you that outside frame look which will give a real 'pre grouping' late 19th / early 20th century feel. I also agree with the earlier suggestion about the Terrier. Another thing could be a single eking out the last few years of its existence? Based on the Dean, MR or CR versions supplied by Hornby. Stefan's recent masterly transformation of the CR version into a GWR variant should brew up a few ideas.

 

Just a few thoughts which you are entitled to ignore...

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[Nile]

Thanks for all your kind words, it's all very encouraging. I've plenty more models for potential conversions, including a CR single. My current problem is some of my models are winning a game of hide and seek, which is eating into my modelling time. I'm also expecting a parcel from Shapeways tomorrow, another distraction. It could be a few days before the next update.

[AndyJH]

A CR Single would be a fine loco to convert

[Nile]

As expected a box of 3D printed parts arrived from Shapeways. Mostly stuff I've designed myself, it includes parts to modify the Minitrains HOn30 Fiddletown & Copperopolis train.

 

 

A test fit of some new parts, before I painted them.

 

 

I'm trying to get this lot ready for tomorrows Slim Gauge Circle meeting in Rugby.

As well as the new parts, I'll be adding details to the loco, such as handrails.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Nile

[Nile]

I've finished the work on the loco, but first a bit of explanation. This is a HO scale narrow gauge model. HOn30 is the American equivalent of the British 009, both using 9mm (N) gauge track. This represents a real gauge of about 30 inches, which wasn't very common but did exist (24 and 36 inches being much more common).

The Fiddletown & Copperopolis wasn't a real railway but the subject of a book - 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fiddletown-Copperopolis-Times-Uncommon-Carrier/dp/0911581049   (amazon link)

This book inspired Andreas of Minitrains to create this RTR model.

I can't find a photo of the loco in its original condition, you can find one here http://www.minitrains.eu/mt-steam.html

This is the unaltered loco with a new 8 wheel tender.

 

 

I also wanted to add a pony truck to make it a 2-4-0. I designed a pony truck, new pilot that could have a working coupler fitted, and a new straight chimney. I had these parts made by Shapeways, they also made the new tender. (see previous post)

The new pony wheel is an American N gauge wheel (33") with its points filed down.

I've added extra details - handrails on the boiler, a wire to operate the bell (part of the original lever broke off) and a longer pipe out of the front of the airtank (the original part broke off). Two supporting rods link the pilot to the smokebox.

 

 

There are handrails at the back of the cab. One of these fell off and disappeared, so I had to make a replacement from some 0.4mm brass rod.

 

 

 

 

The model is made from a dark blue plastic. I painted it a more prototypical black, with a silver (steel) smokebox.

This is the finished loco.

 

 

I've also had some interiors made for the coaches, which don't come with any.

 

 

 

It took a while to paint all those seats!

 

That is all for now, I need a rest.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Nile

[Spitfire2865]

The time spent on the interiors was well worth it. All looks nice

[Nile]

Work hasn't entirely stopped. My latest box of delights from Merseyside included these.

 

 

 

Unpainted wagons from Dapol. As I have suitable transfers for these this should be a simple project.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Nile

[Nile]

Looking a bit glossy, waiting for dullcote tomorrow.

 

On the left, transfers from Microscale and P C Models (SR wagons).

On the right, Slaters.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Nile

[Nile]

Matt varnished, reassembled and weathered.

 

 

 

It's the same tank wagon, with a different identity on the two sides. I was going to use the second one on both sides, but discovered one of the transfers was missing. The hazard of using second hand transfers. This does give me two identities for the price of one. Plenty more left on the sheet, I may do another.

I've removed the NEM362 coupler sockets, so they need new couplings. On that subject I've obtained some Dingham couplers to try.

 

 

 

 

They are compatible with scale 3 link and screw couplings, which is handy.

 

 

 

I need to get something to blacken them, it's on the shopping list for Railex.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Nile

[WD0-6-0]

Why any loco I suggest on this is always southern I don't know it's my least favourite of the big 4. Anyway I reckon a good base for conversion would be a Hornby M7? a nice passenger tank of a common design.

[Nile]

Hi Rhys, one of my boxes contains a Hornby M7 in bits. A project I'll be digging out eventually.

Maybe it's because it's your least favourite railway makes you want to see me turn their locos into something else.

Edited May 19, 2014 by Nile

[WD0-6-0]

Maybe it's because it's your least favourite railway makes you want to see me turn their locos into something else.

probably

[Castle]

Hi Nile and Rhys,

 

Whatever anyone's feelings positive or negative for the SR & constituents but the M7 is a form that showed up in numerous guises around the country and I am sure it will look great on the LMWR! I will look forward to this one...

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[WD0-6-0]

Hi Nile and Rhys,

Whatever anyone's feelings positive or negative for the SR & constituents but the M7 is a form that showed up in numerous guises around the country and I am sure it will look great on the LMWR! I will look forward to this one...

All the best,

Castle

I don't dislike the SR, the rebuilt merchant navies (only partly SR but still counts) are one of favourite Locos. Drummond got around a bit, from the LSWR to the CR an M7 could have appeared on any pregrouping line he stopped off at. Edited May 20, 2014 by WD0-6-0

[Nelson Jackson]

Beautiful wagons, great job, also btw nice profile pic,