Popular Post cookisan Posted November 16, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted November 16, 2014 I've finally plucked up the courage to post one of my little project on here. I've spent a while detailing and weathering existing locos but this is the first one involving any degree of reworking. This isn't an accurate model of a class 15xx but more of a working impression, as you can see for starters that the wheel spacing is incorrect. The main parts for the project were a Lima class 94xx body shell, a Hornby County Class chassis, a Hornby Schools Class cylinder bock and valve gear set, and Hornby 0-6-0 pannier wheels. The chassis was my starting point which also nearly sent me insane chasing around the floor for dropped screws and other tiny parts! I pulled all the wheels off the axles and bearing, discarding the County class wheels and the 0-6-0 axles and bearings to the spares box. The County axles were slightly loose so needed gluing into the pannier wheels. I did make myself a wheel jig but found that I got better results using the grid printed on my cutting mat to get the wheel quartering. I then set about cutting down the chassis block to roughly the correct length and at this point realised that I'd need to use it back to front to get the larger wheel spacing between the second and third axles. The wheels went back on and the County connecting rods were fitted along with the Schools cylinder block and valve gear. This last step took about a week of very fraught evenings getting eveything alined with a lot of swearing and a bit of wine! After test running it and feeling rather pleased with the results I moved onto the body. The beauty of the Lima bodyshell is that the smoke box and running plate are separate mouldings which can be removed to allow the tanks to be cut back. From the first two photos it can be seen how much of the body and chassis needed to be built up with plasticard and bits from the spares box (spot the Tamiya 1/35th Sherman idler wheel hub). Once the main train had taken form I started with the detailing which mainly involved yards of bronze wire, turned handrail knobs, replacement smoke box handle, tool and lamp brackets made from etch detail frets and replacement buffers. I used some Grandt Line bolts and rivets to detail the valve gear and other parts of the body. I also used their lifting eyes to replace the moulded on examples on the four corners of the tanks. I also used some parts from various Hornby detailing packs to add interest to the buffer beam, their metal couplings are amazing. I chose BR black as the colour scheme and set about airbrushing the chassis and body separately. Once dry I added etched number and shed plates and a BR logo then sprayed everything with matt varnish. The weathering was carried out with limited washs and heavier coats of weathering powders. Weathering powders are a new discovery for me and I feel I'm still on the beginners slope. Once happy with the finish I again gave the model a mist of matt varnish and left it to dry. The final step was to fit a crew and coal. I'm rather pleased with my attempt, particularly the movement of the valve gear which I find almost hypnotic. Plus it is DCC ready! The whole process seems a bit addictive and I have a number of projects in the pipeline. The next one will be a class 97xx, but rather than using the cast metal body (which when I got hold of a second hand one was rather a disapointment) I plan to chop up a couple of Bachmann body shells which are far supperior in detail. I hope this hasn't been too rambling and I apologise for the poor spelling and grammer. 19 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted November 16, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 16, 2014 That's so good! What an inspiration! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted November 16, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 16, 2014 Just thought of a question - what was behind the choice of the Schools chassis? Did it happen to be one you had spare? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookisan Posted November 16, 2014 Author Share Posted November 16, 2014 Hi, cheers for your comment. To answer your question, I chose a Schools class because it seemed to have the closest wheel spacing to a 15xx based on my limited access to data. I had bought a couple of Mainline chassis' which according to some of my readings had similar dimensions to the real 15xx but the model dimensions appeared incorrect and visually just wouldn't have worked. And I suppose there was a bit of random luck regarding stuff coming up on ebay. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Ingenious. Just emphasises the need for a decent kit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted November 18, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 18, 2014 Am sorely tempted to do a maroon one, then both a blue and a bright green 57xx, and then an orange jinty......... heh heh heh 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 From what is available RTR, if it can be found the small prairie running gear is another alternative. Actually too short in the wheelbase at 11'6" compared to 12'10" of the 15xx, but has the correct diameter wheels, crankpin on the centre axle, and outside cylinders in the right place ready to be modified and have Walschaerts gear hung on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookisan Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 I have been looking at the Bachmann 45xx for a repeat of the 15xx project and another in the pipeline, but get scared at the prospect of carving up a relatively expensive model as just chassis' don't seem to turn up on ebay etc! Corbs, you going to have to explain (NCB??), it's been a long day, I'm running low on beans and my small brain is full! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted November 18, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 18, 2014 Just some ex-mainline locos that were sold into industry and ended up in unusual liveries. The surviving 1501 was once painted maroon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy M Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Very nice cookisan, Lateral thinking at it's best and fantastic execution. What a handsome and unique model, you should be chuffed! Regards, Andy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookisan Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 Dat one..... That is the picture that's pushing me to do a second, as you say an unusual livery and looking very scruffy so should be fun painting and weathering. Andy M. thanks for the comment. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I have been looking at the Bachmann 45xx for a repeat of the 15xx project and another in the pipeline, but get scared at the prospect of carving up a relatively expensive model as just chassis' don't seem to turn up on ebay etc!... I am often in the same position as yourself, want either of a RTR body or a chassis for a project, and nothing offers s/h. So it's bite the bullet time and hunt around for the cheapest complete model, new or s/h, and sell on the unwanted parts myself to reduce the cost. Your friend there is Johnny Ninethumbs, who has just dropped his soldering iron onto his 45xx, and would really like a replacement body; or possibly Mr Fiennes-Scales who will build his own mechanism. Worth buying the likely most popular livery version if there is choice for much the same money; go for the one that 'shifts'. It often takes a while, but so far I have sold everything eventually; although the 'competition' in the form of the GBL mag series may act to push down the prices attainable on some bodies. Less chance of a good price on a 'Jinty' 3FT body at present for example, as the GBL version was generally well rated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylvian Tennant Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Lovely work there, my friend wants to do one as well, this will be a handy article for him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNWR18901910 Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 On 16/11/2014 at 20:17, cookisan said: I've finally plucked up the courage to post one of my little project on here. I've spent a while detailing and weathering existing locos but this is the first one involving any degree of reworking. This isn't an accurate model of a class 15xx but more of a working impression, as you can see for starters that the wheel spacing is incorrect. The main parts for the project were a Lima class 94xx body shell, a Hornby County Class chassis, a Hornby Schools Class cylinder bock and valve gear set, and Hornby 0-6-0 pannier wheels. The chassis was my starting point which also nearly sent me insane chasing around the floor for dropped screws and other tiny parts! I pulled all the wheels off the axles and bearing, discarding the County class wheels and the 0-6-0 axles and bearings to the spares box. The County axles were slightly loose so needed gluing into the pannier wheels. I did make myself a wheel jig but found that I got better results using the grid printed on my cutting mat to get the wheel quartering. I then set about cutting down the chassis block to roughly the correct length and at this point realised that I'd need to use it back to front to get the larger wheel spacing between the second and third axles. The wheels went back on and the County connecting rods were fitted along with the Schools cylinder block and valve gear. This last step took about a week of very fraught evenings getting eveything alined with a lot of swearing and a bit of wine! After test running it and feeling rather pleased with the results I moved onto the body. The beauty of the Lima bodyshell is that the smoke box and running plate are separate mouldings which can be removed to allow the tanks to be cut back. From the first two photos it can be seen how much of the body and chassis needed to be built up with plasticard and bits from the spares box (spot the Tamiya 1/35th Sherman idler wheel hub). Once the main train had taken form I started with the detailing which mainly involved yards of bronze wire, turned handrail knobs, replacement smoke box handle, tool and lamp brackets made from etch detail frets and replacement buffers. I used some Grandt Line bolts and rivets to detail the valve gear and other parts of the body. I also used their lifting eyes to replace the moulded on examples on the four corners of the tanks. I also used some parts from various Hornby detailing packs to add interest to the buffer beam, their metal couplings are amazing. I chose BR black as the colour scheme and set about airbrushing the chassis and body separately. Once dry I added etched number and shed plates and a BR logo then sprayed everything with matt varnish. The weathering was carried out with limited washs and heavier coats of weathering powders. Weathering powders are a new discovery for me and I feel I'm still on the beginners slope. Once happy with the finish I again gave the model a mist of matt varnish and left it to dry. The final step was to fit a crew and coal. I'm rather pleased with my attempt, particularly the movement of the valve gear which I find almost hypnotic. Plus it is DCC ready! The whole process seems a bit addictive and I have a number of projects in the pipeline. The next one will be a class 97xx, but rather than using the cast metal body (which when I got hold of a second hand one was rather a disapointment) I plan to chop up a couple of Bachmann body shells which are far supperior in detail. I hope this hasn't been too rambling and I apologise for the poor spelling and grammer. Sweet model, that! Did you know that only one of these survive in preservation on the SVR? Go and see it at the Engine House, I totally insist on it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 16 hours ago, LNWR18901910 said: Sweet model, that! Did you know that only one of these survive in preservation on the SVR? Go and see it at the Engine House, I totally insist on it! But did you know they scrapped two others in the 1970s? Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Blandford1969 Posted June 6, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 6, 2019 17 hours ago, Steamport Southport said: But did you know they scrapped two others in the 1970s? Jason They were all run into the ground. At the time saving one was a miracle and the only way it could happen was getting the best bits and then the rest going for scrap. We can look at it from the modern perspective and say what if, but at that point no one knew what would happen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted June 6, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 6, 2019 It's as least as good as my Limbach 94xx, and I'd be very proud of it if I'd built it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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