North Cranford

[The Fatadder]

How are you planning to do the weathering?

I have 4 of these to do at the moment, all of which need he chassis rebranding and a pair in Express Dairies need repainting.

 

From the few photos I’ve had a good look at, the underlying livery was barely visible under the dirt!

 

I still need another 4 (plus to make some road rail tankers), I just struggle to justify paying the price for such a basic tooling.

[M.I.B]

Rich,

 

There are certain liveries which seem to sell for less than others.  One in mind is the "graffiti'd" modern liveried one.  You could easily buy one of these and heavily weather it to the point where the livery underneath is invisible.

 

You are right on the photo references - they only seem clean once in their lifetime:  in shots at the wagon and carriage department.

 

And if you want just the tanks - go and seek out the Lima ones because they sell for even less on average.

[M.I.B]

A couple of weeks ago I decided that with little burst of modelling time, coming available at short notice, the best thing to fill "The Cabinet" with would be projects.    So I had a shuffle around and here's a worry shot of the results of one half:  there are three BR black engines and views of lions and ferrets........

 

 

[M.I.B]

(No idea why half the post got posted, but carrying on...............)

 

 

a couple of panniers about to donate their running gear to some old 70s white metal kits,

 

a black Dean Goods  due for a trip back in time to become a GWR black version (Not a WD black version).

 

some Dapol vans for the "grubby roof treatment", and some allocation lettering -  "To Work between ....."

 

The 28XX for oil firing conversion, 

 

Out of shot are:

 

A king for re-naming and crew,

the LMS dining car, which has had another bout of "cyano bloom" which needs removing.

47XX for brass number, crew and detailing.

 

At my current rate that's a year's worth.........

 

plus some display items for pleasure - a rake of Pugh coals and some "classic Hornby" wagons (Bestwood/Arnold Sands/Ocean/Scarweeod/Bodell/Pounsbery/Castrol/Shell Electrical Oil)

 

I hope that you are all happy and healthy, and didn't overspend today:  Black Friday.

Edited November 23, 2018 by M.I.B

[Mallard60022]

I forgot to tell you that the chassis for that Ks lump was a Hornby Dublo 0.6.0; was it supposed to be an R1 or something similar. It was pre the Triang type couplings

 

Edited November 23, 2018 by Mallard60022

[M.I.B]

Thanks Ducky. I think all 3 of the white metal kits are based on the same chassis so a bundle will be on evilbay in the Spring. Two are runners and I’m sure the third one has an obvious detached wire, so they should be good spares for Dublo fans.

 

I have invested in a new soldering iron so I may attempt a few wire splices over the Christmas break. I need to get the hang of it because I have chips to fit.......

[john dew]

Snap.....I did the same when I had to fix the TT......what a difference a temperature controlled machine makes, particularly with a proper iron....hardwiring a chip now is a breeze. I am astonished at what I attempted with a 25 yearold Weller

 

Cheers

[M.I.B]

I bought the Draper one which comes with a stand - I do have a habit of either dropping the iron or laying it on something I shouldn't - and as suggested - it has a "volume" button which won't be going to 11.

[Mallard60022]

I bought the Draper one which comes with a stand - I do have a habit of either dropping the iron or laying it on something I shouldn't - and as suggested - it has a "volume" button which won't be going to 11.

 

Best not to drop the Iron on your crutch/groin when it is well heated up.......how do I know this?

P

[Welchester]

Best not to drop the Iron on your crutch/groin when it is well heated up.......how do I know this?

P

 

Thanks for the tip off.

[M.I.B]

Best not to drop the Iron on your crutch/groin when it is well heated up.......how do I know this?

P

 I have knocked a soldering iron off the bench and with rapid reflexes caught it before it hit the deck....................... the blisters took ages to heal.................

 

Hence why I have gone for the stand option, and the cable will never be coiled or folded when not in use.  (for the un-wary, a kink or bend in the flex can "relax" and  make the iron move when it's not in the hand, and often the start of an incident.

[M.I.B]

I managed to do some old school copper pipe plumbing over the weekend.  Haven't done any for about 15 years (!)  Fitted cold supply to a sink, toilet, outside tap, each with isolating valves and a main cut off valve.  

 

Nothing changes - I end up end feeding Yorkshires which I have over heated and lost the solder out of.  And mixing end feed connectors and yorkshires because I'm using up odds and ends.  Loads of solder splatter on the deck, but......no leaks first time.

 

So inspired and enthused by this I will get round to joining bits of brass scrap together, and tinning up wires in the next month.

 

Modelling news:  the Dapol vans, the Oxford 6 wheel TOAD and an LMS container all got the roof grot treatment over the weekend.  More to do on these so pics when complete.

 

I hope that you are all happy and healthy.

 

 

You'd better watch out, you'd better not pry, you'd better not pout: I'm telling you why......................

[St Enodoc]

I managed to do some old school copper pipe plumbing over the weekend.  Haven't done any for about 15 years (!)  Fitted cold supply to a sink, toilet, outside tap, each with isolating valves and a main cut off valve.  

 

Nothing changes - I end up end feeding Yorkshires which I have over heated and lost the solder out of.  And mixing end feed connectors and yorkshires because I'm using up odds and ends.  Loads of solder splatter on the deck, but......no leaks first time.

 

So inspired and enthused by this I will get round to joining bits of brass scrap together, and tinning up wires in the next month.

 

Modelling news:  the Dapol vans, the Oxford 6 wheel TOAD and an LMS container all got the roof grot treatment over the weekend.  More to do on these so pics when complete.

 

I hope that you are all happy and healthy.

 

 

You'd better watch out, you'd better not pry, you'd better not pout: I'm telling you why......................

As an amateur, I never got the hang of Yorkshires. I always ended up using compression fittings.

[M.I.B]

As an amateur, I never got the hang of Yorkshires. I always ended up using compression fittings.

 

I also prefer compression for things like valves, but when it comes to smaller jobs I try to use up whats in the parts bin.  This set up was made mainly from the leftovers from the bathroom rebuild done by a pro.  All I bought was the master stop cock.

 

I was told that you shouldn't end feed dry yorkshires if you have managed to boil the original solder out of them - but if you add enough solder and hold the work vertically, not only do you get a seal by capillary action, but also the void/bulge left fills up too - I cut one open to test this theory a long time ago.

[M.I.B]

The great annual Hornby "taa-daaaaaa!" has occurred and there's nothing at all to float my boat.

 

Nice to see some GW Suburbans, but that's it.

 

Thankfully because I'm concentrating on buying chips.  Thanks to a wonderful "15% off everything" token/code on Ebay, I have made a significant inroad into the number needed, and I was pleased to find a pack of 2 new Lenz chips when I looked in a cupboard last night.  I'm not usually that did-organised but they probably came in the post at an extremely busy time so I put them in a cupboard holding the stock boxes for the Cabinet items, knowing that I would get back to them.

 

Santa Claus was most generous and delivered a 3500 gallon tendered Hall, from Hornby, which has plates for "Pyrland Hall" on order.  This was care of Hatton's huge sell off so plates and all it comes out to be about £60 including post.

 

I hope you all had a good Festive Season.  With less "huge" building projects on the cards this year, I look forward to doing more modelling, and setting up a "programming track".......

Edited January 7, 2019 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

And did I really see a 12t vent van on offer from Hornby, complete with sound???????

 

What sound does a vent van make?      Surely the near inaudible whisper of air through the vents, or the clank of chains and slap of buffer-on-buffer as it is shunted and connected/disconnected.

 

Hmmmmmmmmmm

[john dew]

Hi Tinker

 

The van is a sort of moveable speaker containing a sound chip with a series of selectable “sound bites” railway and non railway.

Not for me (too deaf....all that shooting catching up) but actually a relatively inexpensive way of introducing ambient sound. Hornby need to find a clearer description

 

Very happy camper on hearing the news about the 4 coach sets......and I could never get the Old ex airfix Prairies to perform effectively.......just hope I can find some credible alternative locos in addition to the large prairie I will order!

 

Best wishes

 

John

[81C]

Hi Tinker

 

The van is a sort of moveable speaker containing a sound chip with a series of selectable “sound bites” railway and non railway.

Not for me (too deaf....all that shooting catching up) but actually a relatively inexpensive way of introducing ambient sound. Hornby need to find a clearer description

 

Very happy camper on hearing the news about the 4 coach sets......and I could never get the Old ex airfix Prairies to perform effectively.......just hope I can find some credible alternative locos in addition to the large prairie I will order!

 

Best wishes

 

John

 

Just done a pre-order for 6 coaches ouch !!!,there 4 Hornby large Prairie's in my loco box all good runners which I pick up cheap from time to time in perfect condition I don't think I can justify a new one 

unless they really are the dog wotsits.

MIB one thing that will enhance containers is if you chain them on I've seen countless top end layouts where the container bounces around or even fall off the wagon.

Old style Lima milk tankers run on pizza disc wheels replacement wheel sets are a must make sure you get the correct size axle, the Dapol wagons are OK.

[The Fatadder]

Just done a pre-order for 6 coaches ouch !!!,there 4 Hornby large Prairie's in my loco box all good runners which I pick up cheap from time to time in perfect condition I don't think I can justify a new one 

unless they really are the dog wotsits.

Mine (which has had some detailing and a repaint) doesn't have a decoder yet, I am half tempted to remove the motor and keep as an unpowered model for use as an assisting engine, and get a new Hornby one as a working model...  

[St Enodoc]

Mine (which has had some detailing and a repaint) doesn't have a decoder yet, I am half tempted to remove the motor and keep as an unpowered model for use as an assisting engine, and get a new Hornby one as a working model...  

So is the current Hornby model significantly better as far as the mechanism, not the body, is concerned than the original Airfix then?

[M.I.B]

 

MIB one thing that will enhance containers is if you chain them on I've seen countless top end layouts where the container bounces around or even fall off the wagon.

Old style Lima milk tankers run on pizza disc wheels replacement wheel sets are a must make sure you get the correct size axle, the Dapol wagons are OK.

 

Thanks for the tips - I did consider a strategic blob of blue tack on the containers.     Or perhaps a bulk ebay buy of some scale chains.  That'll keep me busy for an evening  

 

As for the wheels - understood - What Lima stock I have has had wheel replacement or even full chassis replacement surgery already.  The SIPHON G work is covered way back on about page 4 I think.

[M.I.B]

I will stick with my two 61XXs - they have had new numbers and a weathering, My B Set collection will have to do as well.

 

They run OK every time I set up a large test oval.  But I  haven't converted them to "two wire operation" yet.

 

Need to spend pocket money on the move over to DCC.  By the time I get to wear out the "tanner-one-ers" the new Hornby versions will be available on evil bay as "old toys".

[St Enodoc]

Just done a pre-order for 6 coaches ouch !!!,there 4 Hornby large Prairie's in my loco box all good runners which I pick up cheap from time to time in perfect condition I don't think I can justify a new one 

unless they really are the dog wotsits.

MIB one thing that will enhance containers is if you chain them on I've seen countless top end layouts where the container bounces around or even fall off the wagon.

Old style Lima milk tankers run on pizza disc wheels replacement wheel sets are a must make sure you get the correct size axle, the Dapol wagons are OK.

I know several people who have had serious derailment issues with Dapol 6-wheel tankers. Replacing the wheels with Hornby ones cured that completely.

[The Fatadder]

I know several people who have had serious derailment issues with Dapol 6-wheel tankers. Replacing the wheels with Hornby ones cured that completely.

 

Having recently added a pair of the Dapol tanks to my rake, I will take that on board and get them rewheeled.  

 

Is it a case of poor quality wheels from Dapol, or are they good for reuse elsewhere? (thinking the easiest route would be to remove the Hornby ones from some coaches and replace)

 

At some point I really need to build some Dean Churchward breaked milk tanks to get a more prototypical rake.

[St Enodoc]

Having recently added a pair of the Dapol tanks to my rake, I will take that on board and get them rewheeled.  

 

Is it a case of poor quality wheels from Dapol, or are they good for reuse elsewhere? (thinking the easiest route would be to remove the Hornby ones from some coaches and replace)

 

At some point I really need to build some Dean Churchward breaked milk tanks to get a more prototypical rake.

Not sure. Try it but also check that the coaches are OK after the swap - I fear that they might not be.

 

Edit: also make sure that they are all the same diameter!

Edited January 8, 2019 by St Enodoc